Elie Wiesel
(1928-present) – Born in Romania, he is a professor, political activist and the author of 57 books. A Holocaust survivor, his writings are considered among the most significant in Holocaust literature. Among his many other prizes and honors, Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 for speaking out against violence, repression and racism, and for spreading messages of peace, atonement and human dignity.
Elie Wiesel | |
|---|---|
 (1998) | |
| Born | Eliezer Wiesel September 30, 1928 Sighet, Kingdom of Romania |
| Died | July 2, 2016 (aged 87) Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author, professor, activist |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Paris |
| Subjects | The Holocaust, religion, philosophy |
| Notable works | Night (1960) |
| Notable awards | Nobel Peace Prize (1986) Presidential Medal of Freedom Congressional Gold Medal Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Romania Legion of Honour Honorary Knighthood |
| Spouse | Marion Erster Rose (m. 1969; his death 2016) |
| Children | 1 |
Eliezer Wiesel (/ˈɛli
Along with writing, he was a professor of the humanities at Boston University, which created the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies in his honor. He was involved with Jewish causes and helped establish the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D. C. In his political activities, he also campaigned for victims of oppression in places like South Africa, Nicaragua, Kosovo, and Sudan. He publicly condemned the 1915 Armenian Genocide, and remained a strong defender of human rights during his lifetime. He was described as "the most important Jew in America" by the Los Angeles Times.
Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, at which time the Norwegian Nobel Committee called him a "messenger to mankind", stating that through his struggle to come to terms with "his own personal experience of total humiliation and of the utter contempt for humanity shown in Hitler's death camps", as well as his "practical work in the cause of peace", Wiesel had delivered a message "of peace, atonement, and human dignity" to humanity. He was a founding board member of the New York Human Rights Foundation and remained active throughout his life.