The recognition of Gertrud Lutz-Fankhauser as one of Switzerland’s first individuals to receive the Righteous Among the Nations title in 1978 stems from her wartime activities. Alongside her husband in Budapest, she facilitated the rescue of approximately 62,000 Jewish individuals from extermination following the 1944 invasion of Hungary by Nazi Germany forces.
Early Career and Diplomatic Foundations
Born in 1911 in the mountain town of Rechthalten, Gertrud Fankhauser was the daughter of a cheese maker. After schooling in Fribourg and Bern, she moved to the United States at age 18. Between 1931 and 1934, she performed clerical work at the Swiss consulate in St. Louis. She married Carl Lutz, a Swiss diplomat, in 1935 at St. Paul’s Church in Bern.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Operations in Palestine
In 1935, the couple relocated to Jaffa. When the Second World War broke out in 1939, Switzerland assumed diplomatic representation for belligerent nations. Working in Tel Aviv, Gertrud Lutz-Fankhauser managed complex humanitarian tasks, including the oversight of interned German women and children, as well as providing support to German Jews rendered stateless by the 1935 Nuremberg Laws.
Rescue Efforts in Budapest
From 1942 to 1945, the couple served in Budapest, where Carl Lutz headed the foreign interests section at the Swiss embassy. They utilized their diplomatic office to issue exit visas and collective protection documents. By designating 76 buildings under Swiss diplomatic protection, they sheltered thousands of people. These efforts significantly scaled up during the summer of 1944 as deportations intensified.
Humanitarian Work Post-War
Following her diplomatic service, Gertrud Lutz-Fankhauser dedicated 25 years to UNICEF. She held increasingly senior positions from the organization’s inception until 1966. She subsequently served as the UNICEF vice-president and director for Europe and North Africa between 1966 and 1971. She died in 1995 in Burgdorf.
Fast facts
- Born: 1911, Rechthalten
- Died: 1995, Burgdorf
- Nationality: Switzerland
- Righteous Among the Nations Award: 1978
- Marriage: January 1935, Bern
- Religion: Reformed
Questions readers ask
What was the scale of the rescue operation in Budapest?
The efforts in Budapest resulted in an estimated 62,000 Jewish lives saved through the issuance of protective documents and exit visas.
What roles did she hold after the war?
She spent two decades working for UNICEF, ultimately serving as vice-president and director for Europe and North Africa from 1966 to 1971.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 1978
- Worked as diplomat, humanitarian and politician
.jpg)