Weinstein has been honoured with Germany's Bundesverdienstkreuz in recognition of his 'Violins of Hope' project
Israeli luthier Amnon Weinstein has been honoured with Germany's Bundesverdienstkreuz (Federal Cross of Merit) in recognition of his 'Violins of Hope' project (pictured).
German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier presented the award to the 77-year-old on Wednesday at the Jewish Museum in Berlin. 'Behind each of your precious violins hides a human soul,' said Steinmeier. 'With your 'Violins of Hope', you give a voice back to these lost souls.'
'Violins of Hope' is a collection of some 45 violins played by Jewish musicians before and during the Holocaust, which were restored by Weinstein over a period of two decades. The instruments have since been performed in concerts around the world - including by the Berlin Philharmonic in January 2015 to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp - and have been exhibited in the US and in Germany.
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