§ Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—[Mr. Ottaway.]
10.16 pm§ Mr. David Amess (Basildon)"Hero" is an apt word to describe someone who saves the life of another person. There is no word in the English dictionary to describe someone who saved the lives of more than 100,000 people, which is what Raoul Wallenberg did in 1944. I am not Jewish—I am a member of the Roman Catholic faith—but I would have been proud to have been born a Jew. People of my generation cannot believe the atrocities that occurred during the second world war—and we thought that we would never see such atrocities again. Sadly, wicked people in this world are carrying out certain atrocities.
The purpose of tonight's Adjournment debate is to pay tribute to Raoul Wallenberg. In 1944, the United States War Refugee Board was established in response to President Roosevelt's desire to save innocent victims of the Nazis. The board saw in Hungary an opportunity to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews—practically the last surviving remnants of jewry in Nazi-occupied Europe—who were facing extermination.
Raoul Wallenberg—a young Swedish diplomat, who was born in 1912 into a wealthy and influential family of bankers—was approached by the War Refugee Board to represent it in Budapest. He agreed, and in July 1944 he went to Budapest as the official representative of the board and the first secretary of the Swedish legation. When he arrived in the city, its Jewish population of 230,000 were confronted with the prospect of imminent deportation to Auschwitz for extermination—a fate that more than 500,000 Hungarian Jews living outside Budapest had already suffered.
Wallenberg's task was to save as many Jewish lives as possible. On his arrival, he immediately began to issue the certificates for Jews who already had visas for Sweden. In addition, he invented on the spot what was to rescue approximately 100,000 people—the Schutz-pass, or protected passport.
Almost daily, Wallenberg visited the railway stations in Budapest whence Jews were being transported to Auschwitz in sealed cattle trucks. He watched carefully. Speaking with the authority of a Swedish diplomat, he would order the Germans to open the doors of the wagons so that he might check that none of those inside held Swedish passports. Once inside, he would distribute his Schutz-passes or accept any document, however trivial, that bore Hungarian script, which the Germans could not understand—library cards, driving licences, receipts.
In November 1944, Adolf Eichmann ordered that all remaining Hungarian Jewish women and children be rounded up and marched 125 miles to the Austrian border, from where they would be transported to Auschwitz. The Germans devised that gruelling one-week trek in the bitter cold, for which no food or winter clothing was provided, as a means of killing as many of the marchers as possible through exhaustion and starvation.
On hearing of the exodus, Wallenberg drove along the route passing out food, water, clothing and, of course, Swedish schutz-passes. A skilled negotiator, who understood that an air of authority was enough to dissuade most 696 Germans from challenging him, he succeeded in acquiring several properties, which he established as Swedish sovereign property by flying the Swedish flag and which thus benefited from Swedish diplomatic protection.
In the dying days of the German occupation of Budapest, the Nazis decided to liquidate the Jewish ghetto. The conditions in the ghetto were appalling—families were separated, there was a lack of food and clothing and people were dying of starvation and disease. On hearing of the Nazis' plans, Wallenberg confronted the German commanders and told them that he would personally ensure that they were hanged as war criminals if they proceeded with their plans—a credible threat, given that the German army's retreat in the east was gathering pace and Russian artillery could be heard in the distance as they advanced towards the city. The plan was halted, thereby saving an estimated 70,000 more lives.
On 17 January 1945, Raoul Wallenberg was driven to the Russian commander, who was leading the troops approaching Budapest, to obtain supplies for the surviving Jews. He never returned. There has been controversy about what happened to him. I, like other hon. Members, cannot be certain. The only person who could have told us was Andrei Gromyko, who I believe took that knowledge to his grave.
The purpose of the debate—I have received support from both sides of the House—is to allow us to join together in providing a tribute to Raoul Wallenberg. I am delighted to say that many people have inspired the Wallenberg appeal. It is a project of the International Council of Christians and Jews, administered by the holocaust educational trust.
Ten years ago, I knew little about Raoul Wallenberg. Several people, including Danny Smith of the Jubilee Campaign, and Paul Lennon, inspired my original interest. From that moment, I was so moved by the man's achievements that I decided to bring them to the attention of the House. In 1989, I tabled an early-day motion, which was signed by almost 100 Members of Parliament. On 22 March that year, I introduced a 10-minute Bill entitled the British Nationality (Honorary Citizenship) Bill. It was not opposed, but there was not enough time for it to pass through its stages in this House and the other place. On 8 January 1990, I introduced another private Member's Bill, the Wallenberg (Memorial) Bill, which aimed to persuade the powers that be to set aside a piece of land for a monument.
