The Nanjing Massacre killed 300,000 Nanjing compatriots, but you know what?
If it were not for this German, the death toll in Nanjing would probably exceed half a million.
He was John Bella, a German who stood before the Japanese invaders and protected 250,000 Chinese refugees.
1937 is not a meaningful day for other countries, but for China, no one will forget it, from the elderly to the naïve children.
The Japanese began to attack the city of Nanjing, and countless foreigners fled the place on steamships, but Bella chose to stay.
He knew what those Chinese who could not escape Nanjing were about to face.
So he took advantage of the relations between Germany and Japan at that time, as the chairman of the Nanjing International Security Zone, to establish a safe zone and shelter those refugees who could not escape.
The original plan could only accommodate 100,000 Chinese safe zone, because of Bella's insistence, "stuffed" 250,000 people.
Although the refugee areas are temporarily safe, they are not a long-term solution, and food shortages are the biggest problem at hand.
Although the grain had been prepared before the Japanese captured Nanjing, these were all a drop in the bucket.
In the end, Bella decided to take out her savings and risk coming to the safe zone to buy food, which led to Bella's good life.
Even with great privilege, Bella's actions are undoubtedly a thorn in the eye and a thorn in the flesh of the Japanese military. They were hindered by Nazi relations in Germany and did not dare to be rude to Bella.
In fact, although the safe zone was protected from war, it was not a long-term "safe place", and Japanese soldiers often tried to sneak in.
Many times, in order to choose to save the Chinese, Bella and the Japanese military confronted each other, until the Japanese invaders retreated from China, and Bella was recalled by the Germans.
Bella once said that she was like a divine lamp in China, but in fact she was right.
In the eyes of Chinese, Bella was a bodhisattva, and when he was ready to leave Nanjing, the nanjing people who escaped death left tears to bid farewell and sent a red silk cloth of three meters by two meters.
It is reasonable to say that such a loving and selfless person should live a peaceful and happy life after returning home, but in fact, the second half of Bella's life is full of ups and downs and hardships.
His indiscretion was not understood, and he was even detained and interrogated until 1938, when he was released.
Later, Bella did not forget the crimes of Japanese militarism, and the Bella Diary recorded the heinous crimes committed by the Japanese military in China, and Bella announced this to Germany and the world.
In her later years, because of poverty, Bella's life was terrible.
After the citizens of Nanjing learned of this situation, they launched a donation campaign and sent him 100 million yuan in a very short period of time.
At that time, the situation in Berlin was very complicated, even if there was money, there was no way to buy grain, so the mayor of Nanjing, Shen Yi, bought sausages, beef and other foods and mailed them to Bella.
At the same time, he also invited Bella to live in China, but unfortunately after the outbreak of the Berlin crisis, Bella's place was "fallen" and rescue from China could not come in.
Bella died of a stroke in January 1950 at the age of 68.
His death did not cause a stir, not even a memorial service.
In 1951, Bella's grandson Thomas was born, he had never met his grandfather, and could only understand the old man from the words of his family.
After growing up, Thomas has come to China many times, was named the "Honorary Citizen of Nanjing", and in 2015, he also climbed the Tiananmen Tower to watch the military parade.
Just when the name Bella was gradually forgotten.
In 2020, the sudden outbreak of the new crown epidemic, Germany is deeply in the "quagmire", as a doctor Thomas is anxious.
Medical staff rescue patients for up to 12 hours a day, and as a result, because of medical shortages, patients leave one after another.
At this time, Thomas's family also contracted the epidemic.
In desperation, he thought of Chinese who had a relationship with his grandfather, so he held the attitude of trying it out and called the Chinese Embassy in Germany.
"A batch of anti-epidemic drugs is urgently needed, but Germany has stopped production and asked the Chinese government for support."
Thomas was not only for his family, but also for the people of Germany, and he wanted to save more patients.
Wu Keng, the ambassador of the Chinese Embassy in Germany, after learning about this matter, attached great importance to it, and he quickly contacted the domestic pharmaceutical factory and learned that it was Bella's descendants who had difficulties, and the drug dealer decided to give away the drug for free.
At the same time, the Nanjing government learned of this matter and immediately made a decision to airlift a small number of designated drugs, protective masks and protective clothing to the Berlin airport in Germany.
Within a few days, the embassy staff delivered the precious batch of medicines to Thomas.
It is gratifying that Thomas and his family are recovering their health, and while thanking the Chinese government, they firmly believe that the friendship between China and Germany will become deeper and deeper.
There is an old Chinese saying that goes: "The grace of dripping water repays each other with gushing springs."
What's more, the situation at that time was far from being as simple as "the grace of dripping water".
Bella protected the refugees in the absence of a government, shielding the Japanese from guns with her flesh and blood.
Bella didn't want to reciprocate, but fortunately Chinese were kind and didn't live up to his kindness.
Someone once asked Bella: Why save Chinese?
Bella asked, "Friends have difficulties, don't you help?" ”
This sentence applies to people all over the world, when friends are in difficulty, do we sit idly by?
Life and grace have the same weight, Bella's kindness, Ze bless China.
Author: Lollipop
Edit: Wheat