(Translation note: EsPiões is a playful wordplay we created at After Hall, as "Piões" means "spinning tops" in Portuguese, while "Espiões" means "spies".)
Spies in Portugal? Just like in the movies, yes!
It was during World War II that Portugal created the conducive environment that made Lisbon, and even Estoril, a hub or revolving door for operations and movements of pivotal figures, or pawns, from the secret services of virtually all countries involved in the war. It's true!
Portugal had assumed a neutral position during the war, and its geographic location to the west of Europe kept it away from the turbulence of daily attacks and destruction. Moreover, it had a seaport in Lisbon, with the Alcântara and Rocha do Conde