Tran Ngoc Quyen, former Counselor of the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany, has spent over 50 years collecting precious exhibits and materials about President Ho Chi Minh abroad, in hope of helping the next generations to remember and pay gratitude to the beloved leader.
Uncle Ho visited Germany in 1957. (Documentary photo)
His desire to collect materials and exhibits, including documents, films, artistic works, posters or stamps, about President Ho Chi Minh, started in 1969 when he and his friends at the University of TU Dresden (Germany) burnt incense to commemorate the great Vietnamese President. “Then in Germany, many Vietnamese and foreign friends showed their regret about the passing away of President Ho Chi Minh,” he said, adding that his university allowed Vietnamese students to set up an altar to worship Uncle Ho. “The day when Uncle Ho passed away, the image and information of President Ho Chi Minh overwhelmed the German newspapers’ front pages as the solemn commemoration that international people put aside for him,” he went on to say. “I bought all the newspapers before I started to collected materials about him carefully.”
The more he finds materials about Uncle Ho, the more he appreciates international friends’ hearts and affection for Uncle Ho through the collected materials. They include a set of documents by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepared to welcome Uncle Ho in 1957, with over 300 documents and 10 draft meetings; a book on President Ho Chi Minh entitled “Ho Chi Minh – a Vietnamese life” written by a German journalist in 1960 which was translated into Vietnamese by him. “The examples prove the fact that President Ho Chi Minh conquered Berlin people’s hearts,” he said.
According to Mr. Quyen, Germany is the only foreign country to issue a Ho Chi Minh Medal in 1980, marking President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday (May 19th). He luckily collected 3 precious medals. In addition, the German Solidarity Committee issued some round Ho Chi Minh Badges in different sizes and colours, emblazened with the word “Solidarity” in the Vietnamese, German and Russian languages.
He is also proud to know that there are at least 6 German cities having Ho Chi Minh Streets and 6 schools named after Uncle Ho.
It is more significant when he presented the precious materials to Vietnamese agencies and organizations. Receiving his presents, Tran Viet Hoa, Director of the National Archives Center III, said that the materials collected by Mr. Quyen are original, certified and very precious. “The materials will be used for the next generations, especially in the work to promote the value of the materials such as exhibitions on President Ho Chi Minh,” she said.
Despite his age, he has not stopped collecting and presenting materials on Uncle Ho, with the support of his family, domestic and foreign friends./.
Compiled by BTA