Athens, 2015
De Romero was the ambassador of Spain in Greece
In the 40´s, during the Italian war, the house where we lived on Papakyriazi Street had no shelter, so we went to stay at my grandmother’s house, where there was one. My father thought… the Germans know me. They had been to my house, so he was not at ease and in January ’41 we left and came to Athens. We rented a studio apartment on the fourth floor of Guilford street. Yes, this was a house I would very much like to visit again but I am embarrassed to go knocking on their door. So, we stayed there. I went to school, kindergarten, at Berzan on Egypt Square. We were fine. My father had a very good friendship with de Romero and I often played with their daughter, Katerina […].The house of de Romero was on Skoufa street and the consulate was on the ground floor of the same building.
[…]
One night, on the 25th of March 1944, at dawn, there was a knock at the door, my father knew it was the Germans and delayed opening, so that his brother could leave the house from the kitchen door on the terrace, telephone de Romero and tell him ««on m’arrête» [they are arresting me]. So the door was opened, the German entered, they broke the telephone…Someone in civilian clothes came in and pointed to my father and they took him and left and told us to present ourselves, my mother and I, the next day at the synagogue. A few hours later, Mrs de Romero arrived in the embassy car and said to my mother “you are not going anywhere”. My mother replied, “I can not leave my husband on his own” and Mrs de Romero said “then leave Lola with me”. My mother said “ I can not make such a decision on my own”, so we left in the embassy car, they left me in the car with the driver. My mother and Mrs de Romero went and found my father, they discussed the matter and they said “wherever we go, Lola will also come.”
So they took me as well, I got out of the car and we went. From there they took us to Haidari. In Haidari was… Well, I do not remember much from Haidari. One day, Mrs de Romero came and whispered to my mother “bear in mind that the Germans know that you have jewelry with you, they will kill you in order to take it.” So they made… Mrs de Romero came with Father Eirinaios, I don’t know if anyone has spoken to you about Father Eirinaios. Father Eirinaios was the chancellor of the Spanish embassy, a priest, one of the Catholic priests that are… that celebrate together with the Orthodox. It is something different. He had an orphanage on Acharnon street and hid many children there.
So they formed a circle around them, the ladies came, they took out the loaves of bread, took out the jewelry, they had taken out the inside of the bread and she was writing: so and so gave me this, so and so gave me the other and started wearing them, or put them in her purse, for example Father Eirinaios picked up one piece and put it in his pocket… but the guards were there, the Germans… and they left. They did not hurt them.
We did not stay long in Haidari, since in April we left for the camp. In one of the documents I keep, I have the train itinerary, all of the cities the train passed. Mrs de Romero came to meet us at the station…I was a child and loved sugar coated almonds, so she brought me a big bag of them. So, in the train, what can I tell you, you know. My father would often take me in his arms and put me next to the small window, asking me to take deep breaths.
I celebrated my seventh birthday in the camp. My mother took a slice of bread, the Swedish Red Cross would give us some jam from time to time which she spread on top and she then placed seven matches to serve as candles, which she then lit.
Citation: “Lola Hassid-Angel”, Excerpts from her interview to Artemis Alcalay as part of the “Greek Jews Holocaust Survivors” project, Athens, 24 June 2015, https://greekjewsholocaustsurvivors.art/en/profile/lola-angel/