Carl Lutz, (b. 1895) the Swiss vice-consul in Budapest from 1942 to 1945, was the first neutral diplomat in Budapest to rescue Jews during the Second World War. He is credited with instituting the schutzbrief, a protective letter which applied to many Jewish refugees. During his tenure, he issued more that 60,000 such live-saving documents, and established seventy-six Swiss protective houses throughout Budapest for holders of these letters. Additionally, he helped 10,000 Jewish children flee to Palestine. With Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish Diplomat, he liberated Jews from deportation centers, thus saving them from brutal death marches.

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