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 In
October of 1981 Raoul Wallenberg was recognized by the United States
with honorary citizenship, an honor only given to one other person before,
Winston Churchill. In 1985 Raoul Wallenberg was made an honorary citizen
of Canada, Israel in 1986 and Budapest in 2003.
The resolution of the honorary citizenship of the United States was
presented by Congressman Tom Lantos, who was one of those saved from
the Nazi camps by Wallenberg. Lantos said, “If Raoul Wallenberg
is alive, the resolution will give our State Department the legal basis
it has lacked so far to pursue the case of the ultimate American hostage.
Should Raul not be alive,” he continued, “which is a distinct
possibility, the Congress of the United States and the American people
will not only have honored this man, but we will have honored ourselves
and our profound commitment to human rights.”
After years of setbacks in regards to the Wallenberg case, Congressman
and Mrs. Lantos, who also owe her life to Raoul Wallenberg, had several
breakthroughs the summer of 1979. First with the help of Wallenberg’s
half sister, Nina Lagergren, Mrs. Lantos spent the summer going from
office to office in Congress to gain support for their cause. Another
came with a news conference of the American Jewish Committee held in
New York in August, presenting an opportunity to make the story public.
Finally, Mrs. Lantos was able to speak to President Carter during a
radio broadcast, putting Wallenberg’s story on the political agenda,
and resulting in Reagan’s signing of the passed resolution in
October 1981.
In 2003, on the 17th of November Raoul Wallenberg was declared an honorary
citizen of Budapest. "I bow my head in front of someone who showed
how to behave in times of peril," said Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy
at a ceremony by a statue of Wallenberg in Budapest, overlooking the
Danube river.
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