Raoul Wallenberg Document That Saved Jewish Woman From Nazis Fetches $13K
Image by Getty Images
LOS ANGELES (JTA) — A document signed by Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg that saved a Jewish woman from the Nazis sold at auction for more than $13,000.
On Sept. 22, 1944, an affidavit signed by Wallenberg in Nazi-occupied Budapest saved the life of Zsigmondne Simko, a Hungarian Jewish woman, by declaring that she was under the protection of the Swedish government.
The document was purchased on Thursday for $13,310 through the Nate D. Sanders auction house in Los Angeles. In keeping with company policy, Sanders did not divulge the identity of the document’s seller or buyer.
Bidding for the “protective” certificate or passport, which exempted the bearer from forced labor or wearing the Jewish yellow star, started at $8,000 and attracted three other bidders, besides the winning collector.
Wallenberg, the scion of an aristocratic Swedish Lutheran family, was sent to Budapest in July 1944.
With no previous experience as an organizer, the 32-year old Wallenberg established a network of hospitals, nurseries and some 30 “safe houses,” and issued a stream of “protective” passports and papers to save an estimated 15,000 Jews from almost certain death.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
