Img. ID: 494974

Stone 133

RAOUL WALLENBERG
(1912 -  ) 

THIS SWEDISH DIPLOMAT IS CREDITED WITH SAVING THE LIVES OF
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF HUNGARIAN JEWS DURING THE HOLOCAUST 

AFTER ARRIVING IN BUDAPEST IN JULY 1944 AS A GOVERNMENT
APPOINTEE, WALLENBERG, A GENTILE, SOON DREW UP PROTECTIVE
PASSPORTS FOR 5,000 JEWS SLATED FOR DEPORTATION TO
NAZI DEATH CAMPS. FUNDS FROM THE AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT
DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE ABROAD ALSO ENABLED HIM TO OPEN
HOSTELS FOR 15,000 AS PART OF AN INTERNATIONAL GHETTO.

WHEN DEATH MARCHES TO THE AUSTRIAN BORDER BEGAN
WALLENBERG PURSUED THE CONVOY AND BROUGHT HUNDREDS
OF JEWS BACK TO BUDAPEST. HE EVEN HELPED FOIL A NAZI-
HUNGARIAN ARROW CROSS PLAN TO BLOW UP TWO GHETTOS WITH
115,000 JEWS JUST BEFORE THE CITY’S LIBERATION. 

THE HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS SOVIETS ARRESTED HIM IN THE CAPITAL
ON JANUARY 17, 1945. SOVIET AUTHORITIES ASSERTED IN 1956
THAT WELLENBERG HAD DIED IN MOSCOW’S LUBYANKA PRISON IN
1947. THOUGH THE CLAIM HAS NEVER BEEN VERIFIED, IN 1981
THE US CONGRESS MADE HIM AN HONORARY AMERICAN CITIZEN
IN RECOGNITION OF HIS HEROIC RESCUE EFFORTS (THE ONLY
PERSON BESIDES WINSTON CHURCHILL TO BE SO HONORED).