London, 18 October 2016. The Delegation of Great Britain and Ireland with much regret notes the passing of Sir Sigmund Sternberg, OStJ, KC*SG, GCFO, JP, at age 95.
Sir Sigmund was a Jewish philanthropist and renowned interfaith campaigner who spent most of his life building better relations between people of different faiths and beliefs in the United Kingdom and internationally.
Born on 2 June 1921 in Hungary, Sigmund Sternberg relocated to Britain in 1939 in the eve of the Second World War. In 1968 he formed the Sternberg Foundation and in 1997 he co-founded 3FF, the Three Faiths Forum, together with Rev Dr Marcus Braybrooke and the late Sheikh Dr Zaki Badawi. He also greatly contributed in strengthening the Council of Christian and Jews (CCJ) and Catholic-Jewish relations.
For his many achievements he received numerous state and religious award from across Europe and the wider world including a knighthood from Britain, a Papal knighthood from Pope John Paul II and the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion.
Sir Sigmund and his late wife, Lady Hazel Sternberg, were prominent and active members of the Order. He was awarded the Gold Benemerenti Medal in 1990 and in 2002 he was invested as Knight First Class of Royal Order of Francis I. In 2005 Sir Sigmund was promoted to the rank of Knight Grand Cross in recognition to his services to the British and Irish delegation.
The Delegate, Anthony Bailey, said, “His work has been a true inspiration to the inter-religious and charitable vocation of the Order and his lifetime commitment to the interfaith movement and to so many good causes will be remembered for a very long time to come.”
Requiescat in pace.