Per Anger transitioned from a law student at Uppsala University to a diplomat who played a pivotal role in humanitarian efforts in Budapest during the Second World War. By originating the issuance of Swedish provisional passports, he established a framework for protective measures that shielded Hungarian Jews from internment and deportation during the German occupation.
Wartime Diplomacy and Protection
Anger began his career at the Swedish legation in Berlin in 1940. By November 1942, he was posted to Budapest as second secretary. When Germany invaded Hungary in March 1944, he initiated the legal fiction of issuing provisional passports to protect Jews. After Raoul Wallenberg arrived in July 1944, the two men expanded these efforts through the creation of safe houses and protective passes, often intervening directly to prevent deportations.
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Following the war, Anger held various diplomatic posts across the globe, including assignments in Cairo, Addis Ababa, Paris, and Vienna. He served as consul general in San Francisco before acting as ambassador to Canberra and Ottawa. Throughout his decades of service, he held multiple leadership roles within the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, including as Head of the Department for International Aid Affairs.
Advocacy for Raoul Wallenberg
After being briefly detained by Soviet forces in 1945, Anger spent the remainder of his life seeking the truth about the disappearance of Raoul Wallenberg. He maintained a persistent dialogue with Soviet officials, eventually meeting Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s to demand answers. This commitment continued through his presidency of the Swedish Raoul Wallenberg Association from 1988 to 1995.
Honours and Legacy
Anger received widespread recognition for his humanitarian service. In 1981, he was named Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem, and in 2000, he was granted honorary Israeli citizenship. The Swedish government awarded him the Illis quorum in 2002. Following his death in Stockholm on 25 August 2002, the Swedish government instituted the Per Anger Prize to honour his memory and promote ongoing humanitarian work.
Fast facts
- Born: 7 December 1913, Gothenburg
- Died: 25 August 2002, Stockholm
- Education: Uppsala University
- Profession: Diplomat, lawyer
- Key Award: Righteous Among the Nations (1981)
- Diplomatic Post: Ambassador to Canada and Australia
- Marital Status: Married to Elena Wikström in 1943
Questions readers ask
What was Per Anger's specific role in rescuing Hungarian Jews?
He developed the system of Swedish provisional passports and certificates, which the Hungarian government agreed to recognize as protective documents for Jewish citizens.
Did Per Anger ever learn what happened to Raoul Wallenberg?
He spent decades advocating for the truth, and in 2000, the Russian government finally acknowledged that Wallenberg had died in Soviet custody in 1947.
Achievements
- Great Silver Medal of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
- Righteous Among the Nations — 1981
- Worked as diplomat and lawyer
- Educated at Uppsala University
