John Rabe, a good German in Nanking
First time I came in contact with the name of John Rabe was during my studies in Nanking . When I arrived there in september 1997 the bookshops were full of people, all want to buy only one book: "The Diary of John Rabe".
At that time I didn't know, who had been this man called Rabe. Later my chinese friend told me, that the German businessman Rabe had been a member of the Nazi Party who lived in China for many years, working there for his German company, - and that he - and that is the interesting point - saved thousands of Chinese from being murdered.
During the Nanking Massacre in 1937-1938 he created in corporation with American missionaries the International Comitee for the Nanking Safety Zone.
This zone gave the Chinese civilians protection against murdering, raping, burning and many other acts of ferocitiy and depravity committed through the occupying japanese forces.
With diplomatic hints to his party spirit
Rabe managed to save thousands of chinese
lives and to be remembered by the Chinese
as "Living Buddha".
I found different books about John Rabe in Nanking , and so I decided to start researching and finding out how Chinese intellectuals, writers, survivors of the Nanking Massacre and common people think about John Rabe.
Again, I travelled to Nanking , where I received a lot of support from my friends and also from numerous people at the "Nanking Massacre Memorial Hall", whom I would like to express my gratitude to as well. I got the opportunity to meet four survivors of the Nanking Massacre and interview them. With enough material collected, I returned to Germany and wrote this essay.
After graduating university in 2002, I published a book about John Rabe in Germany (Original title: "John Rabe und seine Rezeption in China" - The way John Rabe is perceived in China).
The book in German language can be ordered from Shaker Verlag, Germany.
For more information have a look at the Homepage of
John Rabe Communication Center in Heidelberg.
Contact