| Overview: | Giorgio Perlasca, a cattle dealer from Padua, managed to save more than 5,000 Jews by passing himself off as a Spanish Consul. Faced with what he saw as his absolute and selfless human duty, Perlasca confronted danger and terrible consequences and survived his heroic experience. He had been a staunchly nationalist fascist, even fighting for Franco during the Spanish Civil War. On September 8, 1943, when Italy signed the armistice, he happened to be in Hungary and so became a quarry for the local SS.
The shocking sight of the Jews persecuted in Budapest made him forget his initial plan to flee and, instead, in a totally unplanned manner, he decided to bring into play a testimonial given to him by Franco's Government.
Turning up in panic at the Spanish Embassy, he managed to talk the staff into validating his presence as consul.
In this disguise, with the help and cover of the Spanish Embassy, Perlasca displayed extraordinary courage and energy in tricking the Nazis, snatching the Jews from the death trains organized by Eichmann, and even foiling a last-minute plan to burn down the Budapest Ghetto along with its inhabitants.
He then returned home to a discreet life that lasted for almost fifty years: 44 years later, in 1988, Giorgio Perlasca was found living modestly in Padua by some of the Hungarian women whom he had saved. 1989, Giorgio Perlasca was awarded The Grand Golden Star Of Hungary and A Medal Of Honour from The State Of Israel that declared him "Just Among The Just" and had a tree bearing his name planted on The Road of The Just in Jerusalem. Shortly afterwards, Spain, Italy and The United States of America also honoured him for his extraordinary work.
He died in Padua in 1992.
|
tell us what you
