Raoul Wallenberg Monument, London

The ten foot bronze statue in front of you honors Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved tens of thousands of lives during the Holocaust. Sculpted by Philip Jackson and unveiled in nineteen ninety seven, the work depicts Wallenberg standing against a textured bronze wall. If you look closely at the reverse side of that wall, you will see it is designed to appear draped with the Swedish flag, which is intricately composed of one hundred thousand protective passes known as Schutzpasses. These are the very documents Wallenberg used to shelter Jews in Budapest by designating buildings as Swedish territory, effectively placing them under the protection of his government. The monument stands here at this busy intersection to serve as a constant, public reminder of an individual who chose to intervene against a systemic machine of genocide.