18. Desperate to Save Themselves From the Looming Nazi Menace, Jewish Refugees Formed Long Lines Outside Sugihara’s Consulate
Most of the visas issued by Chiune Sugihara went to Jewish refugees. They formed long lines outside the Japanese consulate in Kovno, desperate for the piece of paper and stamp that would allow them to save themselves and their families. The Nazis, who had conquered Poland and divided it with the Soviets in 1939, had already begun the process of ridding their part of Poland of its Jewish inhabitants, and taken the first steps towards outright genocide.
Within months, discriminatory laws had closed most professions to Jews. They were expelled from the parts of Poland annexed to Germany, and herded into ghettos in what was left of the country. Tens of thousands were simply murdered. Poland was becoming unlivable for Jews. Against that backdrop, Sugihara’s consulate in neighboring Lithuania became a literal lifesaver for those fortunate enough to get there.
