Heroes of the Holocaust and Their Stories of Courage Two

“For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely as I did then.” – “Tramp for the Lord” by Corrie ten Boom

Prince Constantin Karadja (1889 – 1950)

Romanian Diplomat and Barrister

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(Prince Constantin Karadja in 1916)

Karadja was the Romanian Consul-General in Berlin (1931 – 1941) and the director of the consular department in the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1941 – 1944). Profoundly influenced by humanistic education he received in England, he adhered to the principles of international law concerning human rights. As a person of strong resolve, he never gave in to political pressures but exerted great pains at diplomatic level to protect the rights of Romanian citizens in various parts of Europe, irregardless of religion or ethnicity. Once, he received orders to stamp the word “Jew” onto the passports of Romanian Jews, he responded in protest that such act will worsen their conditions in Germany, somehow placing needless obstacles to their return to Romania. For his decisive actions in favor of Jews of Romanian citizenship that also benefited many others from Hungary, France and Germany, he was tagged by the German authorities as a “persona non grata.” Thanks to his efforts, 600 French Jews, 10,000 Romanian Jews, 51,000 Hungarian Jews and a few dozen German Jews returned or migrated to Romania, saved from the very clutches of their Nazi pursuers. In 2005, Karadja was posthumously honored for his actions as “Righteous among the Nations” during a ceremony held at the Israeli embassy in Berlin.

Feng Shan Ho (1901 – 1997)

Chinese Diplomat

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Ho was named Consul General of the Chinese consulate in Vienna in 1938, the year when Austria was annexed into Greater Germany by the Nazi regime (Anschluss). After Kristallnacht (Nazi-coordinated attacks on the Jews) later in the year, the situation became increasing difficult for Austrian Jews who were required to show proof of emigration, normally a visa, in order to leave the country. Out of humanitarian concern and in direct violation of the orders of his superior, Ho freely granted visas to Shanghai and continued to do so until 1940 when he was relieved of his duty. Undeniably, thousands of Jewish individuals and families were able to leave for Shanghai, from where a majority would soon after leave for Australia and Hongkong. Ho was posthumously recognized with the title “Righteous among the Nations” in 2001 and came to be known as the “China’s Schindler.”

More Holocaust-themed articles:

·        Heroes of the Holocaust & Their Stories of Courage 1

·        Famous Holocaust Survivors

·        Six Classic Holocaust Literatures