Wallenberg made honorary S.F. citizen

The S.F. Board of Supervisors conferred honorary citizenship on Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved the lives of tens of thousands of Hungarian-born Jews during World War II, on Tuesday, Oct. 26, at City Hall.

"Raoul Wallenberg's example sets a standard of humanitarianism that deserves recognition in generation after generation," said Rep. Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo), who was saved by Wallenberg. "With this rarely granted honorary citizenship, the City of San Francisco declares that we should all remember and emulate Wallenberg's legacy of courage, self-sacrifice and compassion."

At the urging of Lantos, San Francisco declared its first Raoul Wallenberg Day under then-mayor Dianne Feinstein more than 20 years ago. This week's resolution was drafted by S.F. Supervisor Aaron Peskin.