The Raoul Wallenberg Research Initiative RWI-70
Press Release
January 17, 2024
#WEWANTTOKNOW
International Public Appeal concerning Raoul G. Wallenberg
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust in Hungary, as well as the 80th anniversary of Raoul Wallenberg’s humanitarian mission to Budapest, to protect the last surviving Jewish community in Europe.
On this occasion, we are proud to announce the launch of a new INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC APPEAL for information about Swedish diplomat and Holocaust hero RAOUL G. WALLENBERG (1912-?)
His life and person
His contacts and life-saving actions in Budapest;
His subsequent fate as a prisoner in the Soviet Union
With this project, we aim to document Raoul Wallenberg’s life and work in a more formal way, in the hope of creating a permanent and tangible record of his humanitarian activism.
At the same time, we intend to highlight the full spectrum of the official Swedish rescue efforts in Hungary (1944-45), including the many unsung heroes of the resistance, private individuals, as well as the numerous local and international agencies, diplomats and representatives of civil society who contributed to its success.
The collected data, such as written and oral histories, witness accounts, photographs, artifacts and other types of documentations will be made available to the public through exhibits, including digital collections, and is to serve as a repository of remembrance and research for future generations. The collection will also serve researchers in their efforts to provide answers to the remaining questions about Wallenberg’s mission and his fate.
The video appeal is the result of an initiative by Max Grunberg and the Raoul Wallenberg Honorary Citizen Committee, with support from Tel Aviv University, members of Raoul Wallenberg’s family and the RWI-70.
Liana Baranskyi (department course: Human Behavior, Digital Behavior and what lies between them) designed and created the video, as part of a student project.
For updates and additional information, including a list of supporters of the project, go to the project website at www.wewanttoknow.net.
Please distribute widely in your respective professional and private contact networks, and on social media, at home and abroad. The more people view the appeal, the greater will be the chance to discover individuals who still have valuable information to share!
Video Transcript
#WEWANTTOKNOW International Public Appeal concerning Raoul Wallenberg’s imprisonment and death, a crime that needs to be solved
July 1944 – 31-year-old Swedish diplomat Raoul Gustav Wallenberg arrives in Budapest, Hungary. His assignment – to save the last surviving Jewish community in Europe from Nazi persecution. Wallenberg and his dedicated team of aides work tirelessly to distribute Swedish protective passports – the famous yellow “Schutzpass”. Wallenberg creates safe houses, soup kitchens and even a hospital for persecuted Jews. He works with other diplomats and with the Hungarian resistance to stop Jewish deportations and save people from marauding bands of ruthless Nazi thugs. As a direct result of these efforts, most of the 100,000 Jews left in the Hungarian capital survive the war.
But then tragedy strikes. The young hero becomes a victim himself. When he contacts Soviet occupation forces to seek protection for the Jews under his care, he is arrested and taken to Moscow. Wallenberg disappears without a trace. Soviet authorities repeatedly lie about his whereabouts. In 1957, Soviet officials announced that he died suddenly ten years earlier, in a Moscow prison, but offered no reliable proof. To this day, the full circumstances of his fate remain unknown. His family has fought for almost eight decades to learn what happened to Raoul.
#WEWANTTOKNOW
Wallenberg's legacy lives on as a symbol of exceptional courage and compassion in the face of evil. He has been honored posthumously with numerous awards, including being named an honorary citizen of the United States, Canada, Australia, Israel and Budapest. His memory serves as a reminder of the importance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of great personal danger. During his six months stay in Hungary in 1944/1945 and his subsequent imprisonment in the Soviet Union/Russia, Wallenberg came in contact with many different people. Perhaps you, or your relatives, have important details or information about the following:
● Raoul Wallenberg’s contacts and activities in Budapest in 1944-45
● The precise circumstances of his imprisonment and death
● The location of his grave
● Historical, authentic witness accounts, documents, photographs, diaries, notes and/or drawings of this period held in private or public archives
#WEWANTTOKNOW
Raoul showed us that one man can make a difference. Russian and other international archives contain important documentation that have so far not been shared with researchers or Raoul Wallenberg's family. There is no greater pain than to live with the unsolved disappearance of a loved one. Raoul and his family have a right to the truth. Let’s do Raoul Wallenberg justice together and uncover the truth about his fate.
To share information, please contact
For general questions about the project, please contact
Susanne Berger Coordinator, RWI-70
Max Grunberg The Raoul Wallenberg Honorary Citizen Committee