us-005578-irn720330
type: RecordSet
biographical history: Charles (Carl) Lutz (1895-1975) was the Swiss vice-consul in Budapest between 1942 and 1945. Born in Walzenhausen, Switzerland, Lutz moved to the United States in 1913 at the age of 18. While studying at the George Washington University, he joined the Swiss diplomatic service and became chancellor at the Swiss legation in Washington, D.C. In 1935, Lutz was sent to Palestine, where he was appointed vice-consul at the Swiss consulate in Jaffa. On January 2, 1942, Lutz was reassigned to the Swiss consulate in Budapest, where he was appointed Chief of the Department of Foreign Interests of the Swiss legation.There he represented the interests of the U.S., Great Britain and twelve other countries that had severed formal relations with Hungary because of its alliance with Nazi Germany. In his capacity as neutral Swiss representative of British interests in Hungary, Lutz organized the issuing of Palestine certificates (endorsed by the British authorities), to Jews seeking to escape from Hungary. Lutz also pioneered the use of the Schutzbrief, an official letter issued by the legation to protect the young emigrants from being drafted into the Hungarian labor service and later from deportation while they awaited passage to Palestine. Soon after the German takeover of Hungary in March 1944, Lutz placed the staff of the Jewish Council for Palestine in Budapest under his diplomatic protection and renamed it the Department of Emigration of the Swiss Legation. This department was soon moved to the Glass House on Vadasz Street and ultimately became a refuge for more than 4,000 Budapest Jews. At this time Lutz also began to issue new Schutzbriefe (eventually numbering more than 50,000) to Jews waiting to leave for Palestine. When Hungarian and German authorities initiated the ghettoization of Budapest Jewry, Lutz established 76 safe houses in the Saint Stephen ghetto and put them under his diplomatic protection. In addition to being repeatedly compelled to rush out to stop Arrow Cr…
date: circa 1935
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 2
has or had identifier: 1
has or had some members with language: Silent
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn720330
note: The Carl Lutz films are available online at the Archiv für Zeitgeschichte catalog: https://www.archives-quickaccess.ch/search/35.
scope and content: Three short/complied films collected or made by Carl Lutz: Nr. 334 Kurzfilme zu Palästina und der Schweiz [1935 to1956] (01:06:11) Nr. 335 St. Moritz (Wintersport) [ca. 1928] (00:15:06) [videotape only; this film wasn't shot by Carl Lutz] Nr. 336 USA (Washington DC, New York) [1930s] (00:13:38) [videotape made around 1990 - the film version is now missing at source archive] Detailed description of Film Nr. 336: Women sit in reclining chairs on the deck of the Conte di Savoia. A group, mostly children, poses by the ship’s railing and waves. Title card reads: “Wir passieren die Azoreninseln, wenig bevolkert, bekannt als Zwischenlandungsplatz fur Postflieger der südlichen Atlantik Route.” (Trans. “We pass through the Azores islands, sparsely populated, known as a layover place for mail pilots of the southern Atlantic route.”) Shots of the Azores islands from the ship. Title card reads: “Wir nahern uns Gibraltar, der grössten englischen Seefestung, Berührungspunkt Europas und Afrikas. Sudfruchtehandler bieten den Fahrgästen an langen Seilen Früchtekörbchen zum Kaufe an.” (Trans. “We approach Gibraltar, the largest English naval fortress, the point of contact of Europe and Africa. Fruit traders offer the passengers fruit baskets on long ropes to buy.”) Shots of Gibraltar from the ship. Small rowboats next to the ship. View of sailors on rope pulleys cleaning the ship’s smokestacks. A sign reads “Riservato al comando.” A lifebuoy reads “Rex Genova.” View of waves in the ship’s wake from the side railing. A group of sailors in dark uniforms onboard. More shots of the sailors. Carl Lutz and his wife look out over the ship’s railing. Title card reads: “Neapel. Wir fahren bis in die Stadt hinein. Vesuv.” (Trans. “Naples. We drive into the city. Vesuvius.”) View of the crowded ship deck as it approaches the harbor. A figure waves frantically. A crowd gathers on the dock of the harbor. People disembark the ship, carrying luggage. View of the ship from the dock. Little boy rides…
title: Compiled short films by Carl Lutz