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Of: TT
Published:
February 1 | Photo: Claudio Bresciani / TT
Gerhard Nagler with his wife Monica next to a portrait of their friend Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The death of American HD judge and gender equality activist Ruth Bader Ginsburg has caused grief across much of the world.
– The world has gotten poorer, says Swedish human rights activist Gerald Nagler, who has been a close friend of Ginsburg since the 1960s.
At Gerald Nagler and Ms Monica’s home in central Stockholm, there is much to attest to their more than half-century friendship with the American human rights icon. Among other things, a painting in the living room depicting a colorful Ginsburg with intense eyes, which the judge himself acquired and jokingly signed as a gift to the couple.
Gerald Nagler remembers when he met Ginsburg in New York.
– She already knew then that she would go to Sweden to do work for Columbia and that she lacked contacts, so she introduced us to a mutual friend. Ruth is an amazing person and she left a deep impression on me from the first moment, she tells TT.
Shortly after, they met again in Stockholm.
The band to Sweden
Ruth Bader Ginsburg would spend several years in Sweden writing a book on Swedish administration together with Anders Bruzelius. During those 1960s, Ginsburg forged strong ties to the country.
– He became very fond of Sweden and even learned Swedish, then took every opportunity to speak the language, says Gerald Nagler.
– She liked the system here and how we are with each other. Sweden was at the forefront in terms of gender equality and human rights in general; these were issues that concerned him greatly. I think Sweden played an important role in shaping her political worldview, and she was happy to emphasize this herself over the years.
Celebrated many parties
The band to Sweden wasn’t just about politics; Over the years the relationship developed with the couple, Nagler and Ginsburg regularly visited Sweden to live at home with their Swedish friends.
– My wife Monica and I became part of her Swedish family and we have had many wonderful parties and New Years Eve together. The last time she was here was in May last year to receive the Gilel Storch Award, it was great to meet her and hang out.
But even in the company of his friends, the participation of the community was constantly present.
– Ruth is not the type who likes to talk cold, we do not talk about the weather and stuff, but mostly about the future and the situation in the world. It was natural for both of us to talk about human rights, since that’s what we dedicate our lives to, says Gerald Nagler, who founded the Civil Rights Defenders organization.
It affects the whole family
For a political figure like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, death also becomes politics. When the judge took his last breath, the debate began over who should replace her on the United States Supreme Court.
For his friend Gerald Nagler, his death is much more.
– Ruth was the moral voice, she has been a mentor to me and many others. I will miss her so much.
– She was an extremely loyal friend. There are people who make a career and then forget their old friends with her, she was very faithful. Not only against me and my wife, but also against our children and grandchildren. She has left deep traces in the conscience of the whole family, she says with sadness in her voice.
Gerald Nagler emphasizes that it is now important for survivors to take care of what Ginsburg leaves behind.
– He reminds us that we must not fail in the fight for human rights and specifically for the equality of women, values that he dedicated his life to defend.
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