Wallenberg

World War II is probably most famous for the atrocities of the Nazi regime in Germany.  It’s other claims to fame are not much better, including the general death, mayhem, and destruction that are an inevitable part of war.  While those are real, true parts of war and human nature, wars and other dire situations also bring out the best in some people.  Two pieces of literature taught me that early in life.  First was the Winged Watchman, a book about the Dutch resistance during World War II.  It is based on true accounts of Dutch efforts in the war.  I read and re-read it as a kid, easily placing myself in the roles of the main characters.  Second was the Diary of Anne Frank.  The family that hid her continues to have my greatest admiration.  These books inculcated a sense of duty and sacrifice that are the exact opposite of the destruction the war with which the war is most commonly associated.

Wallenberg: The Incredible True Story of the Man Who Saved Thousands of Jews by Kati Marton (ISBN: 978-1-61145-337-9) tells one of the positive stories from World War II, one that definitely fits the mold of duty, daring, and sacrifice.  Wallenberg is the story of Raoul Wallenberg, a member of a wealthy Swedish dynasty, who was unafraid to use his position to augment his natural abilities to help save Jews from Nazis and Hungary’s Nazi-supported regime.  Wallenberg, an orphan, did not have the usual family resources available to him, and, with his grandfather’s help, charted his own course after his early years, one that included extensive travel and schooling abroad.  He later tried banking, but was unfulfilled.  He worked with the Swedish foreign ministry and Western organizations toward a higher purpose in Hungary, where he devised various systems to help preserve the lives of Hungary’s Jews.  He provided them with Swedish documents, sometimes as Jews were being loaded on trains to Nazi death camps.  He provided Swedish-flagged housing in Budapest and met with Hungarian and Nazi dignitaries, always looking for a sympathetic ear and sometimes finding one, which lent him a little more time.  As the Russians closed in on Budapest, he figured his mission was not over, but the Russians believed otherwise, especially since he got some of his money from Western organizations.  They arrested him and sent him to the Soviet Union, where he languished in the Gulag until he died, having made the ultimate sacrifice in his efforts to love and serve his fellow man.

The book, coming highly recommended, did not disappoint.  Every part of it was interesting, even the discussion of Wallenberg’s family history and early years and some of the post-war intrigue from the Soviets.  The Soviet portion of the story was actually pretty sad, especially once Stalin had died.  It seemed to me that there was no real reason to hold Wallenberg any longer, but the Soviet system and leaders weren't up to releasing him, somehow viewing that as an affront to them.  The story of Wallenberg's daring and sacrifice was exhilarating and inspiring.  That may be the book’s largest contribution.  The reader is uplifted and gets a glimpse of what it means to do the right thing when doing the right thing likely comes with a very steep cost.  Wallenberg's example is one worth emulating.

 

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