S6350 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 14, 2001 (1) honors the Army on its Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise on Environment and Development, known as 226th birthday; today to submit a resolution regarding the Earth Summit; (2) reflects on the great legacy the United the artwork of a woman named Dina Whereas local governments play a central States Army has given our Nation; and Babbitt. Mrs. Babbitt, who was born role in the development of communities that (3) expresses pride in our Nation’s soldiers’ Dinah Gottliebova, was an inmate at respect ecological integrity, promote social courage, dedication to duty, and selfless well-being, and create economic vitality by service to our Nation. Auschwitz during . Dur- developing and maintaining economic, so- ing her internment, she was forced by cial, and environmental infrastructures, f the notorious Dr. Joseph Mengele to overseeing local planning processes, estab- paint pictures of doomed inmates. Be- lishing local environmental policies and reg- SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLU- cause of her paintings, Ms. Babbitt and ulations, and assisting in implementing na- TION 49—URGING THE RETURN her mother were two of only 22 inmates tional environmental policies; OF PORTRAITS PAINTED BY who survived their internment at Whereas the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan is DINA BABBITT DURING HER IN- Auschwitz. a member of the ICLEI’s Cities for Climate TERNMENT AT AUSCHWITZ THAT Seven of the paintings were found at Protection, an association of over 300 local ARE NOW IN THE POSSESSION Auschwitz after the camp was liberated governments from around the world dedi- cated to developing sustainable community- OF THE AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU and were sold to the Polish State Mu- based solutions to local and global environ- STATE MUSEUM. seum in Osweicim. The museum con- mental problems; Mrs. BOXER (for herself and Mr. tacted Mrs. Babbitt in 1973 to inform Whereas the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan is her that they had the pieces, but re- SMITH of Oregon) submitted the fol- a designated Department of Energy Clean fused to relinquish them to her. She lowing concurrent resolution; which City in recognition of the city’s efforts to has been fighting with the museum purchase alternative fuel vehicles, build al- was referred to the Committee on For- since then to get her paintings back. ternative fuel infrastructure, and educate eign Relations. Mrs. Babbitt has a simple motivation the community about the use of alternative S. CON. RES. 49 for retrieving her paintings. The people fuel vehicles in order to enhance energy se- Whereas Dina Babbitt (formerly known as in the portraits became her friends, curity and environmental quality; Whereas the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan is Dinah Gottliebova), a United States citizen and they perished in the gas chambers. now in her late 70’s, has requested the return a member of the Environmental Protection The paintings are the only reminder Agency’s Green Lights Program and has ret- of watercolor portraits she painted while suf- she has of them and the internment fering a 11⁄2-year-long internment at the rofitted over 20 city buildings with energy ef- Auschwitz death camp during World War II; camp, as she has said, ‘‘everything else ficient lighting; Whereas Dina Babbitt was ordered to paint was taken from me.’’ Whereas the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan the portraits by the infamous war criminal Mrs. Babbitt, who now resides in the developed an innovative Municipal Energy Dr. ; United States, is in her late 70s. She Fund to improve the energy efficiency of Whereas Dina Babbitt’s life, and her moth- has fought for too long to have these city facilities and provide community dem- er’s life, were spared only because she paint- paintings returned. There is no doubt onstrations of energy saving and renewable ed portraits of doomed inmates of Ausch- that she painted these works and has a energy technologies that result in environ- witz-Birkenau, under orders from Dr. Josef mental stewardship and fiscal responsibility; moral right to have them in her posses- Whereas the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan Mengele; sion. This resolution urges the Presi- Whereas these paintings are currently in has an Energy Plan that reduces energy use the possession of the Auschwitz-Birkenau dent and the Secretary of State to and encourages renewable energy, a Solid State Museum; work with the Polish government and Waste Plan that encourages recycling, Whereas Dina Babbitt is unquestionably the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum to see composting, and source reduction, and a the rightful owner of the artwork, since the