Johann Rabe, a member of the Nazi Party from Germany, was a person that the people of Nanjing will never forget. Even during the pandemic, his children and grandchildren have been cared for, sending supplies across the ocean.
So, what did John Rabe do to win such deep gratitude from the Chinese people?
John Rabe, a heroic German during the Nanjing Revolution, set up a safe area in his own right, saved the lives of 250,000 Chinese compatriots, and survived the war, and was reverently called "Schindler of China" by the locals.
The diary of Rabe left by him records his personal experience in this catastrophe in detail, which has become an important evidence to expose the atrocities of the Japanese army, and is also the largest and most complete record of Nanjing in the world.
At the Tokyo trial, Rabe's diary became an important piece of evidence against 14 Class A war criminals, including Hideki Tojo.
December 16, 1937: I drove to Xiaguan to inspect the power plant, and Zhongshan North Road was full of devastation and corpses. In front of the city gate, the corpses were piled up, which was shocking.
At this moment, inhumane killings are being carried out everywhere, and even in the barracks in front of the Ministry of Defense, people are killed. The sound of machine-gun gunfire echoed through the empty streets.
December 22, 1937: In the process of clearing the security zone, we found a large number of civilians brutally shot in the pond. In one of the ponds, 30 corpses were piled up, most of them with ** hands, and some even had heavy stones tied around their necks.
This kind of ruthless ** makes people's hearts ache. December 24, 1937: I went to the basement where the body was kept, and the sight before me was horrible.
An ordinary person's eyes have been burned black, and his entire head has been scorched. Outrageously, the Japanese soldiers poured gasoline on him and set it on fire.
This horrific truth was recorded in Mr. Rabe's diary and became an important piece of evidence to expose the crimes of the Japanese army. These heinous incidents, recorded in Mr. Rabe's diary, are ironclad evidence of the crimes of the Japanese army, and also make us more deeply aware of the cruelty of war and the fragility of innocent lives.
We should remember history, cherish peace, and work for the peace and tranquility of mankind.
John Rabe, the selfless hero, was impoverished in his later years. But after learning of this situation, China** called on citizens to donate spontaneously to support Rabe's retirement.
Subsequently, Rabe's descendants also turned to China for help, and Chinese pharmaceutical companies generously donated medicines to provide medical assistance to Rabe. Born in 1882, John Rabe grew into a wealthy family, and his father, an experienced sea captain, often shared stories of his adventures on the sea with his children, which sparked Rabe's curiosity about the outside world.
Unfortunately, however, Rabe lost his father at the age of 16, and he was caught in a storm while going to sea and was drowned at sea. To make matters worse, Rabe's family also had to compensate for the loss of all their goods, and her mother had to sell all her property to pay off her debts.
Since then, the family has moved out of the spacious villa and into the slums. In order to support her children, Rabe's mother had to work several jobs, leaving early and returning late.
Although Rabe was young at that time, he looked at his hard-working mother and had the idea of helping her mother as much as he could. In order to ease his mother's burden, he decided to drop out of school and work.
Although he didn't make much money at a young age and was often reprimanded by his boss, he never forgot his dream. At the end of each day's work, he dragged his tired body home, but he didn't take a break right away, but used the time to teach himself English.
Rabe, who works for a British company, is aware of the importance of learning English and is therefore actively improving his English. Gradually, his talents stood out among the Germans and he was eventually selected by the company for the task of expanding the business abroad.
In August 1908, Rabe overcame transportation difficulties and took 16 days to come to China from Germany and begin his journey to China.
When Rabe first arrived in China, he was fascinated by the oriental culture, and he found that the customs of China were very different from those of his homeland. Working in Beijing and immersed in Chinese culture, Rabe is obsessed with the magnificence of the Forbidden City and loves the cuisine of Quanjude.
He is interested in life in Beijing, and every day is lively and interesting. Rabe began to keep a diary, recording what he saw and felt in China. However, with the outbreak of World War I, Rabe's German identity made life in Beijing difficult.
Especially after the defeat of Germany, he and his wife and children were forced to return to their homeland. It was not until 1920, when China and Russia re-established diplomatic relations and signed an economic cooperation agreement, that Rabe was again sent to China by the company.
When he saw that he had been gone for many years, but the residence remained the same, his heart was filled with mixed emotions. He deeply remembered the kindness of the Chinese.
He chose to settle down in China, and although he did not fully grasp the Chinese language, he was able to understand the speech of others and communicate simply. In 1930, in order to expand its global influence, Siemens set up a branch in Nanjing.
Considering his many years of living experience in China, he is familiar with China's customs and customs, and can better assist in the construction of the branch, the company decided to transfer him to Nanjing as the branch manager.
When Rabe first arrived in Nanjing, he was warmly welcomed by the people of Nanjing and quickly adapted to life here. He planned to open a German school for his children's education, but due to financial problems, the school was delayed.
In his predicament, he wrote to the German embassy for help.
Rabe decided to help the refugees in Nanjing, turning his home into a bomb shelter to accommodate displaced people. The embassy provided financial support for his good cause.
Although Rabe knew nothing about Germany before this, he did not hesitate to join the Nazi party organization in exchange for funding for the construction of schools. Little did he know, however, that this decision would bring him a sea change.
As the war expanded, the people of Nanjing faced the threat of artillery fire, and Rabe's kindness became the hope of their lives. From the initial dozens of people, it has gradually grown to several hundred.
Rabe's actions have given people a deeper awareness and understanding of war and humanitarianism.
Rabe, along with a dozen other foreigners who remained in Nanjing, financed the creation of a security zone of about four square kilometers. For the sake of the people in the reserve, they erected a huge Nazi flag on the roof of the house as a way to deter the Japanese army.
