Chinese people commemorate Rabe because he has a great love for life as well as the pursuit of peace. ——Xi Jinping

November 23, 1882 saw the birth of an international hero in Hamburg, Germany. He was John H. D. Rabe, who later served as the senior representative of the German Siemens Corporation in China in the early 20th century.

“Return the world to man, and return man to himself.” This basic concept of humanitarianism that had enlightened innumerable souls also framed Rabe’s worldview. He came to China in 1908, and worked as a representative of Siemens Corporation in Beijing, Tianjin, and Nanjing consecutively from 1911 to 1938. Living and working in China for nearly three decades, John Rabe formed a profound friendship with the Chinese people.

In 1937, on the eve of the Japanese siege of Nanjing city, Rabe was elected Chairman of the International Committee for the Nanjing Safety Zone. And after the Japanese seizure of Nanjing on December 13th, the city sank into a black abyss of torture and terror. He made use of his Nazi membership credentials and accommodated over 600 Chinese refugees in his house. Rabe, together with a dozen of other international committee members, saved the lives of more than 250,000 Chinese people within the Safety Zone, an area that was in his charge and was no larger than 4 km2. It was in this two-storey brick building he rented that Rabe wrote down what later became known as The Diaries of John Rabe.

In the spring of 1938, after he got back to Germany, Rabe gave several public speeches in Berlin to expose the atrocities committed by the Japanese troops in Nanjing, and was consequently persecuted by the Gestapo.  

After World War II ended in 1945, Rabe was treated unfairly because of his   Nazi membership. In those days of his depression, the people of Nanjing sponsored donations in his name and sent him money and food. The gratitude shown by the people of Nanjing warmed the man’s heart and encouraged him to live on. 

In 1950, John Rabe died of a stroke in Berlin.

 It was not until 1996, almost half a century later, did John Rabe, “the Schindler of China.” make his way through the mist of history and came forward to clear his name. His diaries were open to the public, his former residence at No.1 Xiaofenqiao was checked and confirmed, and his tombstone was moved to Nanjing. Former refugees who had been rescued by him expressed overflowing gratitude that came from the depth of their hearts. Now, his former residence has been turned into a place that fosters humanitarianism and promotes world peace. The people of China will always remember him as a warrior fighting for peace.