Imagine a world engulfed in darkness. This is the world that \u00c1ngel Sanz Briz entered in Budapest. We are standing before the \u00c1ngel Sanz Briz-eml\u00e9km\u0171 Stone a memorial to a hero.
\u00c1ngel Sanz Briz served as a Spanish diplomat. He was stationed here in Budapest. This was during the terrible years of World War II. He witnessed the horrors of the Holocaust.
Between June and December 1944, \u00c1ngel Sanz Briz saved thousands of Hungarian Jews. Some say he saved as many as 5000 lives. For this, he is often called the Angel of Budapest. Some even call him the Spanish Schindler.
After the German invasion of Hungary in March 1944, Adolf Eichmann arrived. His mission was to carry out the Final Solution. Sanz Briz acted quickly. He began informing his superiors about the atrocities.
With help from Giorgio Perlasca, Sanz Briz devised a plan. They aimed to save as many Jews as possible. He used a Spanish Royal Decree from 1924. This decree granted Spanish citizenship to people of Spanish ancestry. This was mainly for Sephardic Jews descendants of those expelled in 1492.
The law had expired in 1930. Still, Sanz Briz used it to issue passports. He also issued letters of protection. At first, this helped the Sephardic Jews in Hungary. Later, he extended his efforts to other Jews. He forged identity papers with Spanish-sounding names. He claimed they had relatives in Spain.
Sanz Briz rented as many as twelve houses in Budapest. He put up signs declaring them annexes to the Spanish legation. This granted diplomatic immunity to the Jews housed there. He arranged for their safe passage out of the country.
Initially, the Jewish community was skeptical. They were wary of a diplomat from Spain. Spain was a fascist regime. It was an ally of Germany. The Franco government had even sent troops to fight with the German army.
Despite this, Sanz Briz persisted. Soon, the Spanish legation was flooded with requests. People sought passports and letters of protection. No one who came to the legation left empty-handed.
Sanz Briz faced a shortage of blank passports. So he included multiple people on one passport. Sometimes as many as fifteen if they shared a last name. For letters of protection, he devised a clever system. He assigned a number and a letter to each one. This exponentially increased the number of letters issued.
When questioned by his superiors in Madrid, he insisted they were Spanish citizens. Sanz Briz used his diplomatic authority to its fullest. Once, he stopped a train bound for Auschwitz. He had learned that some passengers had his letters of protection.
He confronted Gestapo officials. As those with letters were released others surged forward hoping to be saved. Sanz Briz directed them to the Spanish legation. He told them to claim they had family in Spain.
After Hungary fell to the Soviet army, Sanz Briz was ordered to leave. He moved to Switzerland in November 1944. His heroic actions remained largely unknown until after the war.
After his death in 1980, his bravery was widely recognized. In 1989, Israel honored him as a Righteous Among Nations. In 1991, the Holocaust Museum added his name to its wall. In 1994, Hungary awarded him the Great Cross of the Order of Merit. The Great Synagogue of Budapest also has a plaque in his memory.
Since 2015, a street in Budapest bears his name. Madrid also has a street named after him. In 2016, Madrid awarded him its Gold Medal. Zaragoza, his hometown, has a bust and a plaza in his honor. In 2011, a Spanish TV network made a film about his life. It was called The Angel of Budapest.
Standing here before the \u00c1ngel Sanz Briz-eml\u00e9km\u0171 Stone we remember a true hero. A man who risked his life to save thousands. His legacy of courage and compassion continues to inspire us today.