64 Friday, March 19, 1982

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

`Lost Hero' Offers New Information on Righteous
Gentile Raoul Wallenberg's Arrest, Whereabouts

the picture was still at an
Evidence kept mounting especially revealing is the hero of the Budapest resis- neglected to take this
angle, and before Green-
routine
legal
step
and
that
tance to the Nazis, Madame
in the last few years that the following:
wald could turn it full face,
he
then
finally
chose
to
act
Kollontai,
writing
in
excel-
courageous rescuer of at
"During an interview held
Vogel recognized it and said
only
four
months
after
Er-
lent
French
from
Moscow,
least 30,000 Jews of Hun- in 1981 with one of the
quickly, 'Long dead.' "
gary — some estimates as authors of this book, said that as one already out lander had returned from
Among the many new
his
June
1965
visit
to
the
of
office
she
could
no
longer
much as doubled that figure Nanna Svartz, a Swedish
aspects of the Wallenberg
Soviet
Union.
_
— was still alive as re- doctor who had been the be _identified with the case.
case related in "Lost
"Sometime in 1970 or
cently as the early 1970s. personal physician to both
When the Wallenberg
Hero" are the contacts
1971,
Gosta
Nisser
told
Inga
Contrary to Russian denials Prime Minister Tage Er- lecture series was set up at
Wallenberg made with
Piltz
that
he
had
heard
from
and the claim made by An- lander and Madame Kollon- the University of Michigan
many notables. There i
drei Gromyko that Raoul tai, said that shortly after at the inspiration of a `the highest government
long record of his havii„,
circles'
in
Sweden
that,
dur-
Wallenberg died in 1956, the 'war a member of classmate in the U-M Col-
contacted Elizabeth
ing
his
imprisonment,
Wal-
there were witnesses who Budapest's aristocracy- had lege of Architecture, Sol
Kameny, the wife of
insisted they had seen Wal- told her: 'I 'just cannot King, the hero's mother ob- lenberg had become so 'in-
Gabor Kameny, who was
jured'
and
'damaged'
that,
lenberg in Russian prisons fathom why this highly in- jected to naming the series
the Hungarian foreign
even
if
they
had
wanted
to,
in 1965 and thereafter.
telligent man (Wallenberg) memorial lectures. There
minister during Wallen-
At last Wallenberg's took all that money over to were to be tributes. She in- the Russians could not have
berg efforts to rescue the
returned
him.
name is being given proper the Russians.' Dr. Svartz sisted he was also alive. But
Jews who were marked
RAOUL
WALLENBERG
"In 1972, Swedish
recognition. Elected to hon- also claimed that Erlander in the Werbell-Clarke boo,k
Mozambique and thereturn for extermination by the
Foreign
Minister
Chris-
orary U.S. citizenship by and Wallenberg's step- there is already the indica-
of a Communist spy to East Nazis.
the, U.S. Congress, his father, Fredrik von Dardel, tion that Wallenberg is con- ter Wickman said at a Germany. He has also been
"Lost Hero" is a con-
labors acclaimed on that oc- also knew about the money. sidered dead by now. The press conference held in involved in negotiations tinuity of tributes. It is re-
Vienna,
'As
far
as
the
casion by President Ronald
"Prime Minister Erlan- latest information that Swedish government is with the Soviet Union for corded in many works, not-
Reagan, the demands con-
concerned the Wallen- the release of dissident ably "Righteous Gentile" by
tinue for Russia to confirm
John Bierman (Viking
Anatoly Shcharansky.
berg
case is closed.'
that Wallenberg was re-
"For more than two de- Press), reviewed in The
"Further
confirmation
of
tained in Russian prisons
the story told to Dr. Svartz cades Wolfgang Vogel has Jewiki News April 3, 1981,
for unstated accusations
in 1965, that Wallenberg been an important Cold and - "With Raoul Wallen-
which have never been
The annual Righteous Gentile-Citation awarded by
had died due to a 'mistake,' War contact man. He is berg in Budapest" by Per
