Raoul Wallenberg - any definite records?!

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

So, are there any records about the case of Raoul Wallenberg?!

He was captured - like probably most of us know - by the Sovjets in the end of World War II. The reasons for this have been speculated ever since. One explanation was presented by the Finnish Channel Two in the early 1990s; while Raoul was saving the Jews in Budapest, in the other end of the family some members were white-washing the nazi money. The sovjets thought the whole family to be on the same side, so...

There has been talks about records in Sovjet prisons showing a strange inmate. Any confirmation to this?!

All the best
Jukka

[protohistorian]

Hello you all!

So, are there any records about the case of Raoul Wallenberg?!

He was captured - like probably most of us know - by the Sovjets in the end of World War II. The reasons for this have been speculated ever since. One explanation was presented by the Finnish Channel Two in the early 1990s; while Raoul was saving the Jews in Budapest, in the other end of the family some members were white-washing the nazi money. The sovjets thought the whole family to be on the same side, so...

There has been talks about records in Sovjet prisons showing a strange inmate. Any confirmation to this?!

All the best
Jukka

Not that I am aware of. The other point to keep in mind is that the soviets were anti religion, and as russians, steeped in a background of orthodoxy. What we interpret as bravery and self sacrifice on Wallenburg's part, would not have been the case in soviet russia, particularly under Stalin. The russian prison system under Stalin was flooded with inmates. The records are poor, and Wallenburg's actions would not have singled him out in the soviet mind. That being said, there is always a chance something will come to light. Soviet Era archives are poorly studied and "new" material is coming to light constantly.

[jimornot?]

Hello you all!

So, are there any records about the case of Raoul Wallenberg?!

He was captured - like probably most of us know - by the Sovjets in the end of World War II. The reasons for this have been speculated ever since. One explanation was presented by the Finnish Channel Two in the early 1990s; while Raoul was saving the Jews in Budapest, in the other end of the family some members were white-washing the nazi money. The sovjets thought the whole family to be on the same side, so...

There has been talks about records in Sovjet prisons showing a strange inmate. Any confirmation to this?!

All the best
Jukka

hi Jukka

sorry, only just seen this

Fascinating case and probably unlikely that the truth will ever really be found. I have awaiting from a friend, a book on RW so hope that might add to my knowledge

I do however recall reading some time ago that there was some indication RW had died in 1989 and not 1947 (supposedly of a heart attack)as has been commonly stated. The reasoning behind this is that in 1989 (at teh height of Gorbachev's reforms) a relative and colleague of his were invited to Moscow and given some of his personal effects. the theory is that had he died much before 1989 these effects would have been either 'lost' in the system or handed back to his relatives many years before particularly as the Russians had long before admitted they had held him but that he had died .

There have apparently been reports from hospital staff that an un-named patient was kept in isolation until the mid 1950's. They apparenmtly identified this man as RW from a number of photographs and computer mock-ups of how he would have aged. Some prisoners support this story - and indicate he was there in the 1970's

On the whole though I think most research has concluded that RW died in 1947 and most likely at the hands of the soviets presumably because he was either an embarrassment to them (why had they captured him at all?) or they belived him to be a spy. I have also read that around this time Stalin was focusing on an anti-semetic campaign and would have had no regard for RW and his help to Jewish peoples. But there is no conclusive evidence of his death there any more than there are records that he was put into a mental hospital / isolated cell. There is apparently a memorandum in 1947 calling for 'liquidation of the irritating Wallenberg problem' - however that could be interpreted

Defintely a case worthy of a more definite conclusion

best wishes

viv