Raoul Wallenberg
Raoul Wallenberg (1912-1947(?)) was a Swedish diplomat during the Second World War. His contributions to the rescue of thousands of Jews have earned him the title of "Righteous Among the Nations."
Raoul Wallenberg was first introduced to the horrors of Hitler's Germany when he was working at a bank in Haifa, Palenstine (now Israel). He met Jews that had escaped from Hitler's Germany and who told him their stories. Wallenberg was moved by their testimonies, but he did not actively participate until 1944.
It was due to Wallenberg's friend and business partner Koloman Lauer, a Hungarian Jew, that Raoul Wallenberg was made first secretary of Swedish legation in Budapest. He was considered too young and inexperienced, but through Lauer's insistence Wallenberg was made first secretary.
Before leaving for Hungary in 1944, Wallenberg made the demand that he be able to deal with whomever in whatever way he wished without having to contact the Minister first. The demand was so unusual that it had to be forwarded to Prime Minister Hansson, who then had to consult the king of Sweden, before Wallenberg's demands were agreed to. This was Wallenberg's first steps in rescuing thousands of Hungarian Jews.
Raoul Wallenberg was first introduced to the horrors of Hitler's Germany when he was working at a bank in Haifa, Palenstine (now Israel). He met Jews that had escaped from Hitler's Germany and who told him their stories. Wallenberg was moved by their testimonies, but he did not actively participate until 1944.
It was due to Wallenberg's friend and business partner Koloman Lauer, a Hungarian Jew, that Raoul Wallenberg was made first secretary of Swedish legation in Budapest. He was considered too young and inexperienced, but through Lauer's insistence Wallenberg was made first secretary.
Before leaving for Hungary in 1944, Wallenberg made the demand that he be able to deal with whomever in whatever way he wished without having to contact the Minister first. The demand was so unusual that it had to be forwarded to Prime Minister Hansson, who then had to consult the king of Sweden, before Wallenberg's demands were agreed to. This was Wallenberg's first steps in rescuing thousands of Hungarian Jews.
With the installment of the Hungarian Nazi government, the protective passes were no longer of use. However, Wallenberg befriended Baroness Elizabeth "Liesel" Kemeny, wife of the foreign minister, and with her cooperation had the passes made legal once more. When Eichmann began his "death marches" (the deportation of Jews by foot on the road between Hungary and Austria, about 200 km), Wallenberg was there to give out passes, food, and medicine. When deportation by train began, Wallenberg would climb them, stand on the tracks, run along wagons, all to hand out protective passes to the people. The Germans were ordered to open fire, but were so impressed by Wallenberg that they purposefully aimed too high and missed. After, Wallenberg would demand that the Jews who had passes be allowed to leave with him.
Toward the end of 1944, the minimal law that had existed in Budapest was no more. The Arrow Cross, police, and the Germans now shared power. In January 1945, when Eichmann's plan to massacre the two largest ghettos in Budapest reached Raoul, Wallenberg had no one to turn to. Through bribery, Wallenberg convinced Pa'l Szaly, a high-ranking police officer and member of the Arrow Cross, to send a note to August Schmidthuber, commander-in-chief of the German troops in Hungary. The note explained that Raoul Wallenberg would make Schmidthuber personally responsible for the massacre and that he would be hanged as a war criminal after the war. Wallenberg's actions stopped the massacre just in time.
Two days later, Russian troops arrived and found 97,000 Jews alive in Budapest's two Jewish ghettos. In total 120,000 Jews survived Nazi extermination. Wallenberg and his colleagues in the Swedish legation are credited with saving at least 100,000 Jews.
Toward the end of 1944, the minimal law that had existed in Budapest was no more. The Arrow Cross, police, and the Germans now shared power. In January 1945, when Eichmann's plan to massacre the two largest ghettos in Budapest reached Raoul, Wallenberg had no one to turn to. Through bribery, Wallenberg convinced Pa'l Szaly, a high-ranking police officer and member of the Arrow Cross, to send a note to August Schmidthuber, commander-in-chief of the German troops in Hungary. The note explained that Raoul Wallenberg would make Schmidthuber personally responsible for the massacre and that he would be hanged as a war criminal after the war. Wallenberg's actions stopped the massacre just in time.
Two days later, Russian troops arrived and found 97,000 Jews alive in Budapest's two Jewish ghettos. In total 120,000 Jews survived Nazi extermination. Wallenberg and his colleagues in the Swedish legation are credited with saving at least 100,000 Jews.
Bibliography:
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “Raoul Wallenberg and the Rescue of Jews in Budapest.” Holocaust Encyclopedia.http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005211. Accessed on 2/15/13.
Jan, Larsson. "The Rescue Operation." n.pag. Web. 15 Feb 2013. <http://www.raoulwallenberg.se>.
Jan, Larsson. "The Rescue Operation." n.pag. Web. 15 Feb 2013. <http://www.raoulwallenberg.se>.