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| Location: Home - Human Rights Program | 2006-12-15 | ||
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A Tribute to Raoul WallenbergDuring the World War II, millions of Jews perished in the Holocaust. Some, however, were saved by the efforts of courageous groups and individuals, such as Raoul Wallenberg who is credited with saving more than 100,000 Hungarian Jews. At the end of June 1944, Mr. Wallenberg was appointed First Secretary at the Swedish Legation in Budapest with the mission to start a rescue operation for the Jews there. Wallenberg used creative methods and unorthodox diplomacy to achieve this goal. Based on an original idea of his colleague, Per Anger, he designed a Swedish pass to help protect Jews against German and Hungarian officials who were trying to deport them. Mr. Wallenberg was also able to establish safe houses for many Jews in Budapest. The Swedish flag was hung above the doors of these houses and Mr. Wallenberg declared them Swedish territory, ensuring that the Nazi army did not visit to take their occupants to detention camps. During the war, many Jews were being deported from Hungary on foot and by train. Reports suggest that Mr. Wallenberg handed out protective passes, food and medicine to people on these forced marches, and that he climbed onto the trains and pushed bundles of passes to people inside. He then threatened and bribed officials until they agreed to free those who were in possession of these Swedish passes. During the last days of World War II, in response to concerns that the Nazis were planning to kill the 115,000 inhabitants of the Budapest Jewish ghetto, Mr. Wallenberg warned that if the massacre were carried out, he would ensure that the perpetrators would be tried as war criminals. The ghetto was left alone and Mr. Wallenberg is frequently credited with saving its inhabitants. Raoul Wallenberg disappeared on January 17, 1945. The Soviet army declared that he had likely been killed by the Nazis. In 1957, the Soviet Union admitted to having held him in prison where he died on July 17, 1947, at the age of 34. However, some people have claimed that he was alive in the 1950s and 1960s, and even possibly into the 1980s. In 1985, in recognition of his humanitarian deeds, Canada declared Raoul Wallenberg its first honorary Canadian citizen. Since 1987, a number of parks and monuments in Canada have been dedicated to his memory. In a special reception on Parliament Hill on June 5, 2001, the Minister of Canadian Heritage annonced that on January 17 we would commemorate Raoul Wallenberg: "In honouring Raoul Wallenberg each year on January 17, we will honour the courage, character and humanity of an exceptional individual," said Minister Copps. Raoul Wallenberg's legacy - to respect human dignity across national, ethnic and religious differences and to act courageously to combat hate and prejudice - is taken up by those who work to protect and promote human rights in Canada and around the world. *This information is drawn from a number of sources, and in particular from the Biography of Raoul Wallenberg by "The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise", and People and Events: Raoul Wallenberg (1912-?). Links to these documents are included below. Canadian Resources: Raoul Wallenberg, Honorary Canadian Citizen: Hansard, Commons Debates, December 9, 1985 Commemorating Raoul Wallenberg (January 17):
Lending Hand Award: A community award in Ottawa established in homage to the humanitarian works of Raoul Wallenberg. It recognizes the selfless actions of volunteers who help those in need. Jamie Fisher, a deputy mayor of the former City of Ottawa and chairperson of the selection committee, said "We wanted to create an award that acknowledges citizens who volunteer their time and effort to those needing a lending hand and who fall through the cracks of our safety nets. It is for people whose humanitarian work is not seen or known by the community as a whole." Annual Human Rights Lectureships: The Faculty of Law at McGill University
has a number of endowed lecture series that bring a slate of notable speakers
to the campus. The Raoul Wallenberg Lecture in Human Rights is one of the
four
human rights lectures presented annually. Raoul Wallenberg: Buried Alive: This Canadian film contains
a wealth of archival material that graphically shows the rise of the ruthless
"Arrow
Cross Nazis" in Hungary. Astounding footage of ghetto pogroms and the enforced
death marches are interwoven with interviews with survivors who owe their
lives
to Mr. Wallenberg, and those who have reported seeing him alive. (To order:
www.directcinema.com)
Raoul Wallenberg Monuments and Parks in Canada:
Raoul Wallenberg International Movement for Humanity: By numerous exhibitions,
media reports, lectures, commemorative ceremonies and vigils, the Raoul
Wallenberg International Movement for Humanity hopes to uphold the memory
of Mr. Wallenberg and bring his ideas, courage, outstanding humanism to
younger generations.
International Resources: Biographies:
Bibliographies: Curricula: Selected Organizations:
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Date modified: 2004-01-05 |
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