BEIJING, Sept. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A grand military parade was held in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on September 3 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Among the international guests invited was Thomas Rabe, grandson of John Rabe, who attended the event as a representative of foreign friends who had made outstanding contributions to China’s war of resistance. He stood in for his late grandfather, witnessing a stronger and more confident China.

Love for life

Return the world to humanity, and return humanity to itself. This humanitarian belief shaped John Rabe’s life. Arriving in China in 1908 and living in the country for nearly 30 years, he served as German company Siemens’ representative in cities such as Beijing, Tianjin and Nanjing, forging deep friendships with the Chinese people.

On the eve of the Japanese invasion of Nanjing in 1937, John Rabe, together with more than 20 other international residents, established the International Safety Zone to protect civilians. He was elected chairman of the International Committee for the Nanjing Safety Zone, which covered about 4 square km and provided shelter for some 250,000 Chinese civilians during the massacre. Between December 1937 and early 1938, over 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers were killed by Japanese troops.

At his own residence, John Rabe took in more than 600 refugees, all of whom survived the catastrophe. On December 26, 1937, he wrote in his diary: “I have received an unexpected Christmas gift—the lives of more than 600 people.” His diary, meticulously documenting the atrocities of the Nanjing Massacre, became one of the most important and detailed historical records exposing Japanese war crimes.

On March 28, 2014, during a speech at the Körber Foundation in Germany, Chinese President Xi Jinping praised John Rabe’s actions, noting that “We, in China, cherish the memory of Mr. Rabe as a man who demonstrated great compassion for life and love of peace.”

The gratitude of the Chinese people was evident at the time. On the New Year of 1938, refugees at John Rabe’s house lined up to bow to him and presented him with a large piece of red silk that read: “You are the living Buddha for hundreds of thousands of Chinese people.”

Today, visitors from across China and around the world still visit the John Rabe House in Nanjing, paying tribute and learning about that painful chapter of history. Yang Shanyou, Director of the John Rabe and International Safety Zone Memorial Hall, told Xinhua News Agency that the site has become a special historical and cultural landmark, hosting academic exchanges and educational programs to pass on the spirit of humanitarianism and the pursuit of peace.

A legacy of humanity

John Rabe’s humanitarian spirit deeply influenced his descendants.

“Everyone should think about what they can do for others,” Thomas Rabe told Beijing Review. “We can show kindness and responsibility in our daily lives—standing up against injustice or lending a hand when others are in need. What matters is setting an example through small acts of humanity.”

Preserving the diaries and ensuring the world knows the truth has become a mission of the Rabe family.

On December 12, 1996, Ursula Reinhardt, John Rabe’s granddaughter, released the diaries of John Rabe in New York, the United States. The 2,460-page collection, comprising eight volumes, revealed the Japanese atrocities in Nanjing to the world.

This was not without danger. “My family received threatening phone calls at night, saying, ‘We want to kill you.’ We will never forget how dangerous it was to talk about the Nanjing diaries and to keep them,” Thomas Rabe recalled.

Despite the threats, the Rabe family stood firm, just as their grandfather had decades earlier. Thomas has been working actively to preserve and organize John Rabe’s historical documents, continuing to share his legacy. “My father inherited the diaries and archives from my grandfather, and later entrusted them to me. I have since donated the Nanjing manuscripts of the diaries to China’s Central Archives,” he said.

In addition, with the help of friends in Germany and China, Thomas published Rabe and China, a book that presents John Rabe’s life, especially his 30 years in China and his wartime diaries. It also introduces the family’s reflections on peace and the collaborative projects they have undertaken. The book was first released over 10 years ago without an ISBN number in English and Spanish, and the Chinese version was published in 2024. It will be published in more languages, and the scripts for a four-part documentary series have already been completed.

Together with his family, Thomas has also established six John Rabe Communication Centers around the world, dedicated to promoting Rabe’s humanitarian spirit and spreading peace and friendship.

When asked why history must be remembered, Thomas Rabe stated, “The prerequisite for reconciliation after aggression is for both sides to acknowledge the truth. Only by accepting what really happened can nations move forward—whether through cultural exchange, economic cooperation or political dialogue. This is the lesson we must learn from history, and the reason we cannot forget the war.”

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SOURCE Beijing Review