In Honor of:

His Majesty Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria, the Tsar Unifier and Savior of the Bulgarian Jews THE NATIONAL HERO

A Brief Historical Background

Hello and welcome to the page dedicated to his Majesty King Boris III of Bulgaria, the greatest King from the Third Bulgarian Kingdom.

The Third Bulgarian Kingdom was a constitutional monarchy with a very democratic constitution. Although pro-German, Bulgaria did not take part in World War II with its armed forces. King Boris III was always trying to find diplomatic solutions to the difficult problems of the time. He joined the Axis to prevent an imminent German invasion in Bulgaria, but he refused to send Bulgarian troops to German aid on the Eastern front.

He died suddenly after a meeting with Hitler and there have been speculations that he was actually poisoned by the Nazi dictator who wanted a more obedient Bulgaria. So, because of His Majesty's insistence, Bulgarian soldiers did not fight in the War. Bulgaria had national ideals: the returning of Bulgarian territories, such as present-day Macedonia and part of the present-day Greek Macedonia. These territories were invaded by the Germans and were given to the Bulgarian ally for formal administration. But the King himself, Bulgarian intellectuals, the Orthodox Church and the general public resisted strongly Hitler's demand that all Bulgarian Jews be deported to the death camps in Poland. Bulgarian Jews were saved from the Holocaust and almost all of them regard the King as their savior.

50,000 Bulgarian Jews survived, but 11,000 from the new territories were sent to the camps.

In 1996, Bulgarian Jews living in the U.S. decide to thank the King. They plant a forest in Israel, naming it the Bulgarian Forest. They build monuments to the King, his wife Queen Giovanna of Bulgaria, Dimitar Peshev - the Deputy-Speaker of the Parliament, the Bulgarian Church and people.

In July of 2000, a commission in Israel makes a decision that all the monuments should be removed.

Why are the monuments removed?

UPDATED!!!: Check out all the Bulgarian articles for a sequence of events.

Queen Giovanna of Bulgaria

Have a look at the Tribute to Her Majesty Queen Giovanna of Bulgaria.

Links

Check out some great links about King Boris III and the saving of the Bulgarian Jews.

Removal of all the monuments in the Bulgarian forest in Israel

The former Deputy Speaker of the Bulgarian Parliament, Blagovest Sendov, and a group of four other "intellectuals" (among which a Bulgarian of Jewish descent - Angel Vagenstein) commit an act aimed against Bulgaria. They send a letter to the Israeli President asking for the removal of the monuments of all those who acted to save the Bulgarian Jews. The monuments to be removed are: HM Boris III and HM Queen Giovanna, Dimitar Peshev (Deputy of the parliament at that time), the Bulgarian Patriarch and the Bulgarian people.

The Jewish National Fund decides to appoint a commission to decide the future of the memorials. A press-release is issued.

Articles in the Bulgarian newspapers. Bulgarians and Jews of Bulgarian descent oppose the move and voice their concern that the monuments will be removed from the Bulgarian forest in Jerusalem:

Declaration of the Union of Democratic Forces condemning the deed of Blagovest Sendov

In Memoriam

Her Royal Majesty Queen Giovanna of Bulgaria, the Queen Who Won the Hearts of All Bulgarians

Queen Giovanna of Bulgaria
13 November 1907 - 26 February 2000

The sadness of death gives me way to the bright promise of immortality. Lord, for Your faithful people, life is changed, not ended.

You, Our Beloved Queen, you gave your most precious to the poor, you gave your compassion to the suffering, you gave your smile when it was most needed, you gave your love and your heart to your people.
In your spirit, you will always be among us.

An Obituary to the Most Beloved Bulgarian Queen

Her Majesty Queen Giovanna of Bulgaria's obituary.