Per Anger

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Swedish diplomat (1913–2002)

title: "Per Anger" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1913-births", "2002-deaths", "consuls-general-for-sweden", "ambassadors-of-sweden-to-australia", "ambassadors-of-sweden-to-canada", "ambassadors-of-sweden-to-the-bahamas", "swedish-people-of-world-war-ii", "foreign-nationals-imprisoned-in-the-soviet-union", "swedish-people-imprisoned-abroad", "diplomats-from-gothenburg", "swedish-righteous-among-the-nations", "raoul-wallenberg", "per-anger-prize", "recipients-of-the-illis-quorum", "commanders-first-class-of-the-order-of-the-polar-star", "recipients-of-the-order-of-merit-of-the-republic-of-hungary"] description: "Swedish diplomat (1913–2002)" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_Anger" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Swedish diplomat (1913–2002) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

FieldValue
namePer Johan Valentin Anger
imageAnger Per 19131207- (cropped).jpg
birth_name
birth_date
birth_placeGothenburg, Sweden
death_date
death_placeStockholm, Sweden
alma materStockholm University
Uppsala University
occupationDiplomat
years_active1940 to 1979
known_forAssisting Raoul Wallenberg in the rescue of Hungarian Jews from Nazis in World War II
spouseElena Wikstrom Anger
children3
::

| name = Per Johan Valentin Anger | image = Anger Per 19131207- (cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Gothenburg, Sweden | death_date = | death_place = Stockholm, Sweden | other_names = | alma mater = Stockholm University Uppsala University | occupation = Diplomat | years_active = 1940 to 1979 | known_for = Assisting Raoul Wallenberg in the rescue of Hungarian Jews from Nazis in World War II | spouse = Elena Wikstrom Anger | children = 3 ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Wallenberg-Minerva-u.jpg" caption="Plaque on the site of the former Swedish embassy in Budapest, in honour of Carl-Ivan Danielsson, Raoul Wallenberg and Per Anger."] ::

Per Johan Valentin Anger (7 December 1913 – 25 August 2002) was a Swedish diplomat. Anger was Raoul Wallenberg's co-worker at the Swedish legation in Budapest during World War II when many Jews were saved because they were supplied with Swedish passports. After the war, he spent a lot of time trying to clarify Wallenberg's fate.

Early life

Anger was born on 7 December 1913 in Gothenburg, Sweden, the son of gatudirektören David Anger and his wife Elsa Berglund. Anger studied law at Stockholm University and later at Uppsala University. After graduating in November 1939, he was drafted into the Army. Soon afterwards, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs offered him a trainee position at the Swedish legation in Berlin, which he began in January 1940.

Career

Anger was assigned to the trade department, but after the legation received information about an impending Nazi attack on Norway and Denmark, he became involved in relaying intelligence to Stockholm. In June 1941, he returned to Stockholm, where he worked on trade relations between Sweden and Hungary. In November 1942, he was sent to Budapest as Second Secretary at the Swedish legation.

After Germany invaded Hungary on 19 March 1944, Anger became involved in efforts to aid Hungarian Jews. Anger originated the idea of issuing Swedish provisional passports and special certificates to protect Jews from internment and deportation. Seven hundred of these documents were issued initially. Although the legality of the documents was doubtful, the Hungarian government agreed to recognize their bearers as Swedish citizens. On 9 July, Raoul Wallenberg arrived in Budapest. He immediately extended Anger's initiative, introducing colorful protective passes (Schutzpasse) and creating "safe houses" throughout the city. Anger and Wallenberg worked together, often literally snatching people from transports and death marches. After the Soviets invaded in January 1945, both Anger and Wallenberg were taken into custody. Anger was released three months later, but Wallenberg never emerged again, becoming one of the 20th century's most famous missing persons.

After the war, Anger served in numerous diplomatic posts in Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Austria and the United States. He later became head of Sweden's international aid program and served as ambassador to Australia, Canada and the Bahamas. Throughout his post-war career, Anger led efforts to learn what happened to Wallenberg, even meeting personally with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s. In 2000, the Russian government finally acknowledged that Wallenberg and his driver died in Soviet custody in 1947, although the exact circumstances of their deaths remain unclear.

Personal life

In 1943, Anger married Elena Wikström (born 1920), the daughter of ryttmästare Nils Wikström and Corinna Autenrieth. They had three children: Birgitta (born 1944), Jan (born 1946), and Peter (born 1955).

Death

Anger died in Stockholm after suffering a stroke.

Awards and honours

Awards

Honors

In 1982, Anger was recognized by Yad Vashem as one of the Righteous Among the Nations and in 1995 he was honored with the Hungarian Republic's Order of Merit.

In 1995, Anger was awarded the Wallenberg Medal by the University of Michigan in recognition of his extraordinary courage and humanitarian commitment.

