Valdemar Langlet was a Swedish publisher, and an early Esperantist. With his wife Nina Borovko-Langlet in Budapest, he is credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews from the Holocaust, by providing Swedish documents saying that people were waiting for Swedish nationality. Raoul Wallenberg was inspired by Langlet and used the same method to save Jewish people when he came to Budapest.
In 1899, he married a Finnish esperantist Signe Blomberg from Turku. After her death in 1921, he met Nina Borovko, the daughter of Nikolai Afrikanovich Borovko, a friend and a pioneering Esperantist in Russia. In 1925, Valdemar and Nina married.
In 1932, Langlet was hired by the University of Budapest, where he served as lecturer on the Swedish language. At the same time, he worked as an officer in the Swedish Embassy in Budapest. Together with his wife Nina, he initiated humanitarian work under the protection of the Swedish Red Cross, of which he was head.
Although he did not have the right to act without sanction of the Swedish authorities in Stockholm, he set up a special protective unit of the embassy, and afterwards in his home office. In the name of the Swedish Red Cross he started to publish printed verification documents attesting Swedish citizanship and because of that, the person carrying it was under "special Swedish protection."
After the war, he and his wife, Nina, returned home to Sweden, destitute and ill, having exhausted their health and funds helping rescue tens of thousands of Jewish people. Although he has a School in Budapest named in his honor, and was named by Yad Vashem in Israel as "Righteous Among The Nations," his work remains unknown in his native country.
In 1899, he married a Finnish esperantist Signe Blomberg from Turku. After her death in 1921, he met Nina Borovko, the daughter of Nikolai Afrikanovich Borovko, a friend and a pioneering Esperantist in Russia. In 1925, Valdemar and Nina married.
In 1932, Langlet was hired by the University of Budapest, where he served as lecturer on the Swedish language. At the same time, he worked as an officer in the Swedish Embassy in Budapest. Together with his wife Nina, he initiated humanitarian work under the protection of the Swedish Red Cross, of which he was head.
Although he did not have the right to act without sanction of the Swedish authorities in Stockholm, he set up a special protective unit of the embassy, and afterwards in his home office. In the name of the Swedish Red Cross he started to publish printed verification documents attesting Swedish citizanship and because of that, the person carrying it was under "special Swedish protection."
After the war, he and his wife, Nina, returned home to Sweden, destitute and ill, having exhausted their health and funds helping rescue tens of thousands of Jewish people. Although he has a School in Budapest named in his honor, and was named by Yad Vashem in Israel as "Righteous Among The Nations," his work remains unknown in his native country.
Valdemar Langlet was a Swedish publisher, and an early Esperantist. With his wife Nina Borovko-Langlet in Budapest, he is credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews from the Holocaust, by providing Swedish documents saying that people were waiting for Swedish nationality. Raoul Wallenberg was inspired by Langlet and used the same method to save Jewish people when he came to Budapest.
In 1899, he married a Finnish esperantist Signe Blomberg from Turku. After her death in 1921, he met Nina Borovko, the daughter of Nikolai Afrikanovich Borovko, a friend and a pioneering Esperantist in Russia. In 1925, Valdemar and Nina married.
In 1932, Langlet was hired by the University of Budapest, where he served as lecturer on the Swedish language. At the same time, he worked as an officer in the Swedish Embassy in Budapest. Together with his wife Nina, he initiated humanitarian work under the protection of the Swedish Red Cross, of which he was head.
Although he did not have the right to act without sanction of the Swedish authorities in Stockholm, he set up a special protective unit of the embassy, and afterwards in his home office. In the name of the Swedish Red Cross he started to publish printed verification documents attesting Swedish citizanship and because of that, the person carrying it was under "special Swedish protection."
After the war, he and his wife, Nina, returned home to Sweden, destitute and ill, having exhausted their health and funds helping rescue tens of thousands of Jewish people. Although he has a School in Budapest named in his honor, and was named by Yad Vashem in Israel as "Righteous Among The Nations," his work remains unknown in his native country.
In 1899, he married a Finnish esperantist Signe Blomberg from Turku. After her death in 1921, he met Nina Borovko, the daughter of Nikolai Afrikanovich Borovko, a friend and a pioneering Esperantist in Russia. In 1925, Valdemar and Nina married.
In 1932, Langlet was hired by the University of Budapest, where he served as lecturer on the Swedish language. At the same time, he worked as an officer in the Swedish Embassy in Budapest. Together with his wife Nina, he initiated humanitarian work under the protection of the Swedish Red Cross, of which he was head.
Although he did not have the right to act without sanction of the Swedish authorities in Stockholm, he set up a special protective unit of the embassy, and afterwards in his home office. In the name of the Swedish Red Cross he started to publish printed verification documents attesting Swedish citizanship and because of that, the person carrying it was under "special Swedish protection."
After the war, he and his wife, Nina, returned home to Sweden, destitute and ill, having exhausted their health and funds helping rescue tens of thousands of Jewish people. Although he has a School in Budapest named in his honor, and was named by Yad Vashem in Israel as "Righteous Among The Nations," his work remains unknown in his native country.
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