Bidspirit Auktion | WALLENBERG RAOUL: (1912-1945)

WALLENBERG RAOUL: (1912-1945) - WALLENBERG RAOUL: (1912-1945) Swedish architect, diplomat and humanitarian who served as Sweden's special envoy in Budapest from July - December 1944 during which time he was responsible for saving thousands of Jews in German-occupied Hungary during the Holocaust in the latter stages of World War II. A rare World War II date D.S., with his initial R , as was his custom, one page, folio (unfolded), Budapest, 30th August 1944. The partially printed document (in the blue and yellow of Sweden´s national colours) is completed in typescript and is a Schutz-Pass (a protective pass which also served, despite not being legal, as a Swedish passport) numbered 49/83 and issued to Aurel Fold, providing details of his date of birth (6th October 1877), eye and hair colour, and height, and with his affixed identification photograph bearing the oval ink stamp of the Royal Swedish Legation and signed beneath by Fold. The printed text of the document is in both German and Hungarian and states, in part, (translated) ´The Royal Swedish Legation in Budapest confirms that the above-named person will travel to Sweden as part of the repatriation authorised by the Royal Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The person concerned is also included in a collective passport. Until departure, the above-named person and his apartment are under the protection of the Royal Swedish Legation in Budapest´ and also confirming the the pass is valid until fourteen days after the subject´s entry into Sweden. Countersigned at the foot by the Swedish diplomat and ambassador Carl Ivan Danielsson (1880-1963) in his capacity as head of the Royal Swedish Legation and alongside a second oval ink stamp. A highly emotive document, of incalculable value to the Jewish bearer who, without this protrective pass, would have otherwise been destined to an unimaginable fate; the Nazi´s at this time were dispatching more than 10,000 Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz on a daily basis. Some light overall age wear and minor staining to the edges and, as is the usual case with such documents, there is some light wear to the original central vertical and horizontal folds which have been neatly and professionally strengthened to the verso. G Wallenberg arrived in Hungary in July 1944 when only 230,000 Jews remained in the country. The diplomat quickly set about distributing the Schutz-Passes which he had devised, signing them quickly and by the dozen. Although not legal, the ´protective passports´ looked official and, identifying the subjects as Swedish subjects awaiting repatriation, they were readily accepted by the German and Hungarian authorities. Significantly, and for the holder´s added security, Wallenberg and the Swedish legation in Budapest also succeeded in negotiating with the German authorities so that the bearers would be exempt from having to wear the yellow star required for Jews. Despite Wallenberg issuing many such passes, very few survive today.