commemorative plaque to Ángel Sanz-Briz

The commemorative plaque to Ángel Sanz-Briz sits on the facade of a building at Calle Velázquez 93, in Madrid's Salamanca district — the diplomat's former home. It is a modest marker, but one with real historical weight, honoring a Spaniard whose wartime actions saved thousands of lives.

Who was Ángel Sanz-Briz?

Ángel Sanz-Briz was born in Zaragoza and spent much of his life connected to Madrid, where he lived in the building now marked at Velázquez 93. Between 1943 and 1944 he served as chargé d'affaires of the Spanish legation in Budapest. It was there, during the German occupation of Hungary, that he carried out the actions for which he is remembered today.

Why does the plaque honor him?

Sanz-Briz made use of a Spanish law that allowed descendants of Sephardic Jews — expelled from Spain centuries earlier — to claim Spanish nationality. Although only a small number of Budapest's Jews, roughly 200, had genuine Sephardic ancestry, he extended protective documents on this same legal basis to a far wider group of Hungarian Jews. As a result, he is credited with saving the lives of an estimated 5,200 people, with some sources placing the figure between 5,000 and 6,000. He worked alongside the rescue network run by Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who was active in Budapest at the same time.

For this work, Sanz-Briz became known as the "Angel of Budapest" — a title later used for a Spanish television miniseries about his life. He also features in accounts of Giorgio Perlasca, the Italian businessman who took over his rescue efforts after Sanz-Briz was forced to leave Budapest.

Where exactly is the plaque located?

The plaque is mounted on the building at Velázquez 93, in a quiet, elegant stretch of the Salamanca district — one of Madrid's most refined neighborhoods, known for its late-19th and early-20th-century apartment blocks and its proximity to Paseo de la Castellana. It is not a major tourist stop, but it offers a meaningful pause for visitors interested in the history of wartime diplomacy and civilian rescue during the Holocaust. Madrid's city council placed the plaque to recognize a resident of the capital whose most consequential work took place far from home, but in Spain's name.

Are there other places in Madrid linked to Sanz-Briz?

Yes. In the Latina district, the city named an avenue after him — Avenida de Sanz-Briz — inaugurated in 2014. Together with the plaque on Velázquez, it forms part of Madrid's small but deliberate landscape of memory dedicated to the diplomat's wartime record.

How do you get to the plaque?

Calle Velázquez runs through the heart of Salamanca, within easy reach of metro lines 4 and 9 and walking distance from Paseo de la Castellana and Retiro Park. The surrounding streets are pleasant for a slow walk, lined with elegant buildings and boutiques, making it easy to combine a visit to the plaque with some casual sightseeing nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the plaque to Ángel Sanz-Briz located? On the building at Calle Velázquez 93, in Madrid's Salamanca district — where the diplomat lived.

Why is Ángel Sanz-Briz honored with a plaque? As chargé d'affaires of the Spanish legation in Budapest between 1943 and 1944, he issued protective documents that saved thousands of Hungarian Jews, relying on a Spanish law covering descendants of Sephardic Jews.

How many people did Sanz-Briz save? Estimates point to around 5,200 people, though figures in different sources range from 5,000 to 6,000.

Are there other memorials to Sanz-Briz in Madrid? Yes — the Avenida de Sanz-Briz in the Latina district was named after him and inaugurated in 2014.