How did Raoul Wallenberg save those on the cattle cars who did not have Schutzpasses?
What he gave those he rescued were the Schutzpasses. What he asked for from them were papers anything they could hand him that he could pass off as “proof” that he had given them a Schutzpass. So, when he called all the fictitious names and people started playing his game, he would say, “Well, you must have a Schutzpass that I gave you when you came to the legation.” Those who caught on to the charade would hand him any scrap of paper or ID they had. He then passed off these papers as proof of his having given them a Schutzpass. And, of course, he would say, “I realize that most of you didn’t bring your Schutzpasses (on the way to oblivion), so stop by the legation, and I’ll give you another copy.” Q: Do you know how these Jewish people were able to use these documents once they were rescued from the cattle cars and returned to Budapest? A: Well, they could use them only if they also stayed in one of the protected houses. Otherwise, they weren’t worth the parchment they were written on
