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an old document with a red stamp on it
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256 - Judaica Letter of protection from the Swiss Legation in Buda…
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Estimate €400 - €600
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Description
Judaica Letter of protection from the Swiss Legation in Budapest, headed by Carl Lutz, one of the ‘Righteous Among the Nations’. Budapest, 23 October 1944. A typewritten, two-column letter of protection, in German on the left and Hungarian on the right, on the letterhead of the Swiss Legation, Department for Foreign Interests (Emigration Department), V., Vadász-utca 29. The letter bears the reference number “4196/LXXXII – 1944”, the red round stamp of the Swiss Legation in Budapest and a handwritten initial. The letterhead appears above the coat of arms featuring the Swiss cross. The Swiss Legation certifies that “Ludwig Schmidt and his wife” (Hungarian: “Schmidt Lajos és felesége”) are registered in the Swiss collective passport for emigration. The persons named are therefore to be regarded as holders of a valid passport. - The Department for Foreign Interests was headed from 1942 to 1945 by Vice-Consul Carl Lutz (1895–1975). It represented the interests of twelve belligerent states in Budapest. Following the German occupation of Hungary in March 1944, Lutz obtained permission to issue letters of protection for emigration to Palestine. He interpreted the authorised 8,000 ‘units’ as families and thus issued tens of thousands of additional letters. The names of the letter holders were entered into collective passports, which were issued from July 1944 onwards. This letter forms part of that protection scheme. Proof of entry in the collective passport was intended to protect its holders from persecution and deportation. Depending on the source, Lutz is credited with saving around 62,000 people. The exact figure is not certain. Yad Vashem honoured him in 1964/65 as one of the ‘Righteous Among the Nations’. – Folded twice. Protective Letter Issued by the Swiss Legation in Budapest, Operating under the Direction of Righteous Among the Nations Carl Lutz – 1944 Budapest, 23 October 1944. Typewritten two-column protective letter, in German on the left and Hungarian on the right. It is on the letterhead of the Swiss Legation, Department of Foreign Interests (Emigration Section), V., Vadász utca 29. The letter bears the file number “4196/LXXXII – 1944”, the red circular stamp of the Swiss Legation in Budapest, and a handwritten initial. The letterhead appears above the coat of arms featuring the Swiss cross. The sheet has been folded twice. The Swiss Legation certifies that “Ludwig Schmidt and his wife” (Hungarian: “Schmidt Lajos és felesége”) are listed in the Swiss collective passport for emigration. The persons named are therefore to be regarded as holders of a valid travel passport. The Department of Foreign Interests was headed from 1942 to 1945 by Vice-Consul Carl Lutz (1895–1975). In Budapest, it represented the interests of twelve belligerent states. Following the German occupation of Hungary in March 1944, Lutz obtained permission to issue letters of protection for emigration to Palestine. He interpreted the approved 8,000 ‘units’ as families, and thus issued tens of thousands of additional letters. The names of the letter holders were entered in collective passports, which were issued from July 1944. This letter forms part of that protection scheme. Such entries in the collective passport were intended to shield their holders from persecution and deportation. Depending on the source, around 62,000 people are credited to Lutz for having been rescued. The exact number has not been definitively established. Yad Vashem honoured him in 1964/65 as one of the ‘Righteous Among the Nations’. This lot is subject to standard tax. A 24.95% buyer’s premium is payable on the hammer price, and 7% (Books and Art) or 19% VAT (Manuscripts, Screenprints, Offset Prints, Photographs) is payable on the final invoice amount within the European Union. This lot is subject to the standard tax regime. A 24.95% buyer’s premium applies to the hammer price, and 7% (books and art) or 19% VAT (manuscripts, screen prints, offset prints and photographs) applies to the final invoice amount within the European Union.
See original version (German)
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About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
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