World War II · Film · 2009
John Rabe
The German head of Siemens in Nanking, a member of the Nazi Party, uses his standing with the Japanese to lead a safety zone that shelters hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians.
Where it happened
Follow the story across 3 places.
Stop 1: John Rabe's house and the Siemens compound
Key location
When Japanese planes bomb the city during his farewell party, Rabe opens his gates and hides the crowd under a giant Nazi flag.
Stop 2: Nanking Safety Zone
The committee struggles to feed and protect far more refugees than planned while the atrocities continue outside the zone.
Stop 3: Xiaguan riverfront
Recalled by Siemens, Rabe walks through the ruins to the river as the refugees he protected come out to thank him.
What really happened
John Rabe had lived in China for three decades when Japanese forces approached Nanjing in late 1937. Chosen to chair the International Committee for the Nanking Safety Zone because Germany was allied with Japan, he used his swastika armband and flag to turn soldiers away, sheltered hundreds of refugees in his own compound and wrote to Hitler about the atrocities.
Rabe left Nanjing in February 1938 and his diaries were only published in 1996. The film is broadly faithful to his role, but invents the apparent death of his wife Dora, who was not in Nanjing, and the climactic stand-off with Japanese tanks; the French headmistress is a stand-in for the American Minnie Vautrin.
Where to watch
Checking streaming services…
Full details
- Original title
- John Rabe
- Directed by
- Florian Gallenberger
- Countries
- Germany, China, France
- Languages
- German, English, Chinese, Japanese
- Released
- 2009
- Period
- –
- Theaters of war
- China & Southeast Asia
- Themes
- Biography
- True story
