During Lutz’s time in the mandatory power, an American newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri, where the diplomat had once lived printed a full-page article describing his new position on the other side of the world. In the final paragraphs of the piece, the author wrote, “In the consular service, one never knows where he may be sent next.” The sentence rings with unintended prescience. Lutz’s succeeding appointment, which was influenced by his experiences in the United States and in Palestine, would be his most consequential.
In 1942, Lutz was transferred to Budapest. Following the Nazi invasion in March of 1944, Lutz recalled the protective papers he used to assist German Jews in Palestine and determined that they could be utilized to protect Hungarian Jews. While it was unlikely that anyone could find a way from Budapest to Palestine in the chaos and terror of 1944, those holding the protective papers were considered under Swiss protection and mostly exempt from the dictates of the “Final Solution,” including deportation to camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau. Lutz was able to procure 7,000-8,000 protective “units” and launched a complex system of negotiations to ensure their approval by relevant ruling authorities. He soon realized that his efforts would be for naught if he did not ensure the Nazi forces governing Hungary would honor them. He scheduled a meeting with a Nazi official who had just arrived in Budapest – Adolf Eichmann.
Eichmann was a bit taken aback by the request from the well-dressed, albeit introverted diplomat. He even used their initial meeting as an opportunity to mock Lutz, comparing him to Moses attempting to rescue his people. However, Eichmann did pass the request on. Soon after, Lutz received word that the protective papers would be authorized by Germany, in part out of respect for Lutz’s previous work in Palestine.
Lutz immediately launched a plan to rescue far more than 7,000-8,000 people. While Eichmann assumed that the “units” the Swiss diplomat requested meant individuals, Lutz determined that “units” meant “families,” thereby increasing the number of people he would be able to protect. Immediately, he began to disseminate the papers throughout Budapest. Forged Swiss protective documents also began to appear in the city, but Lutz looked the other way. He also placed 76 buildings under Swiss diplomatic protection, where he was able to house thousands of Hungarian Jews who had lost their homes and property. Lutz frequently stepped in to rescue individual Hungarian Jews, once jumping in the Danube River to rescue a Jewish woman shot by fascist militia.
In December, Lutz, his wife, and his staff took shelter in the basement of the British Embassy, which he was legally required to protect as part of his diplomatic duties. Outside, the Siege of Budapest raged. In early 1945, after spending two months in a cramped basement, the group was finally liberated. After returning to Switzerland, Lutz wrote reports about his work in Budapest, but the only initial reaction he received was about his expense report: A finance official contacted him complaining about a glass of orange juice he had ordered for breakfast in Istanbul—his first stop after escaping the hell of Budapest.
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Carl Lutz and Hans Steiner in Budapest. FORTEPAN / Archiv für Zeitgeschichte ETH Zürich / Agnes Hirschi