Statement
by the Honorable Warren L. Miller, Chairman,
U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad
on Signing the Agreement
between the United States of America and Bulgaria
on the Protection and Preservation of Certain Cultural Properties
December 5, 2002 * Washington, DC
Ambassador Poptodorova, honored guests:
I join the Ambassador in welcoming all of you to this important event. It signifies another building block in the increasingly close relationship between our governments.
As a nation of immigrants, the United States has a strong interest in preserving the cultural heritage of its citizens in the countries of their families’ origin.
The agreement we have signed today:
- Commits our countries to protecting and preserving properties that are important to the cultural heritage of all national, religious, and ethnic groups, including victims of genocide during World War II, and ensuring that there is no discrimination against their cultural heritage.
- It requires our countries to identify and preserve properties of special significance – especially properties that are in danger of destruction or deterioration because a victimized group no longer has the people or resources to preserve the property.
- And it establishes a Joint Cultural Heritage Commission to oversee the effort and to resolve issues that may arise.
A focus of the Commission will be cemeteries, synagogues, churches and other cultural sites of minorities who were oppressed by the Nazis and repressive communist governments. The cultural sites of Jews, Roma, and certain Christian denominations will be given priority.
On behalf of the government of the United States, including President George W. Bush, I thank and congratulate the Government of Bulgaria for the decisive and positive steps that are represented by this agreement.
Bulgaria is a country with a rich tradition of multi-cultural co-existence. Eastern Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics, Muslims, Protestants, Jews, and others have lived together peacefully for much of the past 500 years.
We also recognize – with profound appreciation – the remarkable history of Bulgaria during the Holocaust, when the people of Bulgaria heroically demonstrated their religious tolerance and humane character by collectively acting to save Bulgaria’s Jewish population from deportation and annihilation by the Nazis. Were it not for the strong protests of the people and personal interventions by the country’s religious, civic, and political leaders, the deportations to the Nazi death camps would have occurred. Remarkably, all 50,000 of Bulgaria’s Jews were saved.
However, the Holocaust did have consequences in Bulgaria. Bulgarian Jews suffered numerous acts of persecution at the hands of their fascist government. Moreover, in foreign territories occupied by Bulgaria during the war, its government turned Jews over to the Nazis. As Germany’s ally, Bulgaria occupied large sections of Greek and Yugoslav Macedonia and Thrace. The Nazis were allowed to deport over 11,000 Jews from these areas to the death camps.
In many countries in Europe, there are markers commemorating the deportation and massacre of Jews. In Bulgaria, there are markers erected by Jewish communities to thank their neighbors for protecting them from deportation.
It should also be noted that Americans contributed to Bulgaria’s religious diversity when missionaries from the United States introduced Protestantism to Bulgaria in 1857. In addition to establishing churches, schools and clinics, the missionaries had reports published in the West about the struggle for Bulgarian independence. These reports helped convince Western powers to acquiesce when Russia came to the aid of the Bulgarian people in 1876.
Nearly 100 years later, however, the Bulgarian Protestant church was persecuted by the Communists for its historic ties to the United States as well as for its’ religious convictions. We would also note that all religious denominations were persecuted by the communists.
Although today’s agreement commits our countries to a cooperative effort to preserve cultural heritage, I am happy to be able to tell you that our partnership is already well underway. During the past year our Commission established the Dimitrov Distinguished Lecture and Scholarship in honor of Ambassador Poptodorova’s predecessor. It is bringing speakers to the American University in Bulgaria to discuss the role that Americans played in helping develop the Bulgarian educational system and it will provide ongoing scholarships to students of the university. I am grateful for the dedication of the Honorable Ned Bandler, a member of the Commission who is here with us, for making this program possible.
This year our commission also initiated a survey of cultural sites of ethnic and religious minorities, particularly those sites such as cemeteries that are not contained in existing inventories. Identifying these sites will enable them to be preserved.
Also, our commission is providing funds to complete restoration of the synagogue in Plovdiv, one of Bulgaria’s most historic centers. This was made possible through the efforts of the Honorable Michael Levy, a member of our Commission who is also here today.
Additionally, the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund has granted money for restoration of the mosque and Koranic library at Vidin, and funds from the Ronald Lauder Foundation are supporting restoration of the great synagogue in Sofia.
I look forward to many other projects being done in Bulgaria. We have learned that while it is essential to have historic sites that promote national pride and unity, it is also important to have cultural sites that speak powerfully to minority members of society. When those citizens are comfortable in recognizing their individual or group heritage, they are comfortable in joining with others to form a strong union. Today’s agreement will help attain that goal and further strengthen our respective nations.
Thank you.
