In 1930, barely 18 years old and having graduated from a Business School, Gertrud Fankhauser, emigrated to the United States. At the Swiss consulate in Louisiana, she finds not only a job but also a husband, the diplomat Carl Lutz. It is an association between two people who prefer to undertake rather than talk or look away.

The following are quotes from Theo Tschuy’s book: Tschuy Theo, (2002) Dangerous diplomacy; The story of Carl Lutz Rescuer of 62,000 Hungarian Jews; Wm.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

The book is mainly about her husband, Carl Lutz. I strongly recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand the events in Budapest. Despite its thorough content, it is an easy read. It is the primary book I suggested to my grandson, Aaron, before he undertook his research trip to Hungary in June 2023.

Before Budapest: Gertrud in Palestine

“Lutz remembered how some years earlier, after the outbreak of the war in 1939, when he was Swiss consular agent in Palestine, Gertrud had unabashedly called on the British High Commissioner in Jerusalem, without telling him, her husband. She, still in her 20s, told the top official for Palestine that she had discovered a concentration camp in Bethlehem, of all places, filled with the Arab wives of German settlers and their children. Their husbands had been drafted into the German army or were prisoners of war by the British. Babies have been born in the camp, and the hygienic conditions were appalling. Meekly, the High Commissioner objected that there might be spies among these women. This was why he had them locked up. Nonsense, Gertrud said, what did women know about military things? And how about the babies, were they spies, too? She did not leave the high commissioner’s office until he had given her the assurance that the camp would be dissolved. When? she asked. Promptly. A few days later, she turned up in Bethlehem again. The high commissioner had kept his word.” (Tschuy, p21)

Gertrud and Carl Lutz in Budapest

Carl Lutz was the Swiss Vice-Consul in Budapest, Hungary, from 1942 until the end of World War II. Their residence was in the former British legation on Verböcsy Street in old Buda, and the administrative consular offices were in the former American legation on Freedom Square in Pest. This geographic separation between the offices and the residence had special significance during the Battle of Budapest.

“… when years later, a journalist, asked Gertrud Lutz — Carl was already dead – at what moment she and her husband had learned the truth about the systematic killing of Jews, she admitted in all honesty that it was not until 1944, that both she and her husband realized the full extent of the disaster.” (Tschuy, p53)

Meeting Gertrud Lutz in Budapest

“…the young Slovak [Rafi Friedl] had reached the vast expanse of Freedom Square when he noted an unusual scene near the former American legation. Despite the early hour several dozen men, women, and children were anxiously pushing toward the main entry. They were loudly arguing with two consular employees, who blocked their way. These people were obviously Jews because Rafi heard them say that they were afraid and wanted the consul to get them out of Hungary.” (Tschuy, p8)

When finally Rafi met with Carl Lutz and others concerned by the fate of Jews, “Gertrud Lutz did not hesitate to join the conversation. She wanted an answer to an even more immediate problem, she said. What was to be done with the people waiting outside, especially the women and children? Some had been there since the day before. They could catch pneumonia. She had been told that many Jews were expelled from their apartments. More would doubtless arrive. They would be getting hungrier as the day wore on, and their meager supplies were eaten up. … his [Carl’s] hesitation seemed to nettle Gertrud. She said she would go downstairs in order to see what she could do.” (Tschuy, p12)

Later, she had, on her own authority, started to take women and their children and some old people inside. They would've died out there, she said to her surprised husband. Besides, one never knew what those fellows [referring to the police] would do. She added that she was sure he would approve. The kitchen in the basement was providing warm milk and food. Lutz looked around. There were people sleeping or resting alongside the walls. Gertrud said she had found more space for them in the hallways. She was sure that their presence would not disturb the normal operations of the consulate.

”Normal operations, thought Lutz, what were they, when thousands of human beings were threatened by death? He was astonished, though perhaps he shouldn't be, to see his wife, doing the obvious, while he and the minister, their colleagues, and probably the whole diplomatic corps in Budapest were debating what acts could be interpreted as interference in the international affairs of the host country, what exactly constituted, extra-territoriality, and how, according to international law, human rights ought, — perhaps – to be protected. With her straightforward finesse, Gertrude looked people in the eye, acted, and raised legal niceties later. It was as simple as that.” (Tschuy, p21)

During the process of trying to figure out ways of saving Jews, Carl could not always keep his despair to himself. "At moments he opened himself up and poured out his frustrations and fears to Gertrud about the evil that was engulfing him. She possessed that unusual mental solidity, which made other people want to confide in her. Carl would talk to her all evening, often until the early hours of the next day, until he had emptied himself.” (Tschuy, p108)

The Arrow Cross government
16 October 1944 - 7 May 1945 (dissolved)

During this relatively and thankfully brief period, the lives of all Jews in Budapest became even more unpredictable and perilous.

