RW
Raoul Wallenberg
1912-08-04 – 1947-07-17
Swedish diplomat who saved tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Holocaust.
holocaustdiplomatrescuerrighteous
Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat stationed in Budapest, Hungary, during the final year of World War II. Beginning in July 1944, as the Nazis were deporting Hungary's Jews to Auschwitz, Wallenberg issued thousands of protective passports (Schutzpasses) that identified the bearers as Swedish subjects awaiting repatriation. He also established "safe houses" flying the Swedish flag where Jews could take shelter. Through extraordinary courage and creativity, Wallenberg is credited with saving tens of thousands of Jewish lives. When Soviet forces captured Budapest in January 1945, Wallenberg was detained by Soviet authorities and disappeared. He is believed to have died in Soviet custody. He was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations and has been honored worldwide as one of the greatest heroes of the Holocaust.