This week the book “El Ángel de Budapest” (Angel of Budapest), by Julio Martín Alarcón (Madrid, 1977), was presented in Hungary. The presentation was split in three separated events: On Monday 24th of April, in the morning, the writer made a speech at the Department of Spanish of the Budapest Eötvös Loránd University. Later on, in the afternoon, hosted by the Cervantes Institute, and officially opened by the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. José Ángel López Jorrin, the book presentation took place. The author and Erzsebet Dobos, Holocaust researcher and university lecturer, talked on the topic after the Ambassador’s speech. One of those over five thousand Jews saved from death by the Angel of Budapest attended this emotional presentation. Finishing the event, Julio Martín travelled on Tuesday to the University of Szeged, where he talked with students of Hispanic Philology about his latest work.
“Angel of Budapest” is a piece of research which explains the terrible situation Jews in this city had to face during WWII in Hungary. Facing many dramatic events, diplomats from some nations, among them Ángel Sanz Briz, managed to rescue thousands of people by issuing safe-conducts to Hungarian Jews who were threatened to be deported to extermination camps.