Ángel Sanz Briz
Encyclopedia
Ángel Sanz Briz was a Spanish
diplomat during World War II
who helped save many Hungarian Jews from Nazi
persecution.
After studying law, his first diplomatic posting was to Cairo
. He was sent to Budapest
in 1942 where he is credited with saving the lives of 5,200 Jews from the Holocaust/Shoah by using his influence and the facilities of the Spanish embassy. In 1944, as the Red Army
approached Budapest
, he was ordered to leave for Switzerland
. Giorgio Perlasca
, an Italian veteran of the Spanish Civil War
, continued his labor with fake documents.
After these events Mr Sanz Briz continued his diplomatic career: he was posted to San Francisco and Washington, DC, Lima
, Bern, Bayonne
, Guatemala
, The Hague
, Brussels
and China
(1973, where he became the first Spanish ambassador). In 1976 he was sent to Rome as Ambassador of Spain before the Holy See
, where he died on June 11, 1980.
Mr Sanz Briz himself tells how he was able to save the lives of so many Jews, in Federico Ysart's book "Los judíos en España" (1973). He is also the subject of the 2011 Spanish television series El ángel de Budapest
.
In 1991 Mr Sanz Briz was recognized by the Holocaust Museum Yad Vashem
of Israel, and gave his heirs the title of Righteous Among the Nations. In 1994 the Hungarian government gave him the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
diplomat during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
who helped save many Hungarian Jews from Nazi
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
persecution.
After studying law, his first diplomatic posting was to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. He was sent to Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
in 1942 where he is credited with saving the lives of 5,200 Jews from the Holocaust/Shoah by using his influence and the facilities of the Spanish embassy. In 1944, as the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
approached Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, he was ordered to leave for Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Giorgio Perlasca
Giorgio Perlasca
Giorgio Perlasca was an Italian who posed as the Spanish consul-general to Hungary in the winter of 1944, and saved thousands of Jews from Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.-Early life:...
, an Italian veteran of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, continued his labor with fake documents.
After these events Mr Sanz Briz continued his diplomatic career: he was posted to San Francisco and Washington, DC, Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, Bern, Bayonne
Bayonne
Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(1973, where he became the first Spanish ambassador). In 1976 he was sent to Rome as Ambassador of Spain before the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
, where he died on June 11, 1980.
Mr Sanz Briz himself tells how he was able to save the lives of so many Jews, in Federico Ysart's book "Los judíos en España" (1973). He is also the subject of the 2011 Spanish television series El ángel de Budapest
El ángel de Budapest
El ángel de Budapest is a Spanish 2011 television World War II-Holocaust miniseries based on the book "Un español frente al Holocausto" written by journalist and radio executive director Diego Carcedo...
.
In 1991 Mr Sanz Briz was recognized by the Holocaust Museum Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....
of Israel, and gave his heirs the title of Righteous Among the Nations. In 1994 the Hungarian government gave him the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary.
External links
- The angel of Budapest - Angel Sanz Briz [1910-1980, by Salvo Haim Alhadeffas in the European Sephardic Institute
- Ángel Sanz Briz: International Raoul Wallenberg foundation