The Legacy of Hermann Graebe “If you can’t feed a hundred people, feed just one.” – Mother Teresa. You don’t necessarily have to save thousands of people in order to be recognized as an upstander, or even a hero. Sometimes you can save just one person, or do one little thing to be an upstander. Hermann Graebe is considered an upstander of the Holocaust because he helped roughly 100+ Jews during WWII, when it was forbidden. To start off with this man’s life, he came from a rather poor family. Hermann Graebe was born in a small German town known as Gräfrath. Living in a small town, very pleasant, however, you did not earn as much money as urban area businesses. (HFG). His parents held on with low-wage jobs. Hermann’s father was a weaver, and …show more content…
To start WWII for him, he was sent to jail. Graebe spoke up against the Nazi Party for their unfair treatment to Jews. (Graebe). Fortunately, he was released months later without trial. (Graebe). Hermann Graebe was one of the few of the non-Jewish Germans who actually helped Jews. His motivations to do this was his eye witness to how German Nazis and Ukrainians treated Jews. (HFG). This caused him to be internally angry. Nobody, who didn’t do anything wrong, deserves that! His new intention was to save as many Jews that were in need. (HFG). Graebe’s way of aiding the Jews was modest, but at the same time extravagant. He provided medical care and fake IDs to keep the Jews alive. This prevented the Nazis and / or Gestapo from abducting them to concentration camps and from being too suspicious. (Cook). For all we know, he gave medicine to homeless Jews and possibly gave them sanctuary. He rescued approximately 100+ Jews from Nazi Pogom. (Cook.) Perhaps he also provided transmit visas for the Jewish to escape Germany / Europe (Cook). Hermann Graebe may not have saved or helped all of the Jew population from WWII, but he did rescue about a hundred people, which is around the amount of all staff members in a school. Saving some people is better than saving …show more content…
In 1934 (approaching the start of the war), Graebe criticized the Nazi Campaign. It didn’t take long for him to be arrested for protesting against the Nazi Party. (HFG). Luckily, there was no lawsuit against him so he was released. (HFG). This man has successfully saved 100+ Jews. His attention to the medical needs of Jews was so thoughtful. The fact that he gave as many Jews as possible fake IDs and transmit visas was very lovely of him. In return for his caring acts, Hermann Graebe received a Righteous among Nations