International travel document introduced in 1922 on the initiative of the well-known Norwegian polar explorer and then High Commissioner for Refugees of the League of Nations, Fridtjof Nansen (1861–1930). Originally intended for refugees from the former Russian Empire, the Nansen passport became the travel and identity document for Jews and other refugees who had become stateless due to wars and political upheaval. Until 1946 around 450,000 Nansen passports were issued and recognized by 52 state…