The Schutzbrief [2] dilemma at the Óbuda brickyards

Carl Lutz remembered:

“Hundreds of Schutzbrief holders had already been brought to the brickyards and countless identity papers needed to be controlled. For us, this was doubtless the most painful task ever undertaken at one time. My wife [Gertrud] and I stood for hours in snow and ice inside the famed Obuda brickyards, performing this sad business of sorting out Schutzbriefe.” (Tschuy, p198)

As the task in terms of numbers was enormous, the consul asked Gertrud to organize a check line of her own. She later recalled the terrible scenes at Óbuda as follows:

We felt like judges dispensing death penalties. I accompanied my husband several times, often at four or five in the morning, when we were called out to the brickworks, in order to see whom we still could get free. And this was probably the worst thing I ever did in my entire life. However, if we had not done it, then those whom we saved, would not have been saved." (Tschuy, p199)

The SWISS-PROTECTED buildings of the International Ghetto

Gertrud Lutz actively participated in all rescue operations and looked after the Jewish protégés in the 80 Swiss-protected buildings. Even after 20 December, 1944, during the month-long siege of Pest and Buda by the Soviet army, Gertrud Lutz cared for more than fifty people who found refuge in the basement of the former British legation on Verböcsy street in old Buda.

"The Arrow Cross [Nyilas] remained an undiminished danger to the Swiss consul. Horrified, the occupants of the Schutzhäuser [safe houses] watched Nyilas vehicles circle on Pozsonyi Road one night, pointing to this building or that. Early in the morning of November 30, the day after the news of the Mohács crossing [by the Red Army] had come in, Chalutzim in charge of the protective buildings telephoned the consul, who was sitting down to breakfast at his Buda residence, reporting that Nyilas bands, supported by gendarmes, were attacking the Schutzhäuser in large numbers and were dragging people away.

“Carl Lutz called Szluha [his driver] at once, and, again accompanied by Gertrud, along with a Swiss employee of the consulate, rushed to Pozsonyi Road to confront the attackers. …  Suddenly, she [Gertrud] noticed one Nyilas who had seized a woman by her hair and was dragging her along the ground, hitting her with a dog whip. … Gertrud went to the Nyilas youth and told him politely that this was no way to treat people, especially women who are unable to fight back. The Nyilas, a teenager, was so dumbfounded that he became tongue-tied. Before he could think of an answer, Gertrud told him that if he promised to behave, he should come to Verböcsy Street and fetch a chocolate bar. Confused, the youth nodded. No one had ever talked to him in this way. Early on the following day he came, without rifle or dog whip, and, like a little boy, asked for his chocolate bar.” (Tschuy p205-206)

Planning for Christmas 1944

"When Gertrud heard on December 21 that the Red Army had been evicted from Biske, a small town west of the capital, where the Swiss legation had rented a rural manor house to serve as a refuge in case it got bombed out of Stefania Street, she "borrowed" Szluha [the driver] and the Packard and drove there to find food supplies for a good Christmas, and, if possible, additional stores for the uncertain days to come. There was a farm attached to the manor, which made contact easier, all the more as she was going to pay the tenant with hard Swiss currency instead of the anemic Hungarian pengõ. When her household was concerned she used all the advantages of her position as the wife of a consul. Gertrud thought of eggs, a sack of flour, and, why not, an entire pig. If her Jewish houseguests were hungry — as they doubtless were – they would not mind dining on a well roasted pork chop.

“Gertrud found the house of refuge and the adjacent farm unharmed, despite recent battles. She wrote later about her "shopping trip”:

“If one wanted to build up an adequate food supply, it was necessary to forage like a hamster. Whoever owned an automobile drove to the countryside as often as possible, in order to return with large bags of potatoes, flour, fats and meat. Because of the lack of transportation, these supplies were short in Budapest. Ration cards were of no use in the city, while in rural areas the farming estates offered an abundance of such products, which often couldn't even find buyers.

“The journey, though relatively short, was difficult, because the road was swarming with German and Hungarian soldiers, who fled westward, all trying to escape the Soviet encirclement. Shortly before the Packard arrived in Biske, low-flying Soviet planes machine-gunned the road, and bullets hit adjacent fields.

On their way back, “… at one point Szluha breaked sharply, because in the obscurity, the shape of a huge tank coming toward him, loomed up. It rumbled across the road, right in front of the Packard, inches away. "My God!" Gertrude exclaimed, raising her hands to her mouth. Almost at the same moment, she noticed tanks moving all around them. They had driven right into an advancing armored column of the Red Army, which was crossing the road toward the north.

