r a o u l w a l l e n b e r g - mostar-friedensprojekt.de

dramatik och djupa tragedier, möter vi en man som
var genuint stimulerad av den situation han befann
sig i. Han var fast besluten att rädda så många män-
niskor han någonsin kunde, och han gjöt liv i de
svenska diplomatiska ansträngningarna att hjälpa
Budapests judar. Wallenberg skrev till sin mor att,
Försörjningshäfte. Food coupons.
”Jag har tillbringat vad som förmodligen är de in-
tressantaste tre, fyra veckorna i mitt liv här, trots att
vi omges av en tragedi av omätbara dimensioner,
[och] våra dagar och nätter är […] fyllda av arbete
[…].” Även när situationen allvarligt försämrades i
oktober skrev han: ”Tiderna är extremt spännande
och nervpåfrestande. Men vi arbetar och kämpar
vidare, det är huvudsaken.”
Vid sidan av den diplomatiska rapporteringen, vil-
ken han tog på största allvar, fortsatte Wallenberg
att organisera betydande hjälpinsatser, samtidigt
som han fortsatte att förhandla med sina ungerska
och tyska motståndare. ”[…] allt flyter på mycket
bra. […] Jag tycker mycket om dessa förhandlingar.
De är ofta mycket dramatiska.” Raoul förstod den
andra sidan. ”Jag hade några trevliga middags-
bjudningar för en del funktionärer som är viktiga
för mitt arbete. För några dagar sedan hade jag
bjudit några riktigt intressanta höjdare […] Tyvärr
[…] förhindrades [Eichmann] att delta. Han är en
history gave him. These letters, written during a
time of profound tragedy and drama, reveal a
man genuinely excited by the situation he found
himself in. He was determined to help as many
people as he possibly could, and he energized
Sweden’s on-going diplomatic efforts to assist
some of Budapest’s Jews. Wallenberg wrote to
his mother that, “I have lived here through what
are probably the 3-4 most interesting weeks of my
life, even though we are surrounded by a tragedy
of immeasurable proportions, [and] our days and
nights are […] filled with work […]”. Even when
things turned very bad in October, he wrote that,
“The times are extraordinarily exciting and nerve-
racking. We keep on working and struggling on,
and that is the main thing.”
In addition to his diplomatic reporting,
which he took very seriously, Wallenberg
organized significant humanitarian activ-
ities while continuing to negotiate with
his Hungarian and German adversaries.
“[…] everything is moving along very
well. […] I enjoy these negotiations very much.
They are often extremely dramatic.” Raoul under-
stood his counterparts. “I gave some nice dinner
parties for various officials who are important
to my work. A few days ago I had invited some
very interesting big game. […] Unfortunately,
[something] prevented [Eichmann] from com-
ing. He is quite a nice man who, according to
what he himself says, will soon shoot himself.”
Wallenberg also understood that the situation
required unorthodox methods. “What is impor-
tant is to have the financial and organizational
means to be able to do that which is necessary
when it is necessary without having to obtain
permission every time.” [”Vad som är viktigt är
att besitta de pekuniära och organisatoriska
medlen för att i varje ögonblick kunna vidtaga
de åtgärder som situationen kräver, helst utan
att behöva be om lov.”]
Defying his government’s intentions, Wallenberg
stayed longer than planned. Yet in late September
he wrote home of his plans to return quickly to
Stockholm, explaining that he had accomplished
his task, and that he had done what was possi-
ble to help Budapest’s Jews. But this was not to
be, and events intervened. Miklos Horthy was a
conservative nationalist who finally understood
one man can make a difference raoul wallenberg
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