Sigmund Sternberg
| Sigmund Sternberg | |
|---|---|
| Born |
2 June 1921 Budapest, Hungary |
| Died | 18 October 2016 |
| Occupation | Businessman, philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) |
Ruth Schiff Hazel Sternberg |
| Children | 1 son, 1 daughter |
Sir Sigmund Sternberg, KCSG, GCFO, JP[1] (Hungarian: Sternberg Zsigmond; 2 June 1921 – 18 October 2016) was a British philanthropist, interfaith campaigner, businessman and Labour Party donor.
Early life
Sternberg was born in 1921 in Budapest, Hungary.[2][3] He was Jewish. He emigrated to Britain in 1939,[2] and was naturalised as a British citizen in 1947.
Career
Sternberg worked in the scrap metal trade.[2] After the war, he founded Sternberg Group of Companies.[3] By 1965, he retired from the scrap metal trade and focused on property investments.[3]
Philanthropy
Sternberg worked in promoting dialogue between different faiths. For example, he relocated a Roman Catholic convent at Auschwitz. Moreover, he organised the first papal visit to a synagogue in 1986. Additionally, he negotiated the Vatican's recognition of the state of Israel
Sternberg established The Sir Sigmund Sternberg Charitable Foundation in 1969 and was one of the co-founders of the Three Faiths Forum. He was the founding Chairman of CRU Group. Sternberg was Life President of the Movement for Reform Judaism.[4] He was chairman of the Sternberg Interfaith Gold Medallion.
In 1976, Sternberg was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, and in 1985 he was made a Papal Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great (KCSG) by Pope John Paul II.[2] He was awarded the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion in 1998 for his interfaith work worldwide.[5] In November 2005, Sternberg was promoted to the highest rank within the Royal Order of Francis I to the grade of Knight Grand Cross (GCFO), this in recognition of his contributions to furthering the interfaith activities of the British and Irish Delegation.[6] In 2008, he received the FIRST International Award for Responsible Capitalism, lifetime achievement medal.[7]
Personal life and death
Sternberg married Ruth Schiff in 1949.[3] They had a son, Michael Sternberg QC, and a daughter, British artist Frances Aviva Blane. They divorced in the 1960s, and he later married Hazel Sternberg, who died in 2014.[2] He died on 18 October 2016.[2]
References
- ↑ Association Members – official website of the Association of Papal Orders in Great Britain of Pius IX, Saint Gregory and Saint Sylvester
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sugarman, Daniel (October 19, 2016). "Sir Sigmund Sternberg dead at 95". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Klein, Emma (October 20, 2016). "Obituary: Sir Sigmund Sternberg". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ↑ Who's who: Sir Sigmund Sternberg, President – website of Movement for Reform Judaism
- ↑ Previous price winners – website of the Templeton Prize
- ↑ Interfaith leader Sir Sigmund Sternberg promoted to the highest rank within the Royal Order of Francis I – official website of the Grand Magistral Delegation for Inter-Religious Relations
- ↑ 2008 Award – official website of FIRST Magazine
External links
- Profile from the Three Faiths Forum
- A portrait of Sir Sigmund (1998) by Valerie Wiffen, Sir Sigmund Sternberg by Valerie Wiffen, oil on canvas, 1998, is in the National Portrait Gallery, London.