listed. There was nothing on
the Metropolitan Detroit Jewish community this year
came in the course of a sec- close to Soviet ruling circles Anger (Schocken), reviewed
which to pin the reason for
goes to Raoul Wallenberg.
ret meeting held on April and has extensive know- in The Jewish News Oct. 9,
his incarceration and the
Dr. John Mames announced that the annual Yom
14, 1980, between Rabbi ledge about Soviet spies and 1981.
charges that he was tor-
Hashoa–gathering, memorializing the victims of
"Lost Hero" is a notable
Ronald
Greenwald and political prisoners. In 1962
tured in USSR prisons.
Nazism, will be held at 1 p.m. April 18 at Cong.
East German attorney he arranged the swap of U-2 work, historically valuable
The belief that the great
Shaarey Zedek for the presentation of the citation to
Wolfgang Vogel. Green- pilot Francis Gary Powers in the Wallenberg case. It
hero of the last war is still
representatives of the Swedish government.
wald has played a crucial (one of Wallenberg's prison adds to the tributes to a
alive continues in many
Shaarit Haplaytah sponsors the event, with the
role in recent East-West mates at Vladimir) for Col- great personality and
quarters. The background
serves valuably in retaining
cooperation this year of Cong. Shaarey Zedek, the
spy and prisoner exchanges, onel Rudolf Abel.
of the Wallenberg role, the
Jewish Community Council and the Detroit Round
"Greenwald and Vogel the memory of a valiant re-
including
the
one
in
April
record of the demands that
Table of the National Conference of Christians and
1978 involving. six na- had already met on 14 occa- scuer of tens of thousands of
he be freed, are reiterated in
Jews.
tions
that resulted in the re- sions prior to April 14, 1980. Jews and represents an in-
the newest of the numerous
Dr. Mames will make the presentation, and there
lease
of an American stu- During this meeting erasable chapter in the
works about Wallenberg,
will be a response from the Swedish representative.
dent
from
East Germany Greenwald pulled out a pic- story of the most courageous
"Lost Hero: The Mystery of
and
an
Israeli
froraprison in ture of Wallenberg. While fighters against Nazism.
Raoul Wallenberg"
* * *
der and Ambassador Wallenberg is no longer
(McGraw-Hill).
Soderblom have indicated among the living is re-
Of interest in the au- during interviews with one corded, thus, in "Lost Hero":
thorship of "Lost Hero" is of the authors of this book
"Since 1965 there has
that there was a collab- that they were both made been other evidence which
A New York Times re- that Nanna Svartz should prompted the Swedish
oration that included a aware of the question of the tends to confirm that Wal-
government on two occa-
view
of "Lost Hero" received have mentioned to me any-
former Swedish rabbi. missing valuables. This lenberg died in the middle
thing about Raoul Wallen- sions to direct inquiries
the
following
critical
re-
Frederick E. Werbell, a may be one reason 1960s, and because of a
berg's having died in 1965. to the Soviet government
native of Sweden who Soderblom made such a `mistake' on the part of his sponse in the New York Prof. Svartz and I have met
Times
Book
Review
section
" •
was ordained in the U.S., half-hearted attempt to captors.
and talked many times
last
Sunday.
"There is, indeed, much
devoted several years to secure Wallenberg's im-'
"Inga Piltz is a Swedish
Excerpts from the letter about this remarkable man evidence, well beyond 1965,
the gathering of Wallen- mediate release from Rus- attorney who, in addition
appear below. The writer is and his fate, but on no occa- that Wallenberg is lan-
berg data. His interviews sia."
to being a close friend of Lena Biorck Kaplan, presi- sion did she say anything guishing deep within the
with Swedish officials
The speculative about the Wallenberg family,
about his having died.'
bowels of the Soviet Gulag.
and his search for evi- Wallenberg's detention has also worked in the dent of the Raoul Wallen-
