Briefly: Ivan Vranetic

Ivan Vranetic, who died this week aged 84, was a Yugoslav partisan who saved Jews during the Holocaust and went on to head the organisation that honours non-Jews who saved Jews from the Nazis. Israel's Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem recognised Vranetic in 1970 as one of the "Righteous Among the Nations" for helping Jews find hiding places in Croatia during the Second World War.

After the war, Vranetic kept in contact with many of the people he had saved, among them Arna Montilio. Montilio immigrated to Israel, and though her mother would not let her marry a Gentile, she kept in touch with her rescuer. Around 20 years later he went to Israel and the two were married.

He was granted honorary Israeli citizenship and in 1986 was elected chairman of "Righteous Among the Nations". More than 22,700 Gentiles have been recognised by Yad Vashem for risking their lives to save Jews.