Sebastián de Romero, a Spanish diplomat who saved Jews

Sebastián de Romero diplomat

The Diplomat

His name wasn’t Schindler; it was Romero. No blockbuster films recount his story, just as many other Spanish diplomats remain largely unknown. Yet, like his colleagues, Sebastián de Romero Radigales risked everything to protect men, women, and children marked for death simply because they were Jewish. In 2014, he was officially recognized as Righteous Among the Nations.

It was April 1943 when Romero arrived in Athens as Spain’s Consul General. From his first day, he committed himself to rescuing Sephardic Jews—around 800 individuals scattered across Athens and Salonica—from torture, deportation, and death.

Romero used every strategy he could. He arranged for Jewish belongings to be stored safely within the Spanish Embassy to prevent them from falling into Nazi hands. He also issued a public decree offering Spanish nationality to all Sephardic Jews without demanding specific criteria. Sebastián de Romero diplomat

His defiance quickly drew the ire of Germany’s ambassador to Athens, Günter Altenburg. In a letter dated April 30, 1943, Altenburg expressed frustration over Romero’s continued interference, urging Berlin to pressure Spanish authorities into silencing him.

Between March and June 1943, approximately 48,000 Jews from Salonica were deported to extermination camps. Romero could only advocate for Sephardic Jews due to their ties to Spain. He managed to secure the evacuation of 150 individuals on an Italian military train. For months, he fought relentlessly to prevent the deportation of another 367 people. Although initially unsuccessful, his persistence eventually paid off. In February 1944, Germany finally authorized their transfer to Spain. Sebastián de Romero diplomat

In 2014, Yad Vashem officially honored Sebastián de Romero Radigales for his courage and unwavering sense of justice. Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the recognition as a deeply symbolic gesture, acknowledging Romero’s integrity and humanity.

Romero was not alone. Other Spanish diplomats—Ángel Sanz-Briz, Eduardo Propper de Callejón, Bernardo Rolland de Miota, José Rojas Moreno, Miguel Ángel de Muguiro, Julio Palencia Tubau, Juan Schwartz Díaz-Flores, and José Ruiz Santaella—also defied the expectations of Franco’s Spain. Together, they stood against the tide of cruelty, driven by a profound sense of duty and compassion.

The Passport Sebastián de Romero diplomat

A post-war Spanish passport from 1946 issued in Jerusalem with a passport extension for one year made my Sebastián de Romero in Athens in 1947. Clearly visible signature. A rare signature.

And here, a Spanish passport issued in Athens by diplomat Sebastián de Romero Radigales for a Jewish couple in 1943.

 

Tom Topol | Passport History Expert & Author.
Featured in media incl. CNN, BBC, Newsweek. Awarded by the U.S. Department of State.
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