Telegram nº 243 from the MNE to the Portuguese Legation in Berlin with instructions that the German should be asked to convey to its Minister in Budapest necessary instructions to grant facilities to our Charge d’affaires in that city “regarding the protection of people of Semite origin to whom we have taken an interest … they are refugees at the Legation”.

(AHD – Cipher, Collection Telegrams to Berlin)

Confidential telegram nº 131 from the Legation in Budapest in which the Charge d’affaires requests permission to grant diplomatic asylum in his private residence to some people “of category” who had begged him, and Telegram nº 62 from the MNE (in reply) to Legation in Budapest saying “We wish to be but not to the extent where excessive magnanimity endanger cause of those already at issue”, and daring that it is not advisable to Increase the number of immune apartments.

(AHD – Cipher, Collection Telegrams to and Budapest)

Confidential telegram nº 129 from the Portuguese Legation in Budapest, reporting conversation with Councilor of the German Legation in which latter suggested that all matters pertaining to Jews should be handled by him and not by the Hungarian government; following this the Portuguese Charge d’affaires requested Lisbon to support his efforts with representations in Berlin.

(AHD – Cipher, Collection Telegrams from Budapest)

Telegram nº 58 from the MNE to the Portuguese Legation in Budapest supporting the suggestion of the Portuguese Legation to follow the Swedish Minister and emphasizing that efforts must be made to save as many refugees as possible, saying that “in a situation such as you describe our effort must be to save as many as possible of those who took refuge with us as possible”…

(AHD – R.N.P., 2º P., A. 49, M 112)

Telegram nº 126 from the Portuguese Legation in Budapest informing that Swedish Minister “Is attempting to save great number of Hungarian Semites who are in any way connected with Sweden, that is with family, relations or intellectual or commercial interests their country. Has already presented… about 700 Swedish passports without indication of nationality and explained to me that only 100 persons will actually be going to Sweden. Remainder, whose number he intends to raise even further will be interned in different houses which will figure not as outposts of the Swedish Legation but as being under its protection…I believe that this Legation should act similarly as in current circumstances only diplomatic asylum is efficient protection”. He makes it clear that all costs will be borne by the benefited people.

(AHD – R.N.P., 2º P., A. 49, M 112)

Telegram nº 125 from the Portuguese Legation in Budapest to the MNE saying “racial problem enters critical stage. German authorities will only allow Hungary Semites benefited by measures mentioned in my tel. 116, if Hungarian Government encourages deportation of the remainder to labor camp in Germany. Such imposition led Hungarian Government to greatly multiply number of benefited persons, some of whom will emigrate mainly to Palestine and another part will form part of concentration camp in Hungary”.

(AHD – R.N.P., 2º P., A. 49, M 112)

Confidential information on the situation of the Jews in Hungary at the start of August 1944, and note on the situation of the Jews in Hungary before 19 March 1944, and Memorandum addressed to the Portuguese Legation in Budapest on the situation of the Jews in Hungary, of the actions of the diplomatic representatives of the neutral countries and of the International Red Cross to protect Jews, suggesting a number of concrete measures and assuring that rescue expenses would be borne by the Jewish community.
(Documents delivered personally by Teixeira Branquinho, Portuguese Charge d’affaires in Budapest, to the General Secretary of the NME, in November 1944; it is believed that these documents were part of an awareness campaign carried out by the Jewish organization led by Otto Komoly, for the representatives of neutral countries and the International Red Cross in Budapest)

(AHD – 2º P., A. 49, M 112)

Telegram nº 117 from the Portuguese Legation Budapest on the difficulties raised by the Hungarian German authorities concerning the departure of sheltered at the Legation.

(AHD – R.N.P, 2º P., A. 49, M 112)

Telegram nº 116 from the Portuguese Legation in Budapest concerning the circular note distributed by the Hungarian Foreign Ministry informing that at the request of the Swedish Red Cross, the Palestine Emigration Board and the War Refugee Board, the Hungarian government had taken several measures to reduce the number or soften the treatment of Jews covered by anti-Jewish legislation, ending “according reserved information collected in official circles about 10 000 Jews will benefit. There are 300 000 Jews in Budapest. There are no signs of any in the provinces and it is said that the Jewish cleansing in this capital, provisionally suspended, or at least abated, will recommence shortly”.

(AHD – Cipher, Collection of Telegrams from Budapest)

Letter from André Wadianer, former Hungarian Minister in Lisbon, communicating a protest made by the Committee of Hungarian Ministers against the illegal government in Budapest and the persecution of the Jews.

(AHD – 2º P. A. 47, M 157)

Personal telegram from the Secretary General of the MNE to the Portuguese Minister in Bern asking him to speak with Minister Sampaio Garrido to remind him “concessions to too many refugees made without previous consultation or later communication to Portuguese government, thus made responsible by Minister. Only after incident violation of his house did we know here what really happened. Nevertheless this Ministry has from the beginning endeavored to the utmost to obtain exit refugees and Charge d’affaires has instructions accordingly and has taken proper steps which I have supported with Hungarian representative Lisbon. However it is inconvenient and impossible for actions Portuguese Legation Budapest to be directed by instructions or suggestions from Bern… if he has any he should send them here”.

(AHD – Cipher, Collection of Telegrams to Bern)

Telegram nº 42 from the MNE to the Portuguese Legation in Budapest authorizing the concession of Portuguese consular passports to the refugees who sought the protection of the Portuguese government and recommending that any document addressed to the German Minister “should carefully avoid naming nationalities and any allusion to refuge Legation which must be replaced by a vaguer formula such as “requested protection Portuguese Government to go to Portuguese territory”; this telegram also orders that the Charge d’affaires “should not imply that we have undertaken accept new [Hungarian) Minister

(in Lisbon) in exchange departure refugees, totally separate issues”.

(AHD – Cipher, Collection of Telegrams to Budapest)

Telegram nº 39 from the MNE to the Portuguese Legation in Budapest authorizing the concession of asylum to Madame Kende, grandmother of the wife of an American senator, on the recommendation of Minister Sampaio Garrido.

(AHD – R.N.P., 2º P., A. 49, M 112)

Telegram nº 38 from the MNE to the Portuguese Legation in Budapest informing that the Hungarian Charge d’affaires in Lisbon had been called to the MNE and that the Secretary General had told him that the steps taken by the Portuguese Charge d’affaires in Budapest on behalf of the refugees Represented not only the Portuguese Legation’s personal interest but also that of the Portuguese government in a matter it is thus supporting·

(AHD – Cipher, Collection of Telegrams to Budapest)