Where'd it come from? The Raoul Wallenberg Award

When my husband was preparing for a sermon last week, he came across a man by the name of Raoul Wallenberg. I had never heard of him before, but after hearing his story I had to share it with you.

Raoul Wallenberg was born on August 4, 1912 in Lidingö, Sweden. He was from a reputable family which included bankers, bishops, and diplomats. He studied Russian and art, and graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in architecture. Throughout his business career he came in contact, and became a partner with Koloman Lauer, a Hungarian Jew. Working in Budapest, Wallenberg became keenly aware of the problems the Jews were having with the Nazis. And with some persuading from Lauer, Wallenberg was appointed as the first secretary for the Swedish legation in Budapest.

During his time in this capacity, Wallenberg would issue a "Schutz-Pass" to all the Jews he could, which claimed the bearer was a Swedish citizen. With his knowledge that the Nazis and Hungarian government respected official looking documents, Wallenberg created a paper with seals and signatures that had no real authority, but worked. He also used safe houses that had the Swedish flag flying outside to house thousands of Jews as the Nazis raided havoc in Budapest.

Sadly, when the Soviets invaded Budapest, Wallenberg was arrested. He went willingly, some believe to plead the case of the Jews, but he never returned and we can only speculate what his final fate was.

Through his courage, he saved tens of thousands of Jews. An award has been created, called The Raoul Wallenberg Award. The Raoul Wallenberg Committee of the United States awards this, as well as the Civic Courage Award, on "individuals, organizations and communities reflecting Raoul Wallenberg's humanitarian spirit, personal courage and nonviolent action in the face of enormous odds(RWCUS site)" Some of the past recipients have included Miep Gies for her help in hiding Anne Frank's family, Ambassador Robert S. Strauss (Amb. to the Soviet Union) for his work on Wallenberg's case, and Coeur D'Alene, Idaho for the stand its citizens took against the militant Neo-Nazis harassing individuals of that town.

There are so many cool parts of Raoul's story. If you're interested in learning more, check out Raoul Wallenberg Committee of the United States Website, and also this site dedicated to Raoul Wallenberg