John rabe

Karl Plagge (Yad Vashem)

Karl Plagge was born on July 10, , in Darmstadt. A partially disabled veteran of the First World War, Plagge studied engineering and joined the Nazi Party in He wanted to be part of helping Germany to re-build from the economic collapse following the war.

After being dismissed from the position of lecturer, for being unwilling to teach racisim, and his opposition to the Nazi policy against the Jews, he stopped participating in Nazi Party activities in , and four years later when the Second World War broke out, he left the Nazi Party.

During the Second World War, he used his position as a staff officer in the German Army to employ and protect Jews in the Vilna Ghetto. At first, Plagge employed Jews who lived inside the ghetto, but when it was due to be liquidated in September , he set up the HKP , forced labour camp, where he saved many male Jews, by issuing them official work permits, on the false premise, that their holders skills were