The cornerstone was laid here yesterday for the Otto Hahn wing of the Europe House at the Weizmann Institute of Science, a residence for visiting scientists financed jointly by the West German Bundestag and the Israel government. Prof. Albert Sabin, president of the Weizmann Institute, called the project “still another manifestation of the very gratifying friendly relations that have developed between the Federal Republic of Germany and Israel.” The Bundestag contributed $500,000 toward the structure, a sum matched by the Israel government. Foreign Minister Abba Eban, who attended the ceremonies, expressed hope that the peace established in Europe after World War II would serve as a model for peace in the Middle East. West German Ambassador Karl Herman Knoke said the Otto Hahn wing, named for a prominent German-Jewish financier and philanthropist, demonstrated that a bridge can be built between Israel and the New Germany despite a terrible past. Meyer Wiesgal, chancellor of the Weizmann Institute said he was proud that the Institute had the courage to become the first in Israel to establish relations with Germany despite tremendous emotional problems.
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