In 2000, he was awarded honorary Israeli citizenship. In 2001, the American Swedish Historical Museum presented him with the Spirit of Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Award.

In April, 2002 Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson awarded Anger the Illis quorum Meruere Labores (For Those Whose Labors Have Deserved It) for his actions during and after the war. This is the highest award that can be conferred upon an individual Swedish citizen by the Government of Sweden.

Per Anger Prize

The Per Anger Prize was instituted by the Swedish Government to honor the memory of ambassador Per Anger and is awarded for humanitarian work and initiatives in the name of democracy. The prize is awarded to individuals or groups who have distinguished themselves either in the past or in more recent times. The Prize is administered and awarded by the Forum for Living History.

Prize winners

::data[format=table]

NameYear AwardedReason
Gennaro Verolino2004url=http://www.diocesiacerra.it/diocesi_di_acerra/news/00000030_Una_scuola_a_Budapest_per_Verolino.html
Arsen Sakalov2005The teacher who became a human rights activist in the Russian autonomous republic Ingushia
Ales Bialiatski2006The human rights fighter acting against the Belarusian regime
Yolanda Becerra2007Chairperson for the women's rights organisation Organización Femenina Popular
Sebastian Bakare2008Fighting the rights of the vulnerable in Zimbabwe
Brahim Dahane2009Founder of the human rights organisation ASVDH working in Western Sahara
Elena Urlaeva2010Fighting for the freedom of expression and the freedom of assembly in Uzbekistan
Narges Mohammadi2011Working for human rights in Iran
Sapiyat Magomedova2012Defending human rights in Dagestan
Justine Ijeomah2013Fighting against violation of human rights in Nigeria
Rita Mahato2014Fighting against sexual violence aimed towards women and girls in Nepal
Islena Rey Rodríguez2015Fighting against violence and human rights violations in Colombia
Abdullah al-Khateeb2016Fighting for human rights in Syria
Gégé Katana Bukuru2017Fighting for women's rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Teodora del Carmen Vásquez2018title=Teodora del Carmen Vásquez får Per Anger-priset 2018
Najwa Alimi2019Fighting for freedom of speech and women's rights in Afghanistan
Intisar Al-Amyal2020Fighting for women's rights in Iraq
S'bu Zikode2021Working for the rights of poor people in South Africa
Anabela Lemos2022Fighting for climate justice in Mozambique
Malú García Andrade2023Demanding justice for disappeared and murdered girls and women in Mexico
Chhim Sithar2024Tireless and dedicated work to promote democracy and respect for human rights in Cambodia
::

References

Other sources

  • {{cite book |last=Skoglund |first=Elizabeth |title=A quiet courage: Per Anger, Wallenberg's co-liberator of Hungarian Jews |year=1997 |publisher=Baker Books |location=Grand Rapids, Mich. |isbn=0801011256 |id=

References

  1. (1962). "Vem är vem?". Vem är vem bokförlag.
  2. (29 August 2002). "Per Anger. Swedish diplomat who, along with Raoul Wallenberg, saved thousands of Jews from Nazi death camps". [[The Guardian]].
  3. "Per Anger Secretary of the Swedish Legation in Budapest, Hungary, 1944-45". [[The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation]].
  4. (30 August 2002). "Per Anger, Co-saviour with Raoul Wallenberg of Hungarian Jews". [[The Independent]].
  5. (August 29, 2002). "Per Anger, 88, a Diplomat Who Helped Jews, Is Dead". [[The New York Times]].
  6. (2006). "Regeringens belöningsmedaljer och regeringens utmärkelse Professors namn". Statsrådsberedningen, Regeringskansliet.
  7. (1970–1979). "Matriklar (D 1)". [[Royal Court of Sweden]].
  8. (1968). "Sveriges statskalender för skottåret 1968". Fritzes offentliga publikationer.
  9. (1965). "Sveriges statskalender 1965". Fritzes offentliga publikationer.
  10. (1965). "Sveriges statskalender 1965". Fritzes offentliga publikationer.
  11. (23 April 2012). "Anfragebeantwortung". [[Austrian Parliament]].
  12. [http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/righteous/anger.asp Per Anger] {{Webarchive. link. (2015-07-22 - his activity to save Jews' lives during the [[Holocaust]], at Yad Vashem website)
  13. Forum För Levande Historia http://www.levandehistoria.se/projekt/peranger/english/about
  14. Antonio Pintauro. "Diocesi di Acerra - Una scuola a Budapest per Verolino". diocesiacerra.it.
  15. Forum For Living History https://www.levandehistoria.se/english/about-us/anger-prize/prize-winners/2017-gege-katana-bukuru
  16. "Teodora del Carmen Vásquez får Per Anger-priset 2018". Forum för levande historia.

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