Prof Dr Rafael Wertheim signs the Golden Book of the City of Chemnitz
Today, Prof Dr Rafael Wertheim signed the Golden Book of the City of Chemnitz. This honours his outstanding work in research and his exceptional services to the development of the city of Chemnitz and beyond its borders.
Prof Dr Rafael Wertheim comes from Kiryat Bialik in Israel, where he himself was mayor for five years. For many years, he has been involved in the city of Chemnitz, which he first travelled to in 2000. He has been a member of the board of the Jewish community in Chemnitz since 2010. The 80-year-old is extremely committed to promoting understanding and cooperation between Germany and Israel on a scientific and technical level as well as in civil society.
In addition to his globally recognised achievements at the Fraunhofer Institute, his services to the city of Chemnitz primarily include the establishment of social, technical and scientific relations between Chemnitz University of Technology and the Fraunhofer Institute Chemnitz as well as between the Free State of Saxony and Israel. He initiated and organised several exchange projects for an artistic dialogue between the countries of Israel and Germany.
Lord Mayor Sven Schulze: "For years, he has been personally committed to ensuring that contact between the people of Chemnitz and the Israeli city of Kiryat Bialik grows and that the citizens of both cities meet as equals. With him, the city of Chemnitz is honouring an outstanding personality who has achieved extraordinary things not only in teaching and research, but also in the cultural sphere."