At that time, Germany and Japan were allies, and Germany's national strength was so strong that the Japanese army was very afraid of it. Rabe took every opportunity possible to stock up on large quantities of bandages, food and medicine in the security zone to take in refugees who had nowhere else to go.
Soon after, Rabe's shelter became overcrowded, with countless refugees flocking to it. In these dark times, Rabe's shelter is like a beacon of hope for people.
On July 7, 1937, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out, and Nanjing became the main battlefield. Although Rabe's area was not attacked, the sound of artillery fire around it continued.
Every time Rabe went out on errands, he would see devastated and empty streets, where people were hiding in their homes and afraid to go out. The corpses of the soldiers were left untreated, exposed to the streets, their blood staining the ground red, as if they had entered hell.
On December 13, 1937, Nanjing fell. The Japanese right-wingers carried out a brutal three-light policy, burning, killing, and looting, and everywhere they went, rivers of blood flowed, and the city of Nanjing became a purgatory on earth.
Countless Chinese lost their lives during this period and had nowhere to run. However, Rabe stepped up. Although he had long been informed by the German embassy to return home, because of his deep affection for China, he did not want to see the Chinese people suffer, let alone endure the brutality of the Japanese army.
He also expressed his attitude in the newspapers, rejecting the lies. He decided to stay and reveal the truth about it all, so he gave up his chance to return home.
Rabe used his membership as a member of the Nazi Party to travel around offering asylum to refugees. However, even in Rabe's safe zone, the atrocities of the Japanese army did not stop.
Despite this, Rabe remained steadfast in his protection of refugees and showed the brilliance of humanity.
On Rabe's way back, he witnessed a tragic scene of violence by Japanese soldiers. A skinny girl who was dragged into the house by soldiers broke down and cried, and her mother clung to the Japanese soldier's legs and begged him.
However, the Japanese army ruthlessly shot the girl's mother, killing her. Seeing this scene, Rabe immediately rushed forward and loudly rebuked the Japanese army. At that time, he was wearing a German ** uniform and wore a Nazi Party medal on his arm.
Seeing Rabe's outfit, the Japanese knew they couldn't compete with him, so they retreated. Rabe then took the girl back to the safe zone and kept her safe.
Rabe is well aware of the crisis in the security zone, and although he has made great efforts to ensure security, the serious material shortages remain his biggest concern. He traveled everywhere, actively raising food, and even bribed **.
His tireless efforts have finally alleviated the food problem. Rabe single-handedly saved 250,000 Chinese compatriots, known as the people"Living Bodhisattva"。Every night, he could not sleep, fearing a surprise attack by the Japanese army.
He turned on the electric light and recorded what he saw and heard during the day, which became famous in later generations"Rabe's Diary"。
Rabe was forced to return to Germany in 1938, and although he could no longer stay in China, he remained close to the Chinese people. He felt deeply remorseful and could not continue to protect them, which made him feel extremely regretful.
When Rabe left, the people of the security zone burst into tears and could not accept the fact that he was leaving. Immediately after returning to Germany, Rabe wrote a letter to Hitler, which contained evidence of the Nanking Da**, including his diary and **.
However, the letter did not attract Hitler's attention, as Germany was an ally with Japan at the time, and the contents of the letter were thus concealed. Rabe was arrested by the German secret services and placed under house arrest and surveillance.
After the end of World War II, Rabe's life did not improve. Because of his membership in the Nazis, he was arrested by the Soviet Union and the British. It was only after a letter of guarantee from the Chinese side and a large amount of evidence that Rabe was released.
However, he has been struck off from the company, and other large companies are reluctant to hire him. In desperation, he could only engage in manual work, his standard of living was greatly reduced, and he even fell into starvation.
It was not until 1948 that Nanjing** learned of Rabe's plight after returning to China, and ** and the local people spontaneously organized donations. With the consent of Germany**, Rabe finally received a donation of 2,000 US dollars and a large amount of living materials, and his living situation improved.
Nanjing said that if Rabe is willing to come back and help him retire, China's door will always be open to him. Hearing this, Rabe was moved to tears.
Just when people thought that everything was starting to go in a good direction, two years later, John Rabe died of a sudden stroke. His departure made Nanjing ** mourn the city, and people felt extremely sad about the loss of this great benefactor.
In 1997, in order to commemorate his contribution, his tombstone was moved from Berlin to the Nanjing Da** Memorial Hall for preservation. China will always remember Mr. Rabe's help to the Chinese people in those years, and know that the grace of a drop of water should be reciprocated.
So, 82 years later, when Mr. Rabe's descendants encountered difficulties, China** did not hesitate to organize manpower and material resources to help them solve the problem as quickly as possible.
In 2020, when the global pandemic was raging, the demand for masks, anti-epidemic drugs and protective clothing surged around the world, and China was also facing enormous pressure.
However, one day in March, the Chinese embassy received a special **, Thomas Rabe from Germany, the grandson of John Rabe. He said that his family was in quarantine and had already developed symptoms such as fever, but that Germany's protection and medicines** were seriously insufficient, so he asked for help from China**.
After the embassy confirmed the content of the call and verified his identity, he quickly got in touch with Nanjing**. Nanjing** reacted without hesitation, and immediately after a pharmaceutical company learned about the situation, it expressed its willingness to unconditionally donate the required protective clothing and medicines to the German citizen.
In just a few days, Nanjing raised 30,000 masks, 1,000 bottles of anti-epidemic medicines and 300 sets of protective clothing, and chartered a special plane to transport these supplies to Germany.
The embassy staff also drove a special car to personally deliver the supplies to Thomas Rabe to provide them with maximum assistance. After 82 years of watching and helping each other, the Chinese have a deeper sense of gratitude to John Rabe and wish to have a friendship with the Rabe family for a long time.