Gerald Nagler

Gerald Nagler (born December 10, 1929 in Vienna) is an Austrian-Swedish businessman. He also advocated for human rights.

Life

In 1931 Gerald Nagler and his family moved from Vienna to Stockholm. After earning his degree Gerald Nagler worked at his father's company, which he eventually left in 1982. He became deeply involved with the support of Soviet dissidents and Jewish refuseniks working together with Andrei Sakharov and his wife Yelena Bonner.

Nagler is co-founder of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, and was leading this organization between 1982 and 1992 in Vienna. From 1992 to 2004 he was leading the Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights and he has been its honorary president up to now. The organisation has changed its name to Civil Rights Defenders.

Since 2009 Nagler is member of the International Council at the Austrian Service Abroad.

Gerald Nagler is board member of Media Development Loan Found (MDLF).

Gerald Nagler, Honorary Chair of the Board of Civil Rights Defenders and founder of the Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, was presented the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art by the Republic of Austria on October 18, 2011.

At the prize ceremony Gerald Nagler’s commitment to human rights and his support of human rights activists in the former Eastern bloc countries was highly praised. By doing this he significantly contributed to the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Between 1984 and 1992 Gerald Nagler was the Secretary General of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) in Vienna and Chairman of the Swedish Helsinki Committee (1992-2004). During his career he has built a network of people and organisations to raise awareness about human rights violations and engaged many fellow fighters for the cause of human rights in many countries.