On the occasion of World Book Day on April 23, the "Rabe's Diary and the City of Peace" team of Nanjing University connected with Thomas Rabe, the grandson of Mr. Johann Rabe and a professor at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. He talked about his new book "Rabe and China", and shared with readers Mr. John Rabe's pursuit of peace, the legacy of the Rabe family, and the spread of Rabe's humanitarian spirit in Mr. Thomas Rabe's new book.
Statue of John Rabe in Rabe's former residence in Nanjing
To provide an example for the Rabe family,
Four generations have been connected to China
The "Rabe Diary and the City of Peace" team of Nanjing University had established contact with Mr. Thomas in the scientific research project, and Zhang Wenxin, Zhuo Hongjie and other students from the "Rabe Diary and the City of Peace" project team of Nanjing University had another conversation with Thomas. As the grandson of John Rabe, Thomas Rabe also has the status of "Honorary Citizen of Nanjing" and "Visiting Professor of Modern Chinese History".
Rabe Exchange Center.
In July this year, the team will also go to Germany to carry out global scientific research and scientific research training, follow in the footsteps of Mr. Rabe, conduct interdisciplinary research on the influence of "Rabe's Diary" in German-speaking countries, and deeply understand the truth of the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind. He will also go to the Johann Rabe Exchange Center in Heidelberg for a more in-depth exchange with Thomas Rabe.
"Rabe's Diary - Enemy Planes Flying to Nanjing" is a diary written by John Rabe during the Nanjing Massacre of the Japanese invasion of China, which records in detail the atrocities of the invading Japanese army in Nanjing and the suffering of Chinese civilians. This diary is a historical witness to the Nanjing Massacre and an ironclad proof of the criminal acts of the Japanese army invading China. In 1997, the Chinese version of Rabe's Diary was officially published, followed by German, Japanese, and English editions.
With extraordinary courage and tenacity, Rabe documents the cries of pain of the victims, the scorched earth of the city, and the boundaries of humanity. Through Rabe's Diary, we are not only able to witness the truth of history, but also to deeply understand the human tragedy brought about by war and atrocities. This diary is worthy of being an important document in the history of mankind, and it warns us to cherish peace, uphold the spirit of humanitarianism, and always remember history so as not to repeat the mistakes of war.
What drove his grandfather to return to Nanjing in a dangerous time to protect his employees and the refugees in the Nanjing's safe zone? He said: 'If any of you ever sat in a bomb shelter with a shivering Chinese child in each hand, you would understand why I stayed.' In the interview, I learned that "Rabe's Diary" recorded that Johann Rabe went against the advice of the German embassy and Siemens, insisting on staying to protect refugees even though he was diabetic and had difficulty obtaining insulin in Nanjing. These deeds have left an indelible memory on Mr. Thomas Rabe.
"Rabe's Diary" is of irreplaceable importance to the world to understand the history of the Nanjing Massacre, and its profound record of history and the brilliance of humanity contained in it also inspire the Rabe family to make efforts for peaceful dissemination. Mr. Thomas said, "It is only through a concrete example that a person can learn something over the span of life."
Four generations of the Rabe family have had strong ties to China. As a professor of medicine, Mr. Thomas Rabe has been involved in promoting peace between China and Germany since 2001 and has been cooperating in obstetrics and gynecology, gynecological endocrinology, reproductive medicine, etc., and was awarded the Chinese Government Friendship Award in 2018. In addition, he spent five years in Vietnam through the World Health Organization to improve local health services, and 30 years of his life dedicated to development assistance in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Mr. Thomas Rabe presents his new book "Rabe and China"
The new book answers the questions of young people,
What can I change?
Mr. Thomas, who showed off his recently published book "Rabe and China," said, "My grandfather wrote more than 20 books during his stay in China, and I kept all but three that were lost during the war." I also have a lot of original documents, letters, and so on that he wrote. In addition to this, I found two never-before-published testimonies from witnesses, and I included interviews with survivors in the book. But I don't just want to show how terrible this is, but let's not forget this history. I must lead by example and spread the story of my grandfather and hope that everyone will see the positive side and see my grandfather's quest for peace. ”
It is reported that after the German edition of "Rabe and China" was written, after more than ten years of collation, revision and supplementation by the author, on the basis of a large number of use of John Rabe's diary manuscripts and related documents provided and authorized by his relatives and friends, it concisely and completely brings together John Rabe's 30 years of literature collection in China, reflecting the deep friendship between the Rabe family and China for 115 years from many aspects and perspectives.
The entrance to Rabe's house
Regarding the creation of the book, Mr. Thomas said: "The first half of the book is a biography of my grandfather, while the other half was later completed in collaboration with the Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University in Beijing. I have set up John Rabe exchange centers in Heidelberg, Romania, Spain, Beijing, Nanjing, I have written four books for Chinese doctors, and I have participated in the Chinese Gynecology Medical Conference every year, all of which I have written in my efforts to spread peace. ”
When referring to the Rabe family's relationship with China, Mr. Thomas described his affection for China, "I have always understood why my grandfather loved China, my father was passionate about China, and my wife and I were happy every time we went to China. When we come to China, we always appreciate cultural treasures, especially in Beijing. And we also have a lot of friends who can explain everything that is beautiful for us. Of course, I also invited my Chinese friends to Heidelberg. I wake up at four o'clock every morning because that's when my Chinese friends send me WeChat messages. I work for an hour or two before going back to sleep. ”
Through this interview on World Book Day, I hope that the humanitarian spirit of John Rabe's family can reach more people. At the end of the interview, Mr. Thomas Rabe also expressed his expectations for the readers of Rabe and China: "The younger generation may be interested in these questions: Who is John Rabe, who is the Rabe family, what did they do in Nanjing, and in my opinion, they will be the readers of this book." I wanted to use my grandfather's example to show them what responsibility is, what ethics and leadership are, what it means to work for peace, and what it means to work for peace. I want to give my readers an example, not teach them what to do and what not to do. After reading this book, they should draw their own conclusions and think 'I can do better in my life and what can I change?'"
Yangtze Evening News/Purple Cow News reporter Zhang Nan
Photography by Lou Qunyang, Yu Yue, Zeng Si
Proofread by Xu Heng