Oral History

Agnes Mandl Adachi describes rescue activity on the banks of the Danube River and the role of Raoul Wallenberg

Agnes was in Switzerland in 1939 to study French. She returned to Budapest in 1940. After the Germans occupied Hungary in 1944, Agnes was given refuge in the Swedish embassy. She then began to work for Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg in his efforts to save the Jews of Budapest, including the distribution of protective passes (Schutzpaesse). When the Soviets entered Budapest, Agnes decided to go to Romania. After the war, she went to Sweden and Australia before moving to the United States.

Transcript

Critical Thinking Questions

How do oral histories differ from other primary sources such as artifacts, documents, and photographs? What can we learn from different types of primary sources?

Explore the motives and pressures that led individuals to abandon their fellow human beings—or to make the choice to help.

What questions does this eyewitness testimony raise for you?


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  • US Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection
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