Tadeusz Ludwik Romer (6 December 1894 in Antanašė near

Rokiškis Rokiškis () is a list of cities in Lithuania, city in northeastern Lithuania, close to the Latvia–Lithuania border, with a population of 11,606 (2023). The city is a capital of the Rokiškis District Municipality with a population of 28,715 (20 ...

- 23 March 1978 in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

) was a Polish diplomat and politician.

Life and career

He was a personal secretary to Roman Dmowski in 1919. Later he joined the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he served as Polish ambassador to Italy, Portugal, Japan (1937-1941) and the Soviet Union (1942-1943). Then he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Polish Government in Exile (1943-1944). After the war, he settled in Canada, where he lectured at

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

. From August 1940 to November 1941, he got transit visas in Japan, asylum visas to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Burma, immigration certificates to Palestine, and immigrant visas to the United States and some Latin American countries for two thousand Polish-Lithuanian Jewish refugees, who arrived into

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

, Japan, and Shanghai Ghetto, China. Romer worked as the head Polish ambassador in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

until the Polish embassy in Japan closed in July 1941. Romer’s work helped fund Polish Jewish refugees and ensure visas into Japan. He created a ‘Polish Committee to Aid the Victims of War’ and appointed his wife, Zofia to be president of the committee. They worked to financially support Jewish communities in

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

and Kobe by campaigning in far eastern countries for funding. Romer’s position became increasingly important after the United States closed off

immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as Permanent residency, permanent residents. Commuting, Commuter ...

. Romer’s Polish ambassador position was one of the only beacons of hope for

Jewish refugees This article lists expulsions, refugee crises and other forms of displacement that have affected Jews. Timeline The following is a list of Jewish expulsions and events that prompted significant streams of Jewish refugees. Assyrian captivity ...

stuck in Japan. Romer negotiated with Polish allies for immigration options for refugees. For example, Canada offered multiple opportunities for refugees interested in contributing to the Allied war effort. By October 1942, Romer was exiled from Japan but found a new position as a Polish consultant working in Shanghai. Romer expected the job to be temporary. However, after

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...

the routes from Shanghai to the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

became extremely dangerous to trek, hence he couldn’t relocate in the USSR. Romer suggested an analytical report of the Polish War refugees living in Shanghai. In June 1942 Romer planned to record the gender, age and political parties of Polish refugees in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

. The main goal of the 40-page report was finished was to analyze the communities’ resources, activities and figure future plans for the Polish refugees. This report was published in August 1942 and gave refugees a strong sense of Polish pride which inspired many refugees to resist moving into stateless Shanghai Ghetto that were enforced by the Japanese Government. In August 1942 Romer embarked on a

prisoner exchange A prisoner exchange or prisoner swap is a deal between opposing sides in a conflict to release prisoners: prisoner of war, prisoners of war, spy, spies, hostages, etc. Sometimes, cadaver, dead bodies are involved in an exchange. Geneva Conven ...

to East Africa. He used this exchange as an escape route for some Polish refugees.

References

External links

* Olga Barbasiewicz, Ph.D.
"Polish Ambassador to Japan Tadeusz Romer and Jewish War Refugees in the Far East"
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Romer, Tadeusz 1894 births 1978 deaths Ambassadors of Poland to Italy Academic staff of McGill University Polish politicians Jewish Chinese history Ambassadors of Poland to Portugal Ambassadors of Poland to Japan Ambassadors of Poland to the Soviet Union Tadeusz Polish diplomats People from Rokiškis District Municipality Polish exiles Polish emigrants to Canada

Life and career

See also

Archives

References

External links