The Swedish rescuer Raoul Wallenberg was born 100 years ago this
summer, and his centennial is being commemorated with events in
many cities across Europe and North America. On July 26, a
symposium in his memory will be held at Yad Vashem’s
International Institute for Holocaust Research in Jerusalem.
Wallenberg, whose birth date is Aug. 4, 1912, is one of the
approximately 24,000 individuals who have been recognized as
Righteous Among the Nations, the honor bestowed by Yad Vashem
and the State of Israel upon non-Jews who rescued Jews during
the Holocaust. Why is his centennial the cause of so much
commemorative activity? Certainly part of the answer lies in
Wallenberg’s tragic fate. Early in 1945, after having been
involved in rescuing Jews in Budapest since the previous summer,
Wallenberg was arrested by the conquering Soviets. Explanations
ranging from the banal to cloak and dagger have been advanced as
to why he was arrested. It could simply be that as a foreigner
carrying a variety of currencies and offic