John Rabe, the Oskar Schindler of China
The Nazi Leader of Nanking who Saved Over 200,000 People
- Apr 3, 2009
- Michael Streich
In the annals of twentieth century genocide and atrocities, heroes emerged that put their own lives on the line to save others. Men like Raoul Wallenberg and Oskar Schindler are well known for their courageous attempts in saving Jews. The newly released German film on the war-time activities of John Rabe in China during the infamous “Rape of Nanking” offers yet another portrait of selfless courage, yet this time the hero was the leader of the Nanking Nazi organization.
John Rabe in China
At the time Japanese forces entered Nanking in 1937, Rabe had been in China for thirty years as the chief manager of Siemens. Born in Hamburg in 1882, Rabe had traveled to Africa before settling in China. Revered in China as “the living Buddha of Nanking,” Rabe was also, however, the leader of the Nanking Nazi organization. In many ways, this helped him to eventually save the lives of over 200,000 Chinese civilians that had taken shelter in his “International Safety Zone.”
As a Nazi and a citizen of Japan’s ally, Rabe was respected by the Japanese military and suffered no indignities, unlike those of other western nationalities like the Americans. According to his diary entries, just the flash of his swastika armband was often enough to stop acts of cruelty taking place by small groups of marauding soldiers. Writing in the German news magazine Spiegel, Lars-Olav Beier recounts how Rabe’s German-speaking chauffeur was killed by Japanese soldiers. Bargaining with a Japanese officer, Rabe demanded twenty men, “who had already been sentenced to death…” thereby saving twenty lives.
Rabe’s meticulous diary entries remained unknown until Historian Iris Chang, author of the monumental Rape of Nanking, found them with Rabe’s grandchildren in Germany. These writings recount the chilling days of late 1937 when a forgotten holocaust began in China, and Rabe’s tireless role in trying to save as many civilians as possible.
Rabe Returns to Germany
Returning to Berlin in 1938, John Rabe made the mistake of sending his findings of the atrocities, including a film made by a colleague in China, to key Nazi leaders including Adolf Hitler. Arrested by the Gestapo, he was eventually released and sent by Siemens to work in Afghanistan. As the war ended and Rabe returned home, his Berlin residence was destroyed by allied bombing. Following the defeat of Germany, Rabe was interrogated by the Soviets and the British in conjunction with his role as Nazi leader in Nanking. Eventually de-nazified, Rabe found himself unemployed and destitute.
As his story reached the people of Nanking, a massive effort was undertaken that resulted in financial support and regular packages of much needed food. The Chinese had not forgotten John Rabe who was now in great need himself. Rabe died in 1950.
John Rabe, the Movie
For an international community still outraged by the Holocaust, any movie positively reflecting the Nazis is understandably suspicious, particularly in Germany. As Iris Chang wrote years ago, “…in the immediate postwar years it was simply not politically correct to…boast about his accomplishments, however worthy they might have been.”
This is also the gamble Beier analyzes in his piece, “The Good Nazi?” Beier argues that although “Schindler’s List” was about a German who saved Jews, it is “the sort of subject only American directors have taken on in the past.” He also cites the success of “Valkyrie,” which lionized Claus von Stauffenberg.
John Rabe joins the ranks of men like Raoul Wallenberg, people that find themselves in the midst of great human calamity and put aside all personal matters in order to confront evil. For this reason alone, films like “John Rabe” should continue to be made.
Sources:
Lars-Olav Beier, “The Good Nazi? German Films Delve Into Difficult History,” Spiegel Online, April 3, 2009.
Iris Chang, The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II (Basic Books, 1997) see pages 109-121 and 187-197.
Susanne Nolden, “Ein Mann mit vielen Talenten,” Frau Im Spiegel, No. 14, March 25, 2009, p 54-55.
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