Auction 093 Kodesh books, Rabanic manuscripts, Zionism, Erez Israel. Judaica, archaeology and Jewish art
Apr 5, 2016
3 Shatner Center 1st Floor Givat Shaul Jerusalem, Israel

The auction has ended

LOT 40:

Letter of protection by the Righteous Among the Nations Karl Lutz which he changed in order to save an entire ...

Sold for: $500
Start price:
$ 500
Estimated price:
$600 - $800
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Letter of protection by the Righteous Among the Nations Karl Lutz which he changed in order to save an entire family. Budapest 1944
A letter of protection that was given to the Jew Jeno Heller by the Department for Representing Foreign Interests of the Swiss Consulate under the management of Karl Lutz, during the destruction of Hungarian Jewry. Later he added "also his family" (und Familie) in order to save all of Jeno's family. 
[1] page. Official paper of the Department of Foreign Interests of the Swiss Consulate. Two columns, German and Hungarian. Official stamp. Number 2335.
Karl Lutz (1895-1975), one of the prominent Righteous Among the Nations and Swiss diplomat who saved tens of thousands of Jews during the destruction of Hungarian Jewry and their deportation to Auschwitz. Lutz acted to save the Jews of Budapest by issuing Swiss "letters of protection" to Jews who had certificates, and carried out negotiations with high-ranking Nazi clerks, including Adolf Eichmann. He issued approximately 8,000 letters of protection. The document before us is testimony to the known fact that later, in opposition to an agreement, Lutz expanded the content of each letter of protection and included all of the certificate holder's family. In this manner, approximately 30,000 Jews merited to be included under the protection of the letters of protection.
Lutz worked together with other diplomats, such as Angelo Rotta to establish "an international ghetto" which protected the Jews who were in possession of a letter of protection from destruction. Lutz merited, as a result of his actions, to be among the first to be recognized as Righteous Among the Nations, and a governmental medal and stamp were issued in his memory.
Small tears on the fold, with no lack. Fine to very fine condition.