Kinga Göncz, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Unveiling Hungarian Flag from WTC, Presenting Thomas Nonn's Paintings Donated to the Consulate, Hungarian Consulate

unveiling of the damaged Hungarian flag recovered from the rubble
of the World Trade Center andpermanently displayed at the Consulate General

Presenting two paintings, works donated by Hungarian-American artist Thomas Nonn

Greetings by:
Polgár Viktor Ambassador, Consul General of Hungary in New York,
Kinga Göncz and representatives of NYPD, NYFD, and NYC

Elizabeth Daly, Director, Division for International Business,
Office of the Mayor, representing Mayor Bloomberg
Chief Diaz of New York Police Department
Chief Monehan of New York Fire Department

The flag, torn, wrinkled and still soiled by the dust from the collapse of the South Tower was lifted from the debris five year after 9/11 and returned to the Consulate General by the New York City Police Department. It is believed that the flag flew in the visitor lobby along with the flags of other nations of the world.

Even seven years after the planes crashed into the Twin Towers Hungarians continue to share in the grief over the loss of the more than 2700 men, women and children who lost their lives in the cold-blooded and cold-hearted terrorist attack. The Government of Hungary in Budapest and the Consulate General in New York wish to honor the memories of the innocent victims by permanently exhibiting the Hungarian WTC flag in the public area of the Consulate General building. It is intended to serve as a reminder to our common task to fight against terrorism in the world. It will spotlight the values and beliefs Hungarian and Americans share in the sanctity of human life, democracy, and freedom.

Captain Sorensen, Chief Diaz, Viktor Polgár, Chief Monehan,
Elizabeth Daly, Kinga Göncz, Sergeant Balatoni, and Detective Miller

Greetings by George Pataki,
53rd Governor of New York serving three consecutive
four-year terms from 1995 until 2006

Thomas Nonn - in front of one of the two paintings Nonn donated

Ever since Thomas Nonn came to America from Hungary as a young refugee in 1957, after the crushed uprising there, he has been obsessed with developing a language reflecting a post-war central European sensibility liberated by the gestural freedom of American "action painting". During the last two decades his work was characterized by a palette of rust, black and gray, a somewhat melancholy combination of colors, perhaps suggesting an attempt to transcend the mere decorative use of pigments.

Kinga Göncz with Detective Miller who recovered the Hungarian WTC flag
and Sergeant Balatoni, American-Hungarian member of the NYPD

Sergeant Balatoni, Viktor Polgár, Kinga Göncz, George Pataki, Detective Miller, and
Ambassador Gábor Bródi, Permanent Rep. of the Republic of Hungary to the UN

Elena and Dr. Miklós Tóth, George Pataki, Dr. Mária Findrik, and Gábor Bródi