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Raoul Wallenberg

Raoul Wallenbergs heroic efforts, during the time of the Holocaust, were truly bewildering. He is acknowledged for saving thousands of Jews who were struggling to survive in Hitler's concentration camps during World War II. His dedication deserved his gratitude that we still acknowledge today.

In Palestine Wallenberg, had first met Jews who escaped Hitler's Germany. The sympathy he felt towards the Jews had deeply affected him. For he himself was partly Jew from his grandmothers grandfather. When Wallenberg left Haifa in 1936, he went back to his curiosity for trade and architecture. Having good language skills and contacts in the business industry, he was clever to form a corporation with Koloman Lauer, a Hungarian Jew. Lauer was the director of a Swedish based import and export company.

In the spring of 1944, two Jews had escaped Hitler's concentration camp and informed the public what happened there, describing how they gas Jews to death. The total extermination of the Jews of Europe by Hitler became known. Hungary had joined Germany in the war against the Soviet Union in 1941 to save the lives of an estimated 700,000 Jews at the beginning of 1944.

In that same year, the United States of America established the War Refugee Board, who organized a way of saving Jews from Nazi harassment. The WRB needed leaders from Sweden to represent it amongst a committee. Koloman Lauer was chosen to be apart of the committee, but Lauer selected Wallenberg to serve in his place. Wallenberg was considered to be too young and inexperienced, but Lauer thought he was the man for the job and got him elected.

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Raoul Wallenberg's first mission was to design a Swedish protective pass to help the Jews fight against the Germans and the Hungarians. He had knowledge that both the German and Hungarian authorities were weak for flashy symbols. He therefore had the passes printed in yellow and blue, with the coat of arms of the Three Crowns of Sweden in the middle, and added the appropriate stamps and signatures on it. These passes had no value whatsoever according to international laws, but it provoked respect. Recognitions to Wallenberg's efforts, the Jews didn't have to wear that humiliating yellow star.

Raoul Wallenberg kept on fighting in spite of the ruling powers of evil. In many cases he managed to save Jews from the controls of the Nazis with his secure action and bravery as his only weapon. He then made what is called Swedish houses, where the Jews could seek protection. A Swedish flag hung in the front and Wallenberg declared the houses were Swedish territory. This population soon rose to 15,000. Other representatives from different countries soon established their own protective houses. In November 1944, Wallenberg founded a section in his department that, under his supervision, would make a detailed financial support plan for the Jewish survivors.

Wallenberg and his driver, Vilmos Langfedler, never came back from Debrecen. According to verifications, NKVD arrested them. Eyewitnesses claim that Wallenberg and Langfedler were positioned in separate cells in the Lubjanka prison.

After a while spent in prison, a Russian escorted them out of prison and headed for Russia. Wallenberg and his driver stopped at the Swedish houses to say good-bye to his friends. To one

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of his colleagues, Wallenberg said that he wasn't sure if he was going to be forced as their prisoner or just a Russian guest.

Raoul Wallenberg thought he'd be back within eight days, but he has been missing since then. Today, one is still unsure if he is alive or dead. Russians announced he died in Russian captivity on July 17, 1947. Though, a number of testimonies indicate that he was alive and that he still could be alive.

Raoul Wallenberg's heroism proves that anyone can make a difference if they try. His efforts and accomplishments should be considered in today's occurrence of ethnic cleansing. In this day and age we don't see too many people making a drastic effort to help save those other countries from suffering. Those who are actually helping out with the situation are not very publicized either. Maybe if we recognized these people and their efforts to stop this brutality, others will contribute in doing the same.

Works Cited Hatikva. "Introduction." Raoul Wallenberg--Introduction. http://www.algonet.se/~hatikva/wallenberg/intro.html (1 Feb. 2011). Hatikva. "Who He Was." Raoul Wallenberg--Who He Was. http://www.algonet.se/~hatikva/wallenberg/who.html (1 Feb. 2011).

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Hatikva. "Background To His Mission." Raoul Wallenberg-- Background To His Mission. http://www.algonet.se/~hatikva/ wallenberg/ mission.html. (2 Feb. 2011). Hatikva. "The Rescue Operation." Raoul Wallenberg--The Rescue Operation. http://www.algonet.se/~hatikva/wallenberg/ rescue.html. (2 Feb. 2011). Hatikva. "What Happened To Him?" Raoul Wallenberg--What Happened To Him? http://www.algonet.se/~hatikva/wallenberg/summary. html. (2 Feb. 2011).