by Dr. Morton I. Teicher

Special to DJW

"Lost Hero." By Danny Smith. London: HarperCollins UK.

Distributed by Trafalgar Square, N. Pomfret, Vermont: 2002. 208 Pages. $12

Of all the "Righteous Gentiles" who helped Jews during the Holocaust, Raoul Wallenberg was one of the boldest, most courageous and most compassionate. He saved 100,000 Hungarian Jews from the Nazis and, eventually, lost his own life in the process. This book by Smith, who writes on religion and history and who is director of a British human rights organization, tells the story of Wallenberg's achievements. It also focuses on the mystery of his disappearance into Soviet prisons where, presumably, he eventually died although what actually happened to him remains an enigma.

The narrative is divided into two parts, Mission and Mystery. The first section deals with Wallenberg's background and his achievements in Hungary. The second recounts what is known about his experiences after January 1945 when the Russians took over Hungary and Wallenberg went to see their commander to insure the safety of the surviving Jews. He was never seen again.

The narrative is divided into two parts, Mission and Mystery. The first section deals with Wallenberg's background and his achievements in Hungary. The second recounts what is known about his experiences after January 1945 when the Russians took over Hungary and Wallenberg went to see their commander to insure the safety of the surviving Jews. He was never seen again.

This part of the story is based on somewhat sketchy reports and is highly speculative. To this very date, the actual events of Wallenberg's remaining life are unknown except that he was probably incarcerated in Moscow prisons and, possibly, in Siberia.

An official statement was made by Andrei Gromyko, Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister on Feb. 2, 1957, in which it was asserted that Wallenberg died in prison the previous day, "probably as the result of a heart attack." The truth of this statement remains in question since several unconfirmed reports claim that Wallenberg was still alive after this date. The author of this book concludes that Wallenberg's "fate remains unknown."

By contrast to the murkiness that surrounds Wallenberg's ultimate lot, his exploits in saving Jews, recounted in the first part of the book, are much clearer and reasonably well documented. Wallenberg was born into Sweden's richest family. He studied architecture at the University of Michigan and then undertook a series of assignments for the family's banking business. For a time, he worked in Haifa, South Africa and Paris.

He encountered a number of Jews and was increasingly moved by their persecution at the hands of the Nazis. In 1944, Wallenberg's Jewish business partner recommended him to the American government to serve as Roosevelt's personal emissary in Hungary, charged with responsibility for rescuing Hungarian Jews.

Wallenberg arrived in Budapest in July 1944 where he learned that anyone with a provisional Swedish passport was safe from the Nazis. He conceived the idea of creating "an official-looking document that looks like a protective passport." Thousands of these "passports" were printed and distributed to Jews, many of whom were then held in Swedish safe houses.

In addition, Wallenberg badgered the Hungarian government to resist the Nazi round-ups of Jews. He bravely rescued hundreds of Jews from a death march to Auschwitz, insisting that they held Swedish passports.

He even talked with Adolf Eichmann who was in Budapest to carry out Hitler's aim of killing all European Jews. Wallenberg warned him that since Germany was losing the war, deporting and killing Jews should stop. Eichmann fled from Hungary as the Russians took over but not before issuing orders for the annihilation of all remaining Jews. Wallenberg managed to persuade the remaining SS general to cancel this order.

The six months that Wallenberg spent in Hungary as the war ended resulted in the rescue of 100,000 Jews who, if not for him, would surely have died. The story of his remarkable heroism is lucidly set forth in this straightforward account. His persistence in the face of continuing personal danger is a memorable saga.

This noteworthy book is a well-deserved tribute to an extraordinary human being. The record of his experiences is eminently worth being preserved and we are indebted to Danny Smith for having done so clearly and impressively.