Perhaps, a single act of courage can alter the course of history. The Ángel Sanz-Briz Plaque stands here as a testament to such bravery. It commemorates a Spanish diplomat. He saved thousands from the Holocaust.
Ángel Sanz-Briz was a thirty-year-old diplomat. He was stationed in Budapest in 1944. There he witnessed the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust. This Ángel Sanz-Briz Plaque marks a place connected to his extraordinary actions.
Most countries abandoned their embassies. But the Spanish embassy remained. Sanz-Briz used a decree from Primo de Rivera. It granted Spanish nationality to Sephardic Jews. He issued provisional passports. He worked at a rate of thirty per hour. These passports went to anyone who could prove a distant link to Spain.
For others he issued safe passage documents. These had the Spanish coat of arms. They bore many official stamps. These documents were based on citizenship requests. Sanz-Briz rented refuge apartments at his own expense. These flew the Spanish flag. Labels declared the residents were “attached to the Spanish legation”. Even Red Cross centers sought his protection.
Ángel Sanz-Briz’s actions saved between five and six thousand Jews. He collaborated with Raoul Wallenberg. Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat. Together they helped over 100,000 people.
Madrid honors Ángel Sanz-Briz with this plaque. It marks the house where he lived. He is known as “The Angel of Budapest”. He provided shelter, food and medical assistance. He secured their safety.
Sanz-Briz defended the historical ties between Spain and Sephardic Jews. He argued that most residents were of this origin. Only a little more than 200 actually were.
The Israeli parliament honored him as “Righteous Among the Nations”. They planted a tree in his honor. A plaque in Yad Vashem commemorates him. A street in Brooklyn New York bears his name.
The mayor of Madrid paid tribute to Ángel Sanz-Briz. She highlighted his stand against the Holocaust. She also acknowledged Sebastián de Romero Radigales. He assisted Jews in Athens and Thessaloniki. A plaque marks Romero Radigales’s Madrid home. It is located on Paseo de Rosales 22.
Ángel Sanz-Briz acted on his conscience at only 32 years old. His heroism remained largely unknown. He finally received recognition after his death in 1980. He was then the Spanish ambassador to the Holy See.
Madrid remembers Ángel Sanz-Briz. He is remembered as a hero who protected defenseless Jews. He confronted the atrocity of Nazism. This plaque serves as a reminder. It is a reminder to remember those who fought against extermination. Ángel Sanz-Briz’s legacy endures. He is an example of courage and compassion.