While not primarily a literary figure, this German businessman is recognized for his courageous attempts to halt the atrocities committed by the Japanese army during the Nanking Occupation. When unable to prevent the violence, he dedicated himself to protecting and aiding Chinese civilians caught in the conflict. He was instrumental in establishing the Nanjing Safety Zone, a sanctuary that sheltered approximately 200,000 Chinese people from the massacre. His wartime diaries offer a harrowing account of these events.
In the late-1930s a mild 55-year-old German protected thousands of citizens of occupied Nanking, often interposing himself physically between Japanese executioners and their victims. Every night he recorded these extraordinary events in his diary, the contents of which are presented in this book.
Focusing on a pivotal World War II event, this book explores the horrifying genocide that occurred in Nanking, an incident largely unrecognized by Japan. It highlights the profound moral courage and generosity of an individual who stood against the overwhelming brutality of the time, serving as both a historical account and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit amidst unimaginable suffering.