"Moreover, it appears
dence about Wallenberg by the Russians upon same office as Gosta Nis- berg Committee of the Un- obvious that the Swedish This evidence comes from
those within the Soviet
serves the cause in behalf their defeat of the Nazis ser, one of Wallenberg's ited States:
". . .We wish to point out government does not be- Union as well as those for-
of Wallenberg more ef- in Hungary are very cousins and the confid-
lieve that Wallenberg has
fectively than the previ- numerous, yet this reve- ant and attorney of the serious misstatements of died. In 1979, Sweden's tunate to have been given
fact
by
the
authors
which
exit visas and who have left
ous works. He was joined aling note is most impres- von Dardels and at one
Minister for Foreign Af-
in writing "Lost Hero" by sive and if true as claimed time court-appointed led to the erroneous conclu- fairs, Ola Ullsten, issued a Russia.
Thurston Clarke, author may throw much light on legal guardian for Raoul sion that Raoul Wallenberg statement calling the Soviet
"The negative impact of
died in 1965.
of several books dealing the Wallenberg tragedy.
Wallenberg.
silence over Raoul Wallen- Werbell's and Clarke's book
"Mr.
Werbell
and
Mr.
with major world issues.
"Piltz recalls that in 1965 Clarke seem to base their berg's whereabouts deplor- is most unfortunate. As
The reference in the
Nisser
became extremely conclusion on conversa- able, and this charge was there is no conclusive evi-
above
quotation
to.
Madame
So extensive has been the
previous emphasis given Kollontai is also of added in- gloomy and pessimistic tions Mr. Werbell held repeated in 1980 at the dence whatsoever that Wal-
the Wallenberg case,, in terest. It refers to about Wallenberg and said with Nanna Svartz and Madrid Conference on Sec- lenberg has died, the book's
many books, -that the Alexandra Michaelovna that Prime Minister Erlan- former Swedish Prime " urity and Cooperation in thesis does an injustice to
newest, "Lost Hero," Kollontai, USSR ambas- der had just given him a.re- Minister Tage Erlander. Europe, which reviewed the the, thousands of people of
emerges especially signific- sador to Sweden, who gave port on Wallenberg that Both have denied the Helsinki Agreements. Also, goodwill throughout the
ant because of additional in- assurances - in the early was of 'a devastating na- veracity of the conversa- in 1981, Mr. Ullsten stated: world who are working
formation that appears re- `years of Wallenberg's arrest ture.'
" 'In the last few years and night for Raoul
tions as reported by the
"On Oct. 19, 1965, Fred- authors. In fact, in a new information has lenberg's releast."
velatory. Why was Wallen- by her compatriots that he
berg arrested by the Rus- was alive and would be well rik von Dardel successfully signed statement, Prime
sians, held incommunicado, taken care of by the Rus- petitioned a Swedish court Minister Erlander wrote:
imprisoned in the USSR, his sians. But when a distant to validate a will made out
" 'When I read Werbell's
whereabouts kept secret? cousin of Wallenberg, Mar- by Raoul Wallenberg in description of my conversa-
1939. It is significant that tion with him, I was upset.
There are many items of in- cus Wallenberg, pursured
for 20 years von Dardel had There are in his report
terest in the new book and inquiries regarding the
hardly any traces of truth.
He is right in one respect
only: in 1965 I met with
Premier Kosygin in Moscow
and brought up the case of
Raoul Wallenberg, as I used
to do in talks with Soviet
granting honorary Miami
leaders in order to clarify Beach citizenship to Raoul Wallenberg are, from left,
commissioner Sy Eisenberg, Rep. and Mrs. Tom Lan-
his fate.
" 'There is no truth either tor who were saved from the Nazis by Wallenberg,
and Rabbi Rubin Dobin.
in the author's assertion

Righteous Gentile Award
Honors Raoul Wallenberg

`Lost Hero' Volume Criticized

,