On January 17th, Raoul Wallenberg Day, we invite you to attend a virtual screening of the film “Passage to Sweden.” Organised in partnership by the Montreal Holocaust Museum and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, the film will be accessible between January 17 and 19. Participants are invited to register online.
- Screening of “Passage to Sweden”
- Available between January 17 and 19
- Free registration required (Donations to the film are encouraged)
- Film in English with French subtitles
About the Film
Rescue & Escape – Passage To Sweden tells the lesser-known story of events occurring in Scandinavia and Budapest during WWII. It focuses on the heroic actions of ordinary people who saved the lives of thousands of Jews and fellow countrymen.
Between 1940-1945 the sheer luck of where you were living made a world of difference to the Jews of Scandinavia. For unique political and geographic reasons, the Scandinavian Jews of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark had very different experiences. During the German occupation, Jews were rounded up and sent to concentration camps. Defying the occupying German forces, and protecting fellow citizens, spontaneous and dramatic rescue operations were conducted to save thousands of Jewish lives. First hand personal accounts also convey the extraordinary ways Swedish diplomats leveraged their political position to save Jews from within Hungary and Germany.
Special attention is paid to the Norwegian resistance, the citizens of Denmark, the Swedish Red Cross, Raoul Wallenberg, and Count Folke Bernadotte. Risking their own lives, their selfless acts of courage and compassion is a powerful example of how anyone can make a difference.
About Raoul Wallenberg Day
“Working as a Swedish diplomat in Budapest, Mr. Wallenberg conducted one of the most extensive and successful rescue efforts during the Second World War. Shortly after his arrival in Hungary in July 1944, he issued special protective passports – Schutz-Passes – to thousands of Jews, giving them diplomatic immunity and saving them from deportation to death camps. Under increasingly dangerous circumstances, Mr. Wallenberg also established dozens of safe houses that served as hideouts for Jews fleeing persecution, which were operating under the protection of the Swedish flag. His commitment to this humanitarian cause did not end there – he went on to organize a network of hospitals, soup kitchens, and orphanages that provided Jews with safety and security in Nazi-occupied Hungary in 1944 and the beginning of 1945.”
“Over the course of six months, Mr. Wallenberg saved more Jews from the Holocaust than any other individual, group, or government. Tragically, he disappeared in 1945, following his arrest by Soviet forces toward the end of the war. While his fate remains unknown, Mr. Wallenberg’s legacy lives on through the stories of survivors and lives saved, and the several monuments, institutions, awards, and honours around the world that now bear his name. In 1985, the Government of Canada named Mr. Wallenberg its first honorary citizen, and in 2001, designated January 17 – the day of his disappearance in 1945 – as Raoul Wallenberg Day to ensure that his personal example of heroism, courage, and decency is always remembered. In addition, at the Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism on October 13, 2021, the Government of Canada pledged to use the legacy of Raoul Wallenberg as an inspirational role model to educate and raise awareness about the Holocaust and antisemitism in Canada.” (Government of Canada)
Reserve your free ticket