Gertrude decided to return to Biske on the next day. They “… took off shortly after the break of day, hoping that the machine-gunning airplane pilots would ignore them. The road seemed strangely empty. … a surprised German post stop the Packard. The sergeant in charge could not hide his astonishment at the civilian vehicle running around a battlefield. He looked at her papers and said there were limits even to diplomats, and if life was dear to Frau Konsul, she must not advance further. She had to pick up some merchandise in Biska, Gertrude insisted. Biksa had fallen to the Soviets during the night, the sergeant explained. She shook her head, perplexed. So that was what those tanks were doing, she mused. What tanks? The sergeant asked. Never mind, she answered, it was too complicated to explain. "We had to return without having achieved our objective,” Gertrud recalled factually, when she talked of this incident later. "Russian soldiers probably ate our splendid Christmas dinner. Nevertheless, our supplies were satisfactory. I thought they would last us for 4 to 6 weeks.” (Tschuy pp 226-228)

AFTER BUDAPEST

After the divorce, the indefatigable Gertrud proves that she is not just “the woman by his side.” She pursues her humanitarian mission relentlessly and with great courage. She got involved with the aid organization Don Suisse, worked in Yugoslavia, Finland and Poland and then joined the United Nations Children's Fund Unicef.

She became a full-time employee of UNICEF and from 1949 onwards was one of the most active leaders of UNICEF's children's aid campaigns, first in Brazil and then in Turkey. She later became deputy director of UNICEF's European headquarters in Paris. In this capacity, she was primarily responsible for diplomatic tasks: establishing and maintaining contacts between the national UNICEF committees and the European governments.

Gertrud Lutz was awarded, like her ex-husband, the distinction of "Righteous among the Nations" of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. Both were named for the award; Carl Lutz received his recognition on 24 March 1964, while Gertrud Lutz received her recognition 14 years later, on 13 February, 1978.

As I see it

Like many other women, Gertrud Lutz-Fankhauser has been written out of history. In this case, the history of Budapest during the German occupation. Even though Gertrud Lutz-Fankhauser was not a beginner in assisting women and children, most of the material I have read or seen refers to her as “the wife” of Carl Lutz. And, of course, when history addresses the role of the neutral diplomats, she is nowhere to be seen or heard.

Given that Gertrud Lutz actively participated in all rescue operations while at the same time looking after the Jewish protégés in the 80 Swiss-protected buildings, I wish someone would explore the monumental task it was to provide food and medical attention to the thousands of Jews crammed into the Swiss protected buildings. All this in a city where food shortage became catastrophic, and under the hostile attention of German and Hungarian officials.

The only book I located that might include her work in Budapest is by Helena Kanyar-Becker. I have not been able to access the book. For reference:

https://search.worldcat.org/title/761720151?oclcNum=761720151

Carl and Gertrud Lutz and their collaborators were honored as Righteous Among the Nations at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.

RESIDENCE

Former British legation on Verböcsy street in old Buda. A manor house built in the empire style of the early 19 century. “the gate was wide enough for the Packard to enter from wherever G St.; inside, the car was parked in a large courtyard. High ceilings rooms were arranged on two floors around the courtyard on all sides. Towards the front, in the main track – that is, in the direction of the river – there was one large representative reception room, 40 yards long and 20 wide, a spacious dining room, and a library, all decorated with chandeliers, gold frame, mirrors, and. Paintings.” … below the building, cut deep into the rocks of the hill, they were to vast cellar caves, reminders of underground casemates from Turkish times. One could walk from one to the other through a long quarter. Somewhere between the floor of the courtyard and the casemates, there was a smaller cave in which the British minister had stored 3000 L of gasoline. It was meant to be a war time reserve, just in case the oil supplies got cut off.” P47-48

[next to the German headquarters?]

OFFICE

Former American legation on freedom Square in Pest for his administrative office p47

"Gertrud Lutz thought that this woman and her small daughter were indeed a special case. Perhaps they could join the 30 or so people who had already found refuge in the residence on Verböcsy street.” P70

“… medium sized Chestnut haired young woman in her early 30s.” p9

[1] Le Temps. “Gertrud Lutz-Fankhauser: un ange entreprenant,” August 19, 2014. https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/gertrud-lutzfankhauser-un-ange-entreprenant. Downloaded and translated 16 July, 2024

Helena Kanyar-Becker seems to have written the only book about Gertrud Lutz-Fankhauser. Unfortunately, it isn’t available in the original German, except in a very few libraries.

[2] In this context, a Schutzbrief is a “letter of protection” issued by the diplomats of neutral countries and the Vatican. Similar in concept, Wallenberg issued "protective passports" (German: Schutz-Pass) that identified the bearers as Swedish subjects awaiting repatriation. Source:

https://www.jewishgen.org/databases/holocaust/JG0410_Walllenberg_Passport_List.html