that the seven watercolors in question Transportation Plan that reduces traffic paintings were produced by her own talented are returned to their rightful owner. congestion and vehicle miles traveled hands as she endured the unspeakable condi- I hope that my colleagues will sup- through the implementation of mass transit tions that existed at the Auschwitz death port his resolution. and alternate transportation programs; camp; Whereas the Environmental Management f Whereas the artwork is not available for Team of the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan has the public to view at the Auschwitz- SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLU- a comprehensive program addressing envi- Birkenau State Museum and therefore this TION 50—RECOGNIZING THE IM- ronmental cleanup, environmental restora- unique and important body of work is essen- PORTANT CONTRIBUTION THAT tion, park and greenway development, en- tially lost to history; and ergy efficiency, transportation alternatives, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS MAKE TO parks, infill development, and waste water Whereas this continued injustice can be SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT righted through cooperation between agen- management; cies of the United States and Poland: Now, AND ENSURING A VIABLE FU- Whereas the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan therefore, be it TURE FOR OUR PLANET was chosen from among 35 cities in North Resolved by the Senate (the House of Rep- Mr. LEVIN (for himself and Ms. STA- America to host the ICLEI’s U.S. and Cana- dian Municipal Leaders Rio+10 Preparatory resentatives concurring), That Congress— BENOW) submitted the following con- (1) recognizes the moral right of Dina Bab- Meeting; current resolution; which was referred Whereas the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan is bitt to obtain the artwork she created, and to the Committee on Environment and recognizes her courage in the face of the 1 of 6 cities worldwide selected to host a pre- evils perpetrated by the Nazi command of Public Works. paratory meeting for the 2002 World Summit; the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, includ- S. CON. RES. 50 and ing the atrocities committed by Dr. Josef Whereas the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan Whereas the University of Michigan and Mengele; was chosen by the International Council for the residents of the city of Ann Arbor, (2) urges the President to make all efforts Local Environmental Initiatives (in this con- Michigan are committed to communitywide necessary to retrieve the 7 watercolor por- current resolution referred to as the initiatives to support sustainable develop- traits Dina Babbitt painted, while suffering a ‘‘ICLEI’’) to host the U.S. and Canadian Mu- ment: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Rep- 11⁄2-year-long internment at the Auschwitz nicipal Leaders Rio+10 Preparatory Meeting death camp, and return them to her; for the United Nations-sponsored 2002 World resentatives concurring), That Congress recog- (3) urges the Secretary of State to make Summit on Sustainable Development (in this nizes the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan and its immediate diplomatic efforts to facilitate concurrent resolution referred to as the residents for their dedication to building a the transfer of the 7 original watercolors ‘‘2002 World Summit’’); community that respects ecological integ- painted by Dina Babbitt from the Auschwitz- Whereas the ICLEI strives to build and rity, promotes social well-being, and creates Birkenau State Museum to Dina Babbitt, serve a worldwide movement of local govern- economic vitality. their rightful owner; ments to achieve tangible improvements in Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I and my (4) urges the Government of Poland to im- global environmental and sustainable devel- colleague from Michigan, Senator STA- mediately facilitate the return to Dina Bab- opment conditions through cumulative local BENOW, are submitting a resolution rec- bitt of the artwork painted by her that is actions; ognizing the City of Ann Arbor, Michi- now in the possession of the Auschwitz- Whereas the goals of the 2002 World Sum- gan and its residents for their dedica- Birkenau State Museum; and mit are to generate momentum toward sus- (5) urges the officials of the Auschwitz- tainable development and ensure a viable fu- tion to building a community that re- Birkenau State Museum to transfer the 7 ture for our planet; spects the environment, promotes so- original paintings to Dina Babbitt as expedi- Whereas the predecessor of the 2002 World cial well-being and creates economic tiously as possible. Summit was the United Nations Conference vitality. The City of Ann

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