All of that is now of no consequence because Sir Sigmund Sternberg, Maurice Djanogly and Lionel Altman have established a wonderful committee, which involves a number of hon. Members on both sides of the House. We have launched a very successful appeal and, so far, raised almost half the money that is required. The tribute would be a prestigious and imposing monument to Raoul Wallenberg and would be erected in Great Cumberland place on a landscaped semi-circular piece of ground donated by Westminster city council—for which I thank Councillor Davis. It will stand in front of the Marble Arch synagogue, close to the Swedish embassy.
The project will cost £100,000 and a British sculptor of international repute, Phillip Jackson, has been commissioned to create the monument. I hope that my hon. Friend the Minister will examine my final points carefully.
§ Dr. Robert Spink (Castle Point)My predecessor, Lord Braine—who was a former Father of the House—said in another place that Wallenberg symbolised the
determination to remain human, caring and free in the face of unspeakable tyranny".—[Official Report, House of Lords, 15 February 1995; Vol. 561, c. 703.]Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating Lord Braine, whose human rights work is so widely known and acclaimed?
§ Mr. AmessI certainly will. My hon. Friend the Member for Castle Point, my noble Friend Lord Braine of Wheatley and I attended the funeral of our beloved agent Barbara Allen this morning. I was reminded then of the wonderful work that my noble Friend has done in supporting the Wallenberg appeal.
My hon. Friend the Minister may be interested to learn that we have applied for an award from the Arts Council lottery board, which is progressing at the moment. On the Saturday one week before holocaust day in April, rabbis in synagogues throughout the United Kingdom—including Westcliff in Southend—will launch special appeals to their communities in an effort to raise money to meet the £100,000 target.
I pay tribute to the interest and help that we have received from the Swedish and Hungarian ambassadors. Finally, I pay tribute to all hon. Members—this is not a party-political matter—many of whom are present this evening, who have supported the effort to build a monument to Raoul Wallenberg. I hope that a person of great note will be asked to unveil it. I hope also that future generations, not only from this country but visitors to London from all parts of the world, will look at the monument and recall that, at a time when so many individuals did not achieve great things, one very great man saved more than 100,000 lives and sacrificed his own.
§ Mrs. Llin Golding (Newcastle-under-Lyme)I am honoured to speak some words of praise in memory of Raoul Wallenberg.
At a recent meeting in the House I met a lady who belonged to a group of people from Hungary who considered it their duty to keep alive the memory of Raoul Wallenberg. She told me that she had met a number of people who had been saved by that remarkable man. They described him as a gallant young man who stood out from the crowd and who, with enormous self-confidence and nerve, issued false documents that gave them protection and a passport to life. I echo all that the hon. Member for Basildon (Mr. Amess) said. Raoul Wallenberg provided a shining light in the evil darkness of that time. We owe it to him and to the thousands he saved to make certain that that light never goes out.
§ Mr. John Marshall (Hendon, South)First, I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Mr. Amess) on introducing this debate and on everything that he has done to preserve the memory of Raoul Wallenberg. Raoul Wallenberg was a beacon of courage and determination during the awful days of the holocaust. The fact that one man could save 100,000 lives is a tribute to his personality, his courage and his determination.
698 Raoul Wallenberg's tragedy was that, when he had saved so many lives, in 1945 we in the west ignored his fate. After he had been captured by the Russians, the Swedish, British and American Governments did nothing in the years that followed to inquire of the Russians what was happening to him. I do not believe that he died of a heart attack in 1947. I do not believe that the diet in the Russian prisons was so full of cholesterol or that they stuffed him with butter, cream and roast beef. I believe that he was murdered long after 1947. The indifference of the west to his fate was in stark contrast to his courage in ensuring that 100,000 people lived rather than perished in the holocaust.
§ Mr. Anthony Steen (South Hams)With your permission, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Michael Morris)Order. It is not with my permission; the permission rests entirely with the hon. Member for Basildon (Mr. Amess). It is not normal to have more than three hon. Members speaking in an Adjournment debate, unless the hon. Gentleman has the agreement of the Minister.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. David Davis)indicated assent.
§ Mr. AmessI am aware of the pressure that the Minister is under, but I believe that two hon. Members wish to speak for just a few seconds, and I would welcome their contribution.
§ Mr. SteenI pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Mr. Amess) for raising this very important matter. Hon. Members on both sides of the House wish to pay tribute to him for persevering for many years until he managed to persuade the authorities to build a monument to a very great man. I hope that the Minister will be able to make encouraging sounds about the other half of the money needed to complete the project.
