Flick not to attend ceremony in Berlin synagogue

The controversial art collector Friedrich Christian Flick has announce that he would not attend celebrations commemorating the 100th anniversary of a synagogue in Berlin. The newspaper "Berliner Zeitung" reports that the grandson of the entrepreneur Friedrich Flick, who supported the Nazis and exploited many forced laborers in his factories, had declined an invitation to attend, which had been extended by the president of the Berlin Jewish Community, Albert Meyer. The invitation had sparked protests, notably from the widow of the former president of the Berlin and German Jewish communities Heinz Galinski. Ruth Galinski had announced that she would not attend the ceremony next Sunday if Flick were to come. She herself had been a forced laborer during World War II. Flick's recent announcement to open an art exhibition in Berlin was met with rejection by some Jewish leaders Flick's wealth was based in part on his grandfather's dealings with the Nazis.