IN MEMORIUM: TOM VERES

Tom Veres, Raoul Wallenberg’s photographer during the most critical times in Budapest, was born circa 1926. His father was the Court-appointed photographer for the Hapsburgs, and their Regent, Admiral Horthy, who offered them special protection from the anti-Jewish laws when the Germans invaded Hungary in March 1944. On October 17, 1944 – after the Horthy government fell and was replaced by the Nazi Arrow Cross --- this protection was no longer valid. Tom, then only 19, made his way across Budapest to the Swedish Legation to seek protection for himself and his family. Raoul Wallenberg immediately took him on as his photographer and so Tom began, first by providing the photographs for the Swedish schutz-passes, then by documenting refugee and relief work – and as the situation became increasingly dangerous, round-ups of Jews.

Tom, under cover and at great risk, at Wallenberg’s request, took photos at the freight train depot on the outskirts of Budapest where thousands of Jews were being loaded onto cattle cars to be sent to the death camps at the end of November, 1944. He recounted how many Jews were saved through Wallenberg’s ingenuity – using his black ledger “Book of Life” to take back anyone whom he said was inscribed in the book, whether true or not, or who handed him a piece of paper. On these occasions, Tom himself took a relative and a Hungarian actor off one of the trains and opened a door that others could join the line of those returning safely to the City.

As the situation became more critical with the Soviet advance, Veres was also called upon to document troop movements in relation to the Ghetto. He was a direct witness to Wallenberg’s struggle to protect the 30,000 in protective houses from being added to the 70,000 Ghetto Jews in danger of being mortared. Veres was also among those close to Wallenberg whom he invited to join him on his trip to Debrecen. He declined because his parents had been taken, and he went off to try and determine their fates – only later to learn that they had been shot and thrown into the Danube.

As a photographer in New York, Tom Veres’ office were for many decades on Lexington Avenue near Grand Central Station and facing the United Nations – a far cry from Budapest where in the later days darkroom development was constantly on the move, until Wallenberg began to send the undeveloped film home to Sweden in diplomatic pouch for safe keeping. As he watched streets and monuments being raised in Wallenberg’s name – he himself made certain that people knew the man and the human being. He said, “Raoul Wallenberg not only saved lives but left a mark on those he saved – shaped their thoughts and their actions.”

The Independent Investigation is particularly grateful to Tom Veres, not only for his photographs which may be seen throughout the web site thanks to the permission of his family, but for his eye witness accounts.

Tom Veres Sr. died in July of 2003. He is survived by his wife, Adele, their son Tom and his wife. Cheryl.