Thomas Rabe: Carrying the humanitarian legacy
At this year's Orchid Awards, established by China International Communications Group, German professor and medical expert Thomas Rabe was presented with the Friendship Envoy Award in recognition of his lifelong efforts to promote China-Germany friendship and carry forward the humanitarian legacy of his grandfather, John Rabe.
Thomas Rabe standing beside the statue of his grandfather John Rabe. [Photo provided by Thomas Rabe]
A renowned gynecological endocrinologist and professor at Heidelberg University, Rabe has made notable contributions to medical cooperation between China and Germany. But beyond his professional achievements, it is his dedication to preserving and sharing his grandfather's legacy that has touched people in China and around the world.
John Rabe, remembered in China as the "Good Man of Nanjing," was a German businessman who helped establish the Nanjing Safety Zone during the Nanjing Massacre in 1937, saving the lives of more than 250,000 Chinese civilians.
Despite threats to his own life, John Rabe opened his home and workplace to refugees, declaring, "If you want to kill the Chinese here, you have to kill me first," recalled Thomas Rabe.
"Though being a member of the Nazi Party, he did not act ideologically, but with compassion and kindness. His actions were driven by empathy and a strong sense of justice," said Thomas Rabe.
For decades, the full extent of John Rabe's heroism remained unknown, until the discovery and publication of his diaries, which document in vivid detail the atrocities committed by the Japanese forces during the massacre. Thomas Rabe, who inherited the manuscripts from his father, made it his mission to bring these important historical records to light. In 2016, he donated the original Nanjing volumes of the diaries to China's Central Archives. The diaries are now part of UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.
"I believe young people must learn what really happened," said Thomas Rabe, emphasizing that people cannot change the world all at once, but can start by helping those around us. "That's what my grandfather did."
That same humanitarian spirit continues to live on through Thomas Rabe. He founded the John Rabe Communication Center in six cities around the world, including Nanjing and Heidelberg, which host exhibitions, lectures, and cultural events aimed at deepening understanding between China and Germany.
As a leading figure in gynecological endocrinology and reproductive medicine, Rabe has led numerous collaborative medical projects with Chinese institutions. With his support, Chinese teams reached milestones such as the country's first successful ovarian tissue transplantation and natural pregnancy post-treatment.
Thomas Rabe receives the Friendship Envoy Award of the 2025 Orchid Awards in Beijing, July 10, 2025. [Poster designed by Song Xiucheng/CICG]
Receiving the Orchid Award, Rabe said, "It's a big honor for me and my family to be here today. Because it's an honor not only for me, it's an honor for 117 years of collaboration between my family — over four generations — with China."
Looking ahead, Thomas Rabe is focused on carrying the legacy forward. He is currently working on a four-episode documentary series about John Rabe's life and values, which he hopes to bring to global audiences through collaboration with platforms like Netflix.
He shared that his son, Maximilian Rabe, has been learning Chinese. "I will continue the mission that started with my great-grandfather during the Japanese occupation in Nanjing, as well as the mission promoted by my father through for example the John Rabe Communication Center," said Maximilian Rabe, emphasizing that he will continue the legacy of promoting peace between Germany and China and also between China and the world.