§ Mrs. Barbara Roche (Hornsey and Wood Green)I shall make some very brief comments. I was born in 1954 and I am extremely proud to be Jewish. I grew up with the memory of what the name Wallenberg means. It means a great deal to the Jewish community. He was a shining light; he was a beacon at a time when it would have been convenient for people to forget, ignore and hide their heads in the sand. He did not do so and we owe him a great debt. I am proud that we are having this debate tonight. I am also extremely proud that one of my constituents to whom the hon. Member for Basildon (Mr. Amess) referred is Sir Sigmund Sternberg, who is a wonderful figure. We in the Jewish community are proud of him, but he is also famous and well-known in the Christian community. I pay tribute to Raoul Wallenberg, and to all my colleagues for their work. I wish the memorial every possible success.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. David Davis)I thank more than usually my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Mr. Amess) for his 699 moving tribute to a man who unquestionably deserves no less than my hon. Friend's words. I particularly welcome the fact that there were tributes from both sides of the House—I was tolerant, because it was appropriate to show that the House is united in its admiration of Raoul Wallenberg's qualities.
Raoul Wallenberg was an exceptionally courageous man whose selfless efforts saved many thousands of lives, for which he deserves to be remembered. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving me the opportunity to add my tribute to Wallenberg's bravery. Although I am replying on behalf of the Government, I will speak for a few moments on a personal basis.
Ever since first reading about Wallenberg rather more than 10 years ago, I have been inspired by his conviction, principle, humanity and, above all, selfless bravery. There are few people of whom I could say without qualification that they are my heroes, but Raoul Wallenberg is one of them. His deeds provide a source of inspiration to which we should all aspire, even if none of us could match them.
I make no apology for repeating some of the facts of which my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon reminded the House. Wallenberg went to Budapest in 1944 to head a special department of the Swedish legation, charged with helping persecuted Jews wherever possible. He left behind a secure and comfortable life in Stockholm to take up his mission. He found himself plunged into the horrors of Adolf Eichmann's extermination programme.
Lars Berg, a colleague of Wallenberg's in the Swedish legation in Budapest in July 1944 and a career diplomat, said:
Raoul Wallenberg began from such a hopeless starting point, with such small resources and with such a lack of actual force to back him up. When he arrived to organise help for the Hungarian Jews, he was nothing but a blank page. He was not a career diplomat. His knowledge of the Hungarian language was limited. He knew no one of importance in Budapest. However, he had a job to do: to stop the already initiated deportations of the Hungarian Jews, to give them food and shelter and, above all, to save their lives. The most remarkable thing about Raoul Wallenberg's work was that it was not based on any legal rights. His task was not to protect any Swedish subjects, Allied prisoners of war, wounded or sick people. Neither he nor the Swedish legation had any right to interfere with the manner in which the Hungarian authorities chose to handle their problems—in this instance, the Jews. Wallenberg was not supported by physical force—neither weapons nor soldiers gave weight to his words. He began his mission with only one source of power—an unfaltering faith in himself, buttressed by the justness of his cause. His only protection was a diplomatic passport.By the time that Wallenberg arrived in Budapest, the majority of the Hungarian Jewish population—numbering more than 400,000, mainly from the provinces—had already been deported to Auschwitz. The Jews remaining in Budapest were left until last. Wallenberg worked with the energy of a man possessed. In close to six months, risking his own life on a regular basis, he saved thousands who would otherwise have perished in the holocaust. It is widely thought that, directly and indirectly, he saved 100,000 people.Raoul Wallenberg started by designing and issuing Swedish "passports"—documents that had no legal status but which were designed to achieve recognition by their extravagant symbolism. Wallenberg originally had permission to issue 1,500 such documents but ultimately issued many thousands. Witness reports even record Wallenberg issuing those passports to Jews already loaded on to cattle trucks waiting to depart for the concentration 700 camps, and to Jews in the forced marches to the border, en route to the same fate—both times under the noses of the Nazis.
Wallenberg's audacity and resourcefulness saved many Jews from certain death. He saved many more Jews by providing safe houses—buying up property and marking it with the Swedish flag.
Above all, however, Wallenberg's genius lay in his ability to motivate and inspire, drawing in other neutral representations in Budapest to work with him; to co-ordinate the relief efforts; and to deal with the enemy in whatever form necessary. He would bribe officials to gain advance information on planned raids and death marches; he reasoned with, bargained with and cajoled those in authority, including the Nazis, to spare lives; and when all else failed, he threatened reprisals after the war when it was clear that the tide had turned.
