Chagall Peace Window rededicated

The Chagall Peace Window returned to the Visitors’ lobby of the United Nations yesterday with a dedication ceremony timed to coincide with UN Day and the 60th anniversary of the organization’s founding.

The window was originally installed at the site in 1964, in honor of former UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld and all those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of peace. It is a free-standing piece of stained glass.
Its creator, Mark Chagall, was a Jew born in Viciebsk, Belarus. His work is important not only to Jewish culture but to Belarusian culture overall. Over the years, the work began to show its age. The restoration was undertaken by the Maecenas World Patrimony Foundation (MWPF). Though the restoration was actually finished in the summer of 2001, the dedication ceremony slated for UN Day that year was postponed due to the 11 September attacks in New York. The Visitors’ Lobby of the UN building is open to the public.