Europe and the Soviet Union
Felix Rohatyn: From Austria and occupied France to American Diplomacy
A child refugee who fled the Nazis across three continents and returned to France as U.S. ambassador.
- Fled
- Austria and occupied France
- Status
- Refugee
- Arrived in the U.S.
- 1942
- Service
- U.S. Ambassador to France (1997 to 2000)
- Region
- Europe and the Soviet Union
Felix Rohatyn's Jewish family fled Austria and then Nazi-occupied France. Their escape ran through Marseille, Casablanca, Lisbon, and Rio de Janeiro on Brazilian visas before they reached the United States in 1942.
He became one of the best-known financiers in New York and later returned to France as U.S. Ambassador from 1997 to 2000.
Read the history behind this story on the Nazi Germany and Austria page, or browse all the diplomats.