Visiting the Sugihara house in Kaunas is to show tribute to a diplomate for life. The house don’t looks like a monument for humanity. But as so many other times, the real heroes work in silence knowing that the doing the right thing.
During the second world war Chiune Sugihara 1900-1986 was a Japanese vice-consul in Kaunas Lithuania. While his government had joined up Nazigermany Sugihara took another path. Seeing the many jews who tried to escape from the Nazis he become concerned for their life and freedom. Looking out over Europe Sugihara understood that there was no hope for the jewish refugees in Kaunas. It was mostly a question of time before the Nazigermany would invade Lithuania and send the jewish diaspora to concentration camps.
Saving lives
In 1940 Sugihara disobeyed the Japanese government and started to give out Japanese transit visas thru the Soviet union to Japan for East European jews. He knew that al other ways was closed for them when Italy joined the war at Germanys side. Its hard to know how many visas that was given out. But official records shows that 3448 visas issued in Kaunas was recognized by the Japanese authority between August 1940 and March 1942.
We need to understand that the way between Kaunas and Japan was not an easy route even if you had a visa. It was wartime and many things could happen when you crossed the Soviet Union. Its reasonable ti think that the amount of visas granted by Sugihara was much higher. Some sources estimate the number to 10 000 even if most sources thinks it was much lower. Independent if it was 3500 or 10 000, for those who was saved Sugihara was a hero. Today around 100 000 people are estimated to be alive thanks to Sugiharas brave action.
Legacy
Sugihara ended the war as a war prison but was released by Soviet union in 1946 when he returned back to Japan. Sugihara never returned to diplomatic service and was forced to take more simple jobs to feed his family until he past away in 1986. However as so many times before justice catch up with time. In 1991 the Sugihara family was given a official apology for the unfair treatment he suffered after his return to Japan. This was followed by a commendation speech to restore his honor in 2000.
Today he is usually called the Japanese Schindler for his brave actions. He is also the only Japanese rewarded the title Righteous Among the Nations. Today Sugihara have posthumously been rewarded several recognitions for his work to save life. There is also several streets and squares named afterhim al over the world. He saved lives because the was his fellow humans and made diplomacy for life a reality.
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