When the Russians entered Budapest some 120,000 Jews had survived the Final Solution, some if only barely alive in the ghettos. Per Anger, another Swedish diplomat who had worked alongside Wallenberg, said that
he was the only foreign diplomat to stay behind in Pest with the sole purpose of protecting these people. And he succeeded beyond all expectations. If you add them all up, 100,000 or more people owed their lives to him".The tragedy is that Wallenberg was not to share the freedom that he had won for so many others. A moment of liberation for others was the moment in which his captivity began. No one can dispute that we owe it to Wallenberg's memory to help to establish his fate.It is well known that in January 1945, Wallenberg was taken into custody by the Red army, transported to Moscow and gaoled. What exactly happened next remains unanswered. For years the Soviet authorities denied that they held him. It was not until some 12 years later, in 1957, that Andrei Gromyko, then Deputy Foreign Minister, informed the Swedes that Wallenberg had died of a heart attack, at 36, in the Lubyanka—the notorious KGB headquarters—in 1947. That, of course, was not the end of the story.
A number of approaches have been made over the years to press the Russians to provide a full and frank account of what happened to Wallenberg after he was taken into Soviet custody. Unfortunately, despite a greater openness in Russia today, such a response has not yet been forthcoming. Efforts continue to elicit one.
The Swedish Government, with whom we remain in contact on this issue, believe that the best hope of making progress now lies with the joint Swedish-Russian Wallenberg working group. This was established in 1991 to search for relevant documents and to interview persons who might have knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Wallenberg's disappearance and subsequent fate. This group is continuing its work.
The group held its 12th meeting in Moscow in September 1995 and it is hoping to publish a common report by the end of this year; but it is slow and painstaking work. We hope that answers may be found in the Russian archives. Sadly, the group has made no breakthrough yet, possibly because the bulk of the documents relating to Wallenberg may have been destroyed by the Soviet security forces responsible, anxious to cover their tracks.
The evidence about Wallenberg's fate is not clear. Despite reports of sightings of Wallenberg which date from as late as 1986, none of these has been corroborated 701 by the joint working group or the researchers who preceded them. On the other hand, the version of events recounted by the former KGB officer Oleg Gordievsky in his book "KGB" ties in with earlier Russian claims that Wallenberg died in a Soviet prison in 1947. While the Soviet authorities had tried to claim that Wallenberg died from a heart attack, Gordievsky states that he was shot, no later than 1947.
The uncertainty is frustrating. We sympathise with the relatives and surviving friends of Wallenberg for whom the lack of any clear information about his fate must be unimaginably distressing. The full facts of this case need to be uncovered. We will continue to give our support to the joint working group.
Wallenberg was made an honorary citizen of the United States in 1981, of Canada in 1985 and of Israel in 1986. Many have called for Wallenberg to be given a similar honour in the UK. Indeed I am aware that my hon. Friend introduced a Bill under the 10-minute rule in March 1989. The Bill was to provide for the award of honorary British nationality to any individual for outstanding humanitarian services in Hungary during the period July 1944 to January 1945. The clear intention of the Bill was to award honorary British citizenship to Raoul Wallenberg.
More recently, Lord Braine of Wheatley also raised the idea of honorary citizenship during a debate, in February 1995, to mark the 50th anniversary of Wallenberg's disappearance.
§ Mr. SumbergIs my hon. Friend aware of the Jewish saying, "He who saves one life, saves the whole world"? 702 On the basis of that, Raoul Wallenberg saved many, many worlds. Would it not be right for our country, which did so much to fight the second world war and to secure the freedom and safety of those Jews who remained, to make the gesture of conferring citizenship?
§ Mr. DavisMy right hon. Friend the former Foreign Secretary and I looked at that possibility closely. In the time available I cannot go through all the problems involved, but we established that they were insuperable. Her Majesty's Government have been keen, however, to help with other possibilities for honouring Wallenberg.
My hon. Friend the Member for Basildon outlined the arrangements behind the organisation of an appeal to erect a memorial to Wallenberg in Great Cumberland place. The cost of the project and its upkeep in perpetuity will be approximately £100,000. I understand that the hope is to have the memorial unveiled and dedicated within a year and that the organisers are hoping to trace survivors among the Wallenberg 100,000 to invite to the unveiling. I have seen the plans for the memorial. It will be an impressive tribute.
I wish the appeal every success. I must tell my hon. Friend that I have little influence with the Arts Council, but Her Majesty's Government are to donate £15,000 to the appeal. I look forward to the day when the memorial is completed and graces London, a worthy symbol of the British people's admiration for a very, very great man.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Adjourned accordingly at fifteen minutes to Eleven o 'clock.