Human Interest

(Communicated by the President’s Spokesperson)

President Isaac Herzog and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited the National Library in Jerusalem today (Tuesday, 13 May 2025), immediately upon their arrival in Israel following the President’s state visit to Germany. They were accompanied by Chairman of the Board of the National Library, Sallai Meridor, and Library Director Oren Weinberg.

The visit began at the memorial installation for the victims of the October 7 terror attack – a powerful memorial wall displaying the photos and names of those murdered and of fallen IDF soldiers, as part of the national commemoration project led by the Library.

During the visit, several exceptional items were presented to the Presidents, including the 1585 Cloverleaf Map – a symbolic world map printed in Hanover, which depicts Jerusalem at the center of the world.

President Herzog was also shown a letter from Esther Goldberg Herzog (his grandfather’s sister), dated 12 October 1942, in which she implored the Chief Rabbi of Nazi-occupied Paris to help secure the release of her daughter held by the Nazis. In addition, a photo was displayed of the Sixth President of Israel, Chaim Herzog, visiting the Library in the 1980s.

President Steinmeier was shown the “Worms Mahzor” – one of the earliest Ashkenazi prayer books in existence, which had been hidden during the Holocaust – as well as photographs from the 1960 visit of West Germany’s first President, Theodor Heuss, to the National Library.

At the conclusion of the visit, the two passed through the installation titled “Every Hostage Has Their Own Story” – composed of empty chairs, each bearing the photograph of a hostage alongside a carefully chosen book that represents their personal story.

President Steinmeier noted he was deeply moved by the historical documents that continue to link the two nations to this day.

The Presidents concluded their visit at Micha Ullman’s artwork “Letters of Light,” where they met and spoke with the artist.