As a Swiss diplomat serving in Hungary from 1942 until the end of World War II, Carl Lutz is credited with saving more than 62,000 Jews during the war.

Historian and writer Amy Lutz (no relation) will share Carl Lutz’s powerful story during this year’s Holocaust Lecture, “Carl Lutz: The Forgotten Rescuer,” on Sunday, April 19, at Elmhurst University.

Carl Lutz was stationed in Budapest when the Germans invaded Hungary in 1944. During the reign of terror that followed, Hungarian Jews were forced into ghettos, deported to death camps, and murdered outright. Appalled by what he was witnessing, Lutz used his ability to issue letters of protection to save tens of thousands of Jewish families. He also established a number of safe houses, and even pulled people out of line during death marches to concentration camps in Austria and Germany. His actions, considered one of the largest rescue operations of the Holocaust, ultimately prevented half of the Jewish population of Budapest from being sent to Nazi concentration camps.

Amy Lutz is a historian, writer and professional communicator who currently works for the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. Before joining the Festival, she worked for five years at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum.

The Holocaust Service of Remembrance and Lecture begins at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, in the Frick Center, Founders Lounge. The public lectures and other cultural programming at Elmhurst University support community engagement and lifelong learning, and prepare our students to thrive as adaptive leaders. Admission is free but reservations are encouraged, at elmhurst.edu/Cultural. For questions, email [email protected].