Sharing scarce resources with those in hiding was an additional sacrifice on the part of the rescuer. Despite the risks, thousands followed the dictates of conscience. Map showing the rescue of Danish Jews in the fall of 1943. Better known rescuers include Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who led the effort that saved 100,000 Hungarian Jews in 1944. Another rescuer, Oscar Schindler, saved over 1,000 Polish Jews from their deaths.
Thousands more remain unrecognized.
Visit the Rescuers page of the People section for more information about rescuers and Web links to many individual accounts. The Holocaust Heroes Website is an ongoing effort to document the rescue of Jews by church groups. Varian Fry was an American who went to France on behalf of the Emergency Rescue Committee with the mission of rescuing artists, writers, academics, and others at risk. Map showing rescue and escape from German-occupied Europe in 1942. Visit the Rescue Literature page of the Arts section for an annotated bibliography of recommended works.