Episode #58 - John Rabe & The Nanking Massacre

In this episode of The History in Motion Podcast, we uncover the story of John Rabe, a German businessman whose unlikely heroism saved thousands of lives during one of history’s darkest chapters—the Nanjing Massacre. Often called the "Oskar Schindler of China," Rabe used his position as a Nazi Party member and Siemens executive to defy the horrors unfolding around him, establishing a safety zone that became a refuge for tens of thousands of Chinese civilians.

Born in Hamburg in 1882, Rabe was not a soldier or a diplomat—he was an ordinary man working in China when the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Nanjing in 1937. As the city descended into chaos, Rabe and a small group of foreign nationals took it upon themselves to create the Nanjing Safety Zone, shielding innocent civilians from unspeakable atrocities. Despite being a loyal Nazi, he repeatedly risked his life to stand against the violence, using his German connections to deter Japanese soldiers and document the horrors of the massacre.

But Rabe’s story did not end in China. When he returned to Germany, he expected to be honored for his humanitarian efforts. Instead, he was interrogated by the Gestapo, silenced, and cast into obscurity. It was only decades later that his diaries surfaced, providing one of the most chilling firsthand accounts of the Nanjing Massacre.

Was John Rabe a hero trapped in the wrong ideology, or was he simply a man who chose to do the right thing when it mattered most? We’ll explore the complexities of his actions, the moral dilemmas he faced, and how his legacy challenges our understanding of individual courage in the face of overwhelming brutality.

Join us as we unravel the remarkable, complicated life of John Rabe—a man who stood against the tide of history when so many looked away.