Thirty-eight individuals from China and abroad were formally recognized this week as custodians of the Nanjing Massacre's historical memory, marking a significant expansion of global efforts to preserve one of Asia's most consequential wartime narratives. The 2025 cohort notably includes descendants of international rescuers for the first time, bridging continents through shared historical responsibility.
Among the honorees is Thomas Rabe, grandson of John Rabe – the German businessman who established a safety zone protecting 200,000 Chinese civilians during the 1937 atrocities. Megan Brady, great-granddaughter of American physician Richard Brady who documented Japanese military atrocities, also received certification alongside descendants of survivors and archival protectors.
This initiative by the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre, now in its fourth year, has evolved into a transnational preservation network. Participants commit to educational outreach, artifact conservation, and cross-border dialogue programs. 'By involving international families who risked their lives to save others, we're building living bridges between historical evidence and contemporary understanding,' stated memorial curator Zhang Jianjun.
The expanded program comes as China intensifies efforts to digitize survivor testimonies ahead of the 88th anniversary commemorations later this month. Current projects include virtual reality recreations of John Rabe's safety zone and multilingual oral history archives targeting global academic institutions.
