Raoul Wallenberg (August 4, 1912 – 1947?)
Raoul Wallenberg was born near Stockholm, in Sweden. He received a barchelor’s degree in architecture in the United States (University of Michigan). He spoke English, German and French.
After having finished university, he went to work to Cape Town, South Africa, selling construction material, then he was employed in a bank in Haifa. In 1936, returning back to Sweden he started working for the Central European Trading Company.
In 1944 the United States War Refugee Board elaborated a plan to save the European Jewry, and the USA asked the neutral Sweden to participate in saving the Hungarian Jews. Sweden chose Wallenberg to come to Budapest, get information and avert the systematic deportation and killing.
Wallenberg arrived to Budapest on July 9, 1944.
To save lives he not only used the usual diplomatic methods, but bribery and extortion too. He transformed the Swiss Embassy’s building into a center for saving lives. He established “protected houses”, renting 32 building in Budapest (with American money), where he put up some 20,000 people – with false passports manifesting their Swedish citizenship. These buildings were extraterritorial, protected by diplomatic immunity – with Swedish flags on the front and labels hung on the doors: The Swedish Library, The Swedish Research Institute… etc.
With his help some 100,000 Hungarian Jews were saved. He established hospitals, nurseries and a soup kitchen too, besides saving thousands of Jews from ghettos and from ‘death-marches” .
On January 17, 1945, after having contacted with the Russians to secure food and supplies for the people under his protection, he left Budapest to go to Debrecen (the temporary capital of Hungary at that time) to meet the soviet secret police (NKVD) for interrogation.
He left Budapest, but never arrived to Debrecen. According to witnesses he was kept in prison in Moscow, then in Lubjanka.
On March 8, 1945, the Soviet-controlled Hungarian Radio announced that he was killed by the Gestapo or by the Arrow Cross Party.
Later on, in 1957 it was stated that he died 10 years earlier in the Ljubljanka prison.
His death’s date and place is still unknown.
In 1966 Wallenberg was honored as one of the Righteous Among the Nations (by Yad Vashem, Israel).
In 1981 he was made an Honorary Citizen of the United States, in 1985 of Canada, in 1986 of Israel, and of Budapest in 2003.
Memorials of Raoul Wallenberg in Budapest:
- Dohány Synagogue: Memorial
- Train Station of Józsefváros
- In the 13th district of Budapest there is a street named after him
- Statue of Raoul Wallenberg: 2nd district, Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor and Nagyajtai utca corner
Raoul Wallenberg was born near Stockholm, in Sweden. He received a barchelor’s degree in architecture in the United States (University of Michigan). He spoke English, German and French.
After having finished university, he went to work to Cape Town, South Africa, selling construction material, then he was employed in a bank in Haifa. In 1936, returning back to Sweden he started working for the Central European Trading Company.
In 1944 the United States War Refugee Board elaborated a plan to save the European Jewry, and the USA asked the neutral Sweden to participate in saving the Hungarian Jews. Sweden chose Wallenberg to come to Budapest, get information and avert the systematic deportation and killing.
Wallenberg arrived to Budapest on July 9, 1944.
To save lives he not only used the usual diplomatic methods, but bribery and extortion too. He transformed the Swiss Embassy’s building into a center for saving lives. He established “protected houses”, renting 32 building in Budapest (with American money), where he put up some 20,000 people – with false passports manifesting their Swedish citizenship. These buildings were extraterritorial, protected by diplomatic immunity – with Swedish flags on the front and labels hung on the doors: The Swedish Library, The Swedish Research Institute… etc.
With his help some 100,000 Hungarian Jews were saved. He established hospitals, nurseries and a soup kitchen too, besides saving thousands of Jews from ghettos and from ‘death-marches” .
On January 17, 1945, after having contacted with the Russians to secure food and supplies for the people under his protection, he left Budapest to go to Debrecen (the temporary capital of Hungary at that time) to meet the soviet secret police (NKVD) for interrogation.
He left Budapest, but never arrived to Debrecen. According to witnesses he was kept in prison in Moscow, then in Lubjanka.
On March 8, 1945, the Soviet-controlled Hungarian Radio announced that he was killed by the Gestapo or by the Arrow Cross Party.
Later on, in 1957 it was stated that he died 10 years earlier in the Ljubljanka prison.
His death’s date and place is still unknown.
In 1966 Wallenberg was honored as one of the Righteous Among the Nations (by Yad Vashem, Israel).
In 1981 he was made an Honorary Citizen of the United States, in 1985 of Canada, in 1986 of Israel, and of Budapest in 2003.
Memorials of Raoul Wallenberg in Budapest:
- Dohány Synagogue: Memorial
- Train Station of Józsefváros
- In the 13th district of Budapest there is a street named after him
- Statue of Raoul Wallenberg: 2nd district, Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor and Nagyajtai utca corner