Paul Rusesabagina

Paul Rusesabagina ( born June 15, 1954 in Murama - Gitarama ) is a former Rwandan hotel manager who was known by a bailout during the genocide of the Tutsis.

Life

Rusesabagina was deputy head of the Hôtel des Mille Collines and later the manager of the hotel Diplomate, both in Kigali. In 1994, Rusesabagina the line of the Hôtel des Mille Collines, where he managed to keep 1268 people from certain death. Paul Rusesabagina, the Hutu and even married to a Tutsi who now lives in Belgium as a taxi owner.

In 2000, Paul Rusesabagina was awarded the Immortal Chaplains Prize for Humanity; he was awarded in 2005, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Criticism

According to a report in the Süddeutsche Zeitung and other media should Rusesabagina have taken money from the refugees, as if they were hotel guests. Those who could not pay, allegedly got no water or food and should have been locked out of the hotel room. Partly it is to have instead of cash requires the transfer of title of property. Rusesabagina defends itself against the allegations. He had initially taken money from hotel guests, but was still in a situation as not to be reckoned with genocide. Terry George, director of the film Hotel Rwanda, also protested against the allegations.

Others

The film Hotel Rwanda is based primarily on the history Rusesabaginas, the main role is played by Don Cheadle. Occasionally, he was called for his courageous actions as " Oskar Schindler of Rwanda ".

Publications

• Paul Rusesabagina, Tom Zoellner: An ordinary man. The real story behind " Hotel Rwanda ". Berlin -Verlag, Berlin 2006, ISBN 3-8270-0633-3