Figure 1.--Here is the Swiss safe house in Budapest which was called the Glass House because it was an old glass factory. It was run by Swiss diplmat Carl Lutz. Jews with documents with any kind of official cachet, including the Salvadoran nationality certificates, could gain entry. Note the Jews with baboes in arms attempting to gain entry. Once in side they were safe. Even Eichmann and his agents were not allowed to seize the Jews inside because of the need to maintain relations with the Swiss. Source: Salvadoran Ministry of Foreign Relations.

El Salvador is the smallest of the Latin American republics. At the beginning of the War the president was sympathetic to the Germans, as was the case in several other Latin American regimes. And the population was as was the case throughout South and Central America had a largely anti-Semetic attitude. Despite this a Salvadoran diplomat helped save about 30,000 Hungarian Jews. Col. José Arturo Castellanos before World War II while on official business in Europe before the War met a Hungarian Jewish businessman, George Mandel. The two become friendly. After Hiler launched the War (1939), Col. Castellanos is posted to various European cities. Mandel as Hitler succeeds begin his conquests and receives accounts of NAZI actions begins to understand the danger. He contacted Col. Castellanos who made him an honorary Salvadoran diplomat and passport. Mandel changed his name to Mandel-Mantello to make it more Spanish sounding. Castellanos began to issue small numbers of Salvadoran visas to other Jews. Unlike other Latin American diplomats he did not sell these visas for large sums. Col. Castellanos with the Germans begining large-scale killing, brought Mandel to Geneva and made him First Secretary without authorization of his government. The two decide to issue Salvadoran documents to help save Jews. This began with small numbers which is probably why the NAZIs did not complain to the Salvadoran Government and have Col. Castellanos recalled.

Salvadoran Jews

Jews were not allowed in what is now El Salvador during the Spanish colonial period. A few Jews emigrated to El Salvador during the early 19th century, mostly Sephardic French Jews. El Salvador’s first know Jew was Alsatian-born Bernardo Haas (1868). He incouraged his nephews Lazaro and Julian Dreyfus (related to Captain Alfred Dreyfus) to join him. Leon Liebes was the first documented German Jew (1888). President Martinez openly supported Fascism during the 1930s. The NAZIs seized power in Germany (1933). El Salvador's small Jewish population attempted to aid their relatives by obtaining entry visas for them. This was especially the case after the Niremberg Laws were encted (1935) and conditions became even more difficult for German Jews. The Government made emigration difficult for Jews and cloesed it off entirely (1939). Salvadoran Jews tried to get entry vusas for their relatives from less histile Latin American governments. President Martinez personally blocked the entry of 50 Jewish refugees on the German ship Portland (July 30, 1939). The refugees had paid $500 for Salvadoran entry visas in Budapest and Amsterdam, but thee President had them declared “fraudulent” and the refugees were forced to returned to Germany. The small Jewish community founded the Comunidad Israelita de El Salvador (1944). They opened a Jewish community center (1945). The situation for Jews improved after the War. A small number of Ashkenazi refugees emigrated to El Salvador. El Salvador recognized the State of Israel (1948). The Jewish community opned the country's first synagogue (1950). Salvadoran Jews founded the Instituto Cultural El Salvador-Israel (1956). There are believed to be about 200 Jews in El Salvador.

Martinez Dictatorship (1931-44)

General Hernandez Martinez seized power in a military coup (1931). EI Salvador's Communist Party under Farabundo Marti 6 weeks later was quickly supressed. President Martinez began a bloody operation to purge the country of Communists and Communist sympathizrs. The resulting massacres left 40,000 peasants dead and virtually wiped out the country's indigenous (Native Anerican) culture. The Army raided horels looking for Communists and other subversives. Men with blond hair were suspected of bring Russians. Prisoners were forced to dig pits and were then shot. Martinez was an admirer of Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler when he seized power in Germany (1933). He was known to preside over celebrations of Hitler's birthday. Martinez appointed two pro-NAZI German citizens to important posts. Baron Wilhelm von Hundelshausen was both German consul and manager of the government-owned Banco Hipotecario (Mortgage Bank). General Eberhardt Bonstedt was put in chzrge of the Escuela Militar, the Salvadoran Military Academy. Martinez even found an Italian aviator to train Salvadoran airmen. Martinez became known in Washingtn as a fascist sympathizer. His actions were also notedin Berlin. Trade with Germay increased, The Government supported General Franco diplomatically. When a El Diario de Hoy editor praised democracy in France on Bastille Day, he was suspended for 15 days (1938). The Editor-in-Chief was exiled to New York. Most reporters opposed Martinez, but did not dare criicize him openly. The university newspaper, Opinión Estudiantil was closed throughout the Martinez era. There was a public celebration for Hitler's birthday (1939).

World War II (1939-45)

President Martinez at the beginning of the War was sympathetic to the Germans, as was the case in several other Latin American regimes. And the population, as was the case throughout South and Central America. had a largely anti-Semetic attitude. While President Marinez was openly suportive of the Germans and Italians, with Pacific coast, he was not in a position to offer any assistance to them. U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt had from an early point of his administration, announced the Good Neighbor Policy (1934). An element in that policy was no interference in the internal affais of Latin American countries. This changed with the outbreak of the War. The Roosevelt administration pushed for “Pan American Solidarity”. Given that several Latin American governments, and not just El Salvador, were pro-Axis, this required the Administration to do just what it had pledged not to do. Not only was Martinez pro-Axis, but it took 3 years for the United States to recognize his government. The United States pushed Latin American governments to move against Axis agents. This was a somewhat ham-fisted efforted as the United states was asking Latin American countries to deport German nationals which in some cases included German Jewish refugees. The American pressure worked. Martinez shifted his policies and moved against Axis agents. He shut down a NAZI radio station and associated presses. Only a few days after Pearl Harbor, El Salvador declared war on the Axis countries (1941).

Col. José Arturo Castellanos

During the Martinez dictatorship, military officers were appointed to many government positions and this included the diplomagic corps. One such officer was Col. José Arturo Castellanos. He ws given assignments in Europe before World War II. It is at this time that he met a Hungarian Jewish businessman, George Mandel. The two became friendly. After Hiler launched the War (1939), Col. Castellanos is posted to various European cities. Finally he was made Genereral Consul in Geneva (1942).

George Mandel

Mandel as Hitler succeeds begin his conquests and receives accounts of NAZI actions begins to understand the danger. He contacted Col. Castellanos who made him an honorary Salvadoran diplomat and passport. Mandel changed his name to Mandel-Mantello to make it more Spanish sounding. Castellanos began to issue small numbers of Salvadoran visas to other Jews. Unlike other Latin American diplomats he did not sell these visas for large sums. Col. Castellanos with the Germans begining large-scale killing, brought Mandel to Geneva and made him First Secretary , an action the Salvaoran Government under President Martinez would not have approved.

Geneva Plan

The two decide to issue Salvadoran documents to help save Jews. This began with small numbers which is probably why the NAZIs did not complain to the Salvadoran Government and have Col. Castellanos recalled.

Hungary in World War II (1941-45)

German diplomacy during the 1930s sought to bring Hungary within the NAZI orbit. The NAZIs used financial enducements as well as the growing strength of Fascist elements in the country. Hungary also had territorial claims on neighboring countries which it hoped to avhieve through cooperation with the NAZIS. Hungary which had fought with Germany (as Austro-Hungary) in World War I, joined the Axis (November 20, 1940). Hitler rewarded the Hungarians with a substantial slice of Romania at the Vienna conference (November ? 1940). The Hungarians cooperated in the NAZI invasion of Yugoslavia (April 1941). Admiral ordered Hungarian military units to occupy territory claimed by Hungary in Yugoslavia. These areas had ethnic Hungarian populations. Hungary subsequently annexed a part of Vojvodina. German successes in the early phases of World War II convinced many in Europe that the NAZIs would prevail in the War. This strengthened the position of right-wing Fascist elements in the country. Admiral Horthy named right-wing politician Laszlo Bardossy to succeed Teleki as primeminister. Bardossy as a NAZI ally led Hungary into World War II. Hungary played a modest role in Basrbarossa (1941), but after the Soviet Winter ofensive (December 1941), the NAZI compelled Hungary to mobilize additional forces in the German Summer offensice (1942). The Soviets devestated the Hungarian Second Army as part of its Stalingrad offensive. Hungary subsequently withdrew its army rom the Eastern Front (April 1943). Hitler fearing that Hungary was preparing to sign a separate peace occupied the country (March 1944). When the Red Army arrived (September 1944), Hungary became an intense battlefield. Hitler rushed in reserves, but in doing so depleted the forces needed to defend Berlin.

NAZIs Seize Hungary (March 1944)

A furious Adolf Hitler decided to occupy Hungary, exacperated with Hungarian duplicity. He concluded that this was the only way of precenting the Hungarians from withdrawing from the War and signinging a separate peace and to ensure that Hungary continued to support the war effort and the to get his hands on the surviving Hungarian Jews. Kallay eluded the Germans and took asylum in the Turkish embassy. Hitler engineered the appointment of Hungaian Fascist Dome Sztojay, as prime minister. The new government began arresting political opponens, banned labor unions, and resumed the deportation of Jews. The attempt to assasinate Hitler (July 1944) caused some confusion. Admiral Horthy replaced Sztojay with General Geza Lakatos and stopped the deportation of Jews from Budapest (August 1944). Budapest at the time had the only significan population of Jews that had not yet been deported.

Salvadoran Nationality Certificates for Hungarian Jews

The NAZIs by 1942 were intent or murder. Thus visas were useless. Castellanos and Mandel began issuing Salvadoran nationality certificates. And with the NAZI takeover in Hungary, they began issuing them in large numbers. This was made possible in part because of the ouster of President Martinez. The documents were hurridely prepared. They were issued to Jews names that had not a hint of a Spanish name. Somnetoimes documents were forwarded with blank entries to be filled in upon receipt. They were typed in Geneva and shipped via diplomatic corrier to Budapest. [Montgomery] The NAZis from the beginning of their murderous regime operated outside of the law. Even so there remained a strong bent toward formalities and documents. This and the NAZI Government's desire to maintain diplomatic relations with the few countries that still maintained relations (especially Sweden and Switerland), gave the make-shift Salvadoran operation a chance.

Swiss Role

El Salvador under U.S. pressure, El Salvador had declared war on Germany. Thus Col Castellanos could not travel to Budapest himself. He managed to secure the cooperation of Swiss diplomats. The NAZIs at the time were anxious to maintain relations with the Swiss. Swiss diplomats carried the Salvadoran documents to Budapest. They also set up safe houses where Jews with proof of foreign nationality could seek protection. [Montgomery] Eichmann and his agents were not allowed to enter the safe houses. The Swiss program in Budapest was run by Carl Lutz. Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg conducted an even more aggressive operation. The Swiss safe house was called the Glass House because it was set up in an abandoned glass factory.

Results

So it was that El Salvador, the smallest of the Latin American republics and once a string supporter of Hutler and the NAZIs, played an important role in saving Hyngarian Jews. We are not sure how many visas and naturalization certificates were issued. Estimares range from 9,000 to 13,000. But as the certificates were often issued for whole families, a single certicate could cover several people. Some historians beliece that Col. Castellanos and Mandel saved about 30,000 Jews.

Sources

Montgomery, David. "Unsung savior: A Salvadoran diplomat in Nazi Europe Lent his nations's protection to Hungarian Jews," WAshington Post (Juky 15, 2008), pp. C1-2.

Created: 7:27 AM 7/16/2008
Last updated: 7:27 AM 7/16/2008