"Each Bulgarian Should Be Proud of Bulgarian Jews Rescue," Asen Suichmezov's Grandson Says

The rescue of the Bulgarian Jews during the Second World War should evoke a sense of pride in every Bulgarian, translator and journalist Asen Milchev said in an interview with BTA on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews. Milchev is the grandson of the merchant Asen Suichmezov - one of the participants in the rescue of Bulgarian Jews in Kyustendil.

"People hardly perceived this as a heroic act back then. Later it was found that they did something very significant, which put Kyustendil on the map of humanity in Europe", Milchev pointed out.

He shared what his family used to say about the days in March 1943 when a group of brave Bulgarians, including his grandfather, opposed the deportation of Bulgarian Jews.

Kyustendil - city of tolerance

"Why did this happen in Kyustendil? On the one hand, because the deportation action should have started there. On the other hand, this is a city where the coexistence between different ethnic groups has always been excellent. There may have been family fights but no major conflicts. My grandfather grew up in the so-called Jewish neighbourhood of the town, he even went to Jewish day care. so he was familiar with the Jewish religion from a young age, he knew many children. When he became a craftsman and a merchant, his shop at the market was surrounded by shops of Jews who were close friends. I say all this to emphasize that at that moment, when the danger came, people were close. they were something of what we would call today a civil society," Milchev said.

"They started to pay attention to this danger that was being talked about. My grandfather was one of these people, who I had many Jewish friends and acquaintances, and he started paying attention to what was being said. Through various channels the alarming news of the imminent deportation came, and at that time the Law for the Protection of the Nation was already in force in Bulgaria. There were also labour camps where young men up to 45 years of age were recruited. Only men and only in spring and summer, not in autumn and winter. A regime that I've had the opportunity to talk about with people who were in those camps. The speculation has to stop. It was not a place for rest, of course. There were brigades in our time, too, some of which were quite severe. Girls were made to work there too, norms were set and so on. I've talked to Jews who were there and they say the conditions were very acceptable. They worked hard, but in the evenings they had parties, they had meetings. A much freer regime," he said.

"Perhaps this was the brilliant idea of Tsar Boris III, perhaps someone suggested it to him, that by displacing the Jews around the country he would hide them from the Germans. To keep them out of Sofia," Milchev added.
 
March 8-9 of 1943

Milchev shared what happened in Kyustendil on March 8, 1943, according to the stories of his father and grandfather.

"The town's dignitaries gathered to discuss what to do. The atmosphere was strange because there was nothing official, it was all rumors. Someone reported that livestock train cars had arrived at the station. My grandfather sent my father, who had a bicycle, to check what was happening at the station. He returned and confirmed that there were trains on the side tracks and they were waiting. That's how everyone figured out that things were serious. It was decided to make a delegation the next day to go to Sofia and to try, through their MP and Parliament Deputy Chair Dimitar Peshev, to express the dissent of the whole society," the journalist said.

"The initial idea was to gather a delegation of about 40 people, but the next morning, as it often happens when they were supposed to leave, only four turned up. As my grandfather put it in his memoirs, 'We were four, but with the courage of 400'. Then a conspiracy began. The police chief began to keep an eye on the organizers. The station was blockaded. But that didn't stop them, because they took a carriage to the next village and took the train to Sofia. This happened on March 9. So they reached Sofia, went to the house of Dimitar Peshev, where a tense conversation followed. My grandfather, who was not politically engaged, spoke his mind," Milchev said.

He pointed out that Dimitar Peshev's attempt to reach the prime minister was unsuccessful because the prime minister refused to meet him. "After numerous quarrels, they go to Interior Minister Gabrovski. It is said that Dimitar Peshev then went into a side room and had a long telephone conversation. With whom he spoke is not known. It is highly likely that he talked to the King, from whom he received permission," he said.
 
The role of spiritual teacher Peter Danov

According to Asen Milchev, Peter Dunov also played a role in saving the Bulgarian Jews.

"The rabbi of the Jewish community went to Peter Danov and expressed his concern about what was happening. Danov summoned Lyubomir Lulchev, an adviser to King Boris III, telling him to seek out the King to tell him that if he allowed even one Jew to be deported from the kingdom, his family would be in big trouble," the journalist said.

" Where did I get reliable information about this? My mother was a danovist [follower of Petar Danov], to put it plainly. Her second husband, Svetoslav Slavyanski, who is the editor-owner of the library "Immortal Thoughts", was the right hand of the teacher Peter Danov," he said.

According to his words, Lulchev met King Boris III in Krichim, where he found him excited and on edge. "He conveyed to him the words of Danov. King Boris III replied: 'Go to the teacher and tell him that I will tear up the order. They will not leave,'" Milchev said.

Everybody contributed what they could

According to Milchev, what happened in March 1943 should be a reason for pride for the kind of people Bulgaria had, not a reason for division in society.

"The bad thing is that even on this issue, both the Bulgarian and Jewish communities are divided. They are divided on two issues. The first is: What was the role of the King in saving the Jews? The second: Who was responsible for the deportation of the Jews from Aegean Thrace and Macedonia? I recently heard the historian Spas Tashev say something very clever: "Bulgaria saved all the Jews from its old borders and whoever else it could." "Many others were saved. Years ago I met an elderly man who turned out to be the former Bishop of Drama. He told me personally that his palace had sheltered over 100 Jews. Bulgarian soldiers and officers had carried Jews. It was a national affair. Those who claim that the people saved the Jews are right, but it could not have happened without the King," says Milchev.
 
According to the journalist, the events are well described in the book by historian Assoc. Angel Dzhonev, entitled "A Minimum of Humanity", which he recommended to read to all those interested in the topic of the rescue of Bulgarian Jews.