In 1952 Vienna-born artist Egon Weiner created two identical bronze groups for either side of the entrance to a building that, at the time, housed the headquarters of the Union of Amalgamated Meatcutters and Butcher Workmen. When the Union moved to Washington, D.C. in 1979, the building was sold to St. Joseph hospital. They are in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, on the northwest corner of Diversey Parkway and Sheridan Road.
The kneeling figures, two males and two females in each identical group, grasp each others extended arms and form a circle. The facial characteristics represent the peoples of Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. Along with the inscriptions on the base — “Liberty,” “Tolerance,” “Equality,” and “Peace in Unity” — the sense of togetherness and cooperation made the works an apt motif for a Union headquarters, representing the collective good.
