Sue's purchases and travels

I attended a luncheon yesterday hosted by the Swedish American Cultural Union. The speaker was a gentleman who, as a young boy, had been rescued by Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat, who saved thousands of Hungarian Jews in Budapest. The talk was riveting, as these things always are, but even more fascinating were the items he brought along. He had spent a long while hiding in the basement of a Christian Aunt and he had two small pieces of crewel work embroidery that he had done while with her. He had the yellow stars that he and his mother were forced to wear when in public. He had the Swedish papers that saved him from a death march. He was a calm, even humorous man as he spoke of this horrendous time in his life. So many of his sentences ended with..."and he was never seen again..." It was a privilege to hear his story especially as so many of the survivors pass away. It is difficult to think of the cruelty of man, yet important to do so. We also need to rejoice in the bravery of men such as Raoul Wallenberg...who, after the Soviets arrived, was never seen again...

Labels: Swedish Antiques