After December 13, 1937, Japanese forces perpetrated a brutal massacre in Nanjing, Jiangsu. During this period, American missionary Minnie Vautrin documented the atrocities in her diary, leaving behind irrefutable testimony of the devastation. Her work, Terror in Minnie Vautrin's Nanjing: Diaries and Correspondence, 1937–38, remains one of the most valuable records of the Nanjing Massacre, exposing the many crimes committed by the Japanese invaders.
Marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, known as the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, a revised edition of Terror in Minnie Vautrin's Nanjing: Diaries and Correspondence, 1937–38 was published. The book recounts the Japanese army's bombing and assault on Nanjing, the massacre itself, and subsequent colonial rule. Its translation and publication offer vital resources for further research on the Nanjing Massacre, as well as on the political, economic, and social conditions in Nanjing under occupation.
Born on September 27, 1886, in the small town of Secor, Illinois, Minnie Vautrin was a diligent and gifted student who completed her college education while working part-time. After graduating in 1912, she joined the Foreign Christian Missionary Society and was sent to Hefei, where she began her career in education and founded the San Ching Girls' Middle School.
In September 1919, Vautrin moved to Nanjing to serve as dean of studies at Ginling College. She later twice assumed the role of acting president of the institution, then known as Ginling Women's Arts and Science College. Through her dedication, she made significant contributions to the advancement of modern women's education in China and helped cultivate a generation of women who went on to play important roles in society.
In November 1937, as Japanese forces advanced toward Nanjing, Minnie Vautrin joined international colleagues in establishing a safety zone to protect Chinese civilians. From December 13 to 17, Ginling Women's Arts and Science College was converted into a refugee shelter. Records show that during this period, Vautrin, together with Tsen Shui Fang, director of dormitories, and other faculty members, sheltered more than 8,000 refugees. She personally witnessed the atrocities committed by Japanese troops, including mass killings and sexual violence. Despite the danger, she courageously cared for the displaced, even suffering beatings from the occupying soldiers. Her selfless efforts earned her the deep respect of the people of Nanjing, who honored her as the "Goddess of Mercy" and a savior in their time of suffering.
The trauma of the Nanjing Massacre, however, left Vautrin with severe stress. In May 1940, she returned to the United States due to illness. On May 14, 1941, at the age of 55, she ended her life by gas inhalation after a long struggle with mental and physical exhaustion.
(Originally published by the Gospel Times, the article has been edited under permission, and the author is a believer at a church in Fujian Province.)
- Edited by Karen Luo and translated by Poppy Chan
