Raoul Wallenberg arrived in Budapest 80 years ago, on July 9, 1944. In less than six months he managed to set-up an impressive life-saving operation that benefitted thousands of Hungarian Jews.
On January 17, 1945, sensing that the war was coming to an end, he decided to meet Marshall Rodyon Malinovsky, the military chief of the incoming Red Army, with the purpose of safeguarding the post-war well-being of the Hungarian Jews.
The Soviets had different plans and instead of allowing him to meet the high-ranking officer, they arrested Wallenberg and his chauffer and aide, Vilmos Langfelder.
The traces of both men disappeared from the face of the Earth ever since.
In a joint statement, Mr. Eduardo Eurnekian and Mr. Baruch Tenembaum, Chairman and Founder respectively of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, highlighted the courage of the Swedish diplomat:
“Raoul Wallenberg was a beacon of light in the midst of one of the darkest chapters of human history. With his unique courage and resourcefulness, he managed to save the lives of thousands of Hungarian Jews who, otherwise, would have ended-up in Auschwitz.
79 years later, we are still calling upon the Russian authorities to enable an unfettered access to the KGB archives in order to shed light into the fate of this unparalleled hero. We also call upon the Swedish government to keep looking for answers.
Raoul deserves to have a proper grave, next to his loved ones“.
Fredrik and Maj von Dardel (step-father and mother of Raoul, respectively). They committed suicide out of despair
