Sweden unveils Wallenberg memorial

U.N. chief Kofi Annan at the Wallenberg memorial

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- A memorial to the Swedish diplomat who helped thousands of Jews escape the Nazis in World War II has been unveiled in Stockholm.

Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf unveiled the tribute to Raoul Wallenberg, who is estimated to have saved the lives of 20,000 Jews in Budapest.

The memorial consists of 12 knee-high figures of dark bronze contrasting with the light-coloured stone leading to the Baltic Sea waterfront.

Nearby is a large bronze replica of Wallenberg's signature, as it appeared on passports he signed to help Jews escape deportation to death camps from Nazi-occupied Hungary.

The king described Wallenberg as "a great example for those of us who want to live as fellow humans."

Wallenberg distributed Swedish passports to Jews that allowed them to stay in Budapest.

He won diplomatic protection for whole neighbourhoods and organised food and medical supplies. His efforts are credited with saving at least 20,000 lives.

He was arrested by Soviet troops in 1945. Russia acknowledged last December that Wallenberg died in a Soviet prison.

Despite their insistence that he died in 1947, there were unconfirmed sightings in the Soviet prison system for years afterward, and his family continues to press for evidence and information.

Last January, a Swedish-Russian panel, after working for 10 years, released a 362-page report that cited many unanswered questions. Swedish Prime Minister Goeran Persson said the project will continue.

Writer Per Waestberg, head of the jury that selected the winning concept, said: "Raoul Wallenberg's own destiny is too great for a traditional monument or memorial."

Guests at Friday's inauguration included U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and his wife Nane Annan, who is Wallenberg's niece.

There were also diplomats from Israel, Hungary, the United States, Russia and Canada. The memorial was designed by Danish artist Kirsten Ortwed.