Visas for Life: Righteous and Honorable Diplomats Exhibition Grand Opening

The Visas for Life: The Righteous and Honorable Diplomats Exhibition will have its Grand Opening will take place on November 9, 2025, at the Holocaust Documentation & Education Center. This exhibition tells the remarkable stories of diplomats from diverse countries and backgrounds who risked their careers, reputations, and lives to save tens of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust.

Between 1938 and 1945, over 90 diplomats representing 25 countries took extraordinary measures to rescue Jews. They issued visas, citizenship papers, and protective documents; smuggled refugees across borders; established safe houses; and, in some cases, personally halted Nazi deportations. Many acted in direct violation of their governments’ policies, with some losing their jobs, pensions, or social standing, and two even losing their lives.

The exhibition is based on original photographs, archival materials from the families of diplomats, eyewitness testimony from Holocaust survivors, and international government records. Newly uncovered stories of diplomat rescues are also included, ensuring these acts of courage are preserved and remembered.

Visitors to the Grand Opening of the Exhibition will see personal stories of heroism and the documents and artifacts that made these rescues possible, highlighting the profound impact that diplomacy, moral courage, and human compassion had in the face of unimaginable danger.

Host or Publisher Holocaust Documentation and Education Center