Perlasca Giorgio

Perlasca, Giorgio Giorgio Perlasca (1910-1992) a native of Como, living in Padua, Italy, with his family, moved to Hungary in 1942, where he worked as the representative of an Italian beef exporter. Although he was a pro-fascist, and had fought in the mid 1930s in the Spanish Civil War on the side of General Franco, he was not willing to recognize the Salò Republic, which took power in part of Italy in September 1943, with the help of the Germans. He refused to cooperate with the German actions. After the German invasion of Hungary, Perlasca was sent to a detention camp. He escaped in mid-October 1944 and returned to Budapest. After a while, he found refuge in the Spanish embassy, thanks to his acquaintance with its authorized representative, Angel Sanz Briz* (see Spain). Around the time Perlasca returned to Budapest, the Arrow Cross Party rose to power in Hungary. Murders on the streets, in the houses of the ghetto, and on the banks of the river Danube, as well as death marches were daily scenes. Hundreds of thousands of Jews were still alive in the embattled city of Budapest, or in the military labor-service companies. International organizations and embassies tried to come to the aid of these remaining Jews by giving them documents declaring that they were under their protection. They also designated “protected houses” where the Jews could live. However, the efficacy of this arrangement depended on the courage of individual diplomats, and was measured in their willingness to stand up to the Arrow Cross gangs, who regularly entered protected houses to attack Jews. The Spanish embassy gave some 3,000 letters of protection to Jews who had some connection to Spain, or to Jews in general, and set up a number of protected houses. However, in December 1944, Sanz Briz left Hungary. In the Spanish embassy itself there remained only the official seals, embassy letterheads, several lower-ranking diplomats and a secretary. There were also several dozen Jews in thebuilding who had found refuge there. In the absence of an ambassador, the responsibility for the Spanish embassy affairs fell on the Swedish ambassador, Carl Danielsson* (see Sweden), who stayed in his post until the end of the war. Then came Perlasca’s finest hour. With the cooperation of the embassy’s advisor Dr. Farkas, and an activist in the underground named László Szamosi, Perlasca simply pretended to be the representative of Spain. He changed his name to Jorge, and signed letters issued by the diplomatic corps calling for the end of anti-Jewish persecutions. He presided over negotiations with the authorities and promised, in Spain’s name, to recognize the authority of the Arrow Cross. Perlasca even went to the torture chambers and jails of the Arrow Cross to get Jews released, and personally, or with the help of his aides, distributed letters of protection to those who were being deported on the death marches. Thanks to these documents many Jews were allowed to return from the marches, or from the border. Perlasca and those who worked with him provided shelter and food for the Jews who were in the Spanish protected houses. More than once he coolly used his false identity to throw Arrow Cross gangs out of the houses, when they entered and threatened to murder or deport the Jewish residents. He acted with great courage until the liberation. After the war, Perlasca returned to Italy. Dozens of those he had saved accompanied him to the train station and saw him off with an emotional farewell. Perlasca received an award at Yad Vashem in the presence of representatives of Italy, Spain, Hungary and Israel. Perlasca died in Padua on August 15, 1992. According to his wish, on his tomb was inscribed in Hebrew “ Righteous Among the Nations.” Enrico Deaglio wrote a book about his life: The banality of goodness: the story of Giorgio Perlasca. On June 9, 1988, Yad Vashem recognized Giorgio Perlasca as Righteous Among the Nations.