The former residence of John D. Rabe, who saved the lives of
thousands of Chinese during World War II, opened to the
public in Nanjing in Tuesday after being renovated.
The weather-worn house will serve as the twin "John Rabe and
International Safety Zone Memorial Hall" and "John Rabe
International Research and Exchange Center for Peace and
Reconciliation", according to Zhang Rong, vice president of Nanjing
University. Zhang also called it a platform not only to commemorate
Mr. Rabe, but to serve research on world peace and cultural
exchanges.
Dr. Wolfgang Rohr, German Consul-General in Shanghai, said, "It
is with respect and humility that we view the achievements of John
Rabe. We may rightfully be proud of a German who became a citizen
of Nanjing and stayed on in difficult times to help protect his
Chinese friends."
Rabe, as Siemens' business representative in Nanjing from 1932
to 1938, lived in the three-story house at No.1 Xiaofenqiao in
downtown Nanjing.
The house, one of 25 Nanjing Safety Zones, served as a refugee
shelter during World War II had saved over 600 Nanjing
refugees in 1937 when the Japanese army occupied the city and
slaughtered over 300,000 people.
As president of the Nanjing Safety Zones, Rabe is believed to
have saved thousands more, but no precise official statistics
exist. He recorded the atrocities committed by the Japanese troops,
atrocities he witnessed on a daily basis, in the "Rabe's Diary"
from September 1937 to February 1938.
Zhang Rong said that over 1,000 historical materials, photos,
and more than 800 copies of original "Rabe's Diary" donated by the
German Foreign Ministry, Rabe's relatives and other places in China
have been put on display in the house.
Zhang added that to begin with, the house will also showcase
over 300 pictures, 50 objects and four video documentaries.
"By renovating Rabe's former residence, we sincerely hope to
promote Sino-German friendship," said Prof. Dr. Klaus Wucherer,
member of the Corporate Executive Committee of Siemens AG. The
company contributed a major part of the renovation funds which
totaled 2.25 million yuan (US$285,500).
(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2006)
