COPENHAGEN, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The exhibition "My Friend: Bernhard Arp Sindberg" opened on Thursday at the China Cultural Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, with more than 100 representatives from China and Denmark attending the opening ceremony.

People visit the exhibition "My Friend: Bernhard Arp Sindberg" in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Aug. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)

Curated by students from Nanjing University, China, the exhibition retraces the life of Danish humanitarian Bernhard Arp Sindberg through photos, documents, artifacts and interactive displays. It focuses on his efforts to shelter and protect nearly 20,000 Chinese civilians at the Jiangnan Cement Plant during the Nanjing Massacre in late 1937 and early 1938.

Chen Min, director of the German Department at Nanjing University, said the exhibition's title reflects how students perceive Sindberg, who came to China in his early twenties.

"His courage, wisdom and kindness deeply inspire our students. To them, he is not only a friend but also a role model," Chen said.

Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Wang Xuefeng praised Sindberg's legacy as a vivid symbol of China-Denmark friendship.

"For decades, the Chinese people have never forgotten him," Wang said, adding that commemorating Sindberg also serves as a reminder to cherish peace and work together for a better future.

Mariann Arp Andersen, chairperson of the Sindberg Foundation and Sindberg's niece, and Ole Sindberg, his half-brother, also attended the ceremony. They said they were touched by China's efforts to honor Sindberg's memory.

The exhibition will run until early September.

This photo taken on Aug. 21, 2025 shows the opening ceremony of the exhibition "My Friend: Bernhard Arp Sindberg" in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)

Mariann Arp Andersen (L, front), chairperson of the Sindberg Foundation and Bernhard Arp Sindberg's niece, and Ole Sindberg (R, front), Bernhard Arp Sindberg's half-brother, attend the opening ceremony of the exhibition "My Friend: Bernhard Arp Sindberg" in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Aug. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)

Source: Exhibition honoring Danish humanitarian Sindberg opens in Copenhagen-Xinhua