The Unlikely Protector: A German in Wartime China

In December 1937, as Japanese forces descended upon Nanjing, a scene unfolded that would become emblematic of both humanity’s darkest impulses and its brightest courage. A Chinese mother and daughter, trembling with fear, encountered a squad of Japanese soldiers on Xiaofenqiao Road. Just as the soldiers began dragging the young woman away, a German man in full military regalia intervened – his Nazi armband giving pause to the aggressors. This was John Rabe, the man who would become known as “the living Buddha of Nanjing” to those he saved.

Rabe’s unlikely role as protector stemmed from his deep connection to China. Born in Hamburg in 1882, he arrived in 1908 as a Siemens representative, helping establish China’s first telecommunications systems. By 1931, he had settled in Nanjing as head of Siemens’ local office, becoming so integrated that he considered China his second home. His residence at 1 Xiaofenqiao Lane would later transform from a typical expat home into a sanctuary for hundreds.

The Descent Into Hell: Nanjing Under Occupation

When Japanese forces captured Nanjing on December 13, 1937, the city became the stage for what historians now recognize as one of history’s worst wartime atrocities. Rabe’s diaries provide chilling firsthand accounts:

“Every 100-200 meters, our car would drive over corpses… mostly civilians shot in the back while fleeing.” (December 14, 1937)

“Near the city gates, corpses piled like small mountains… executions were happening everywhere.” (December 16, 1937)

“In one pond alone we found 30 bodies, most with hands tied, some with stones tied to their necks.” (December 22, 1937)

As chairman of the International Safety Zone Committee, Rabe worked with other foreigners to establish a 3.86 square kilometer refuge. Initially expecting order under Japanese control, they soon witnessed systematic rape, murder, and pillage. Japanese soldiers regularly stormed the safety zone, including the Ginling Women’s College, dragging away women for sexual violence. When Rabe secured protection for 1,000 surrendered Chinese soldiers, Japanese forces bound and executed them en masse.

The Nazi Who Became a Savior

Rabe’s Nazi affiliation – normally a mark of infamy – became an unlikely tool for protection. He strategically wore his uniform and swastika armband when confronting Japanese soldiers. His home at 1 Xiaofenqiao Lane became a microcosm of the larger safety zone:

– Sheltered over 600 refugees in his yard’s makeshift shelters
– Provided daily rice rations and medicinal turnips
– Gave cash gifts for newborns ($10 for boys, $9.50 for girls)
– Personally intervened in countless assaults

Survivor Tang Ying recalled how Rabe forced Japanese soldiers to exit the way they came – climbing back over walls rather than using gates, preserving some dignity for victims. Another, Li Shizhen, credited Rabe with saving an entire extended family of 37 from execution.

The Limits of One Man’s Courage

Despite heroic efforts, Rabe faced constant frustration. His detailed protest letters to Japanese commanders received only perfunctory responses. When he returned to Germany in 1938, he smuggled out a Chinese pilot disguised as a servant and attempted to alert Hitler to the atrocities. This backfired spectacularly – the Gestapo confiscated his documentary evidence and silenced him.

Postwar, Rabe suffered for his Nazi membership despite having joined primarily for business reasons. Imprisoned by both Soviets and British, then destitute after Siemens terminated him, he worked 12-hour days as a laborer. Yet Nanjing never forgot him. Former refugees organized food parcels, and the Nationalist government offered lifetime housing in China.

A Complicated Legacy Remembered

Rabe died in obscurity in 1950. His Berlin grave was nearly lost until 2005, when Chinese students funded a memorial. In 2013, Nanjing contributed 1.05 million yuan to restore his tombstone. Today, his former residence stands as a museum, while historians debate how to reconcile his Nazi affiliation with his humanitarian acts.

Like Oskar Schindler, Rabe proves that heroism can emerge from unexpected places. His story reminds us that individual courage can shine even in history’s darkest hours, and that simple human decency sometimes wears surprising disguises. The 600+ lives he directly saved, and countless others indirectly protected through the safety zone, form a legacy that transcends political labels.