Watch above: As so many other cities have, Saskatoon has a memorial park in the name of Raoul Wallenberg. Meaghan Craig explains the significance of the man and why so many pay tribute to his legacy.
SASKATOON – As a young man, he made history. Born on Aug. 4, 1912, Raoul Wallenberg would later be hailed a hero by many around the world.
Raoul Wallenberg became Canada’s first honorary citizen in 1985. The Canadian government declared Jan. 17 a day in his honour and he’s had numerous memorial parks named after him across the country including one in Saskatoon’s Varsity View neighbourhood.
Perhaps you’ve even walked by the park but never recognized the significance of its name.
“This park was named after Raoul Wallenburg who was a young, Swedish diplomat in Hungary during the war,” said David Katzman.
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“Because of his extreme bravery and commitment, he was able to save the lives of tens of thousands of Jews and some of those families live in Saskatoon now.”
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Considered one of the greatest heroes of the 20th century, Wallenberg saved thousands from their death by issuing these passes that provided them protection.
“What he did was he gave Jews something calls a Schutz-pass, it indicated that they were now Swedish citizens,” added Katzman.
“Well, these were as phoney as a three dollar bill.”
During his mission to rescue Hungarian Jews, Wallenberg distributed thousands of passes. He is said to have issued close to 15,000 of these forged identification papers in a six-month period and provided safe houses to those in need.
“You’d have these little apartments full of Jewish refugees hiding from the Nazis who knew they were there but they claimed Swedish immunity.”
To this day, there are still disputes regarding Wallenberg’s death. He was said to have been last seen with Soviet officials in 1945. Two years later, he reportedly died in a Soviet prison however the exact date and circumstances surrounding this death are still unknown.
“I think it’s pretty clear and agreed that he died in Soviet possession but where and when is very unclear and the Soviets aren’t speaking,” said Katzman.
Wallenberg was just 33 when he disappeared.
“He was so brave and so bright and it was such a loss to lose a man like that,” said Katzman.
Courageous and brave but perhaps the biggest legacy Wallenberg left behind is that anyone, anytime can be an unsung hero.
“I think one person can make a difference so if you’re 13 years old and you’re sitting in the lunch room and you see the new kid sitting alone, invite them to eat with you, that makes a difference,” added Katzman.
“I hope that every time somebody goes by this park they’re reminded of how important it is for citizens and for countries to do what they can to stop the genocides which according to some is bullying done on a very, very large scale. We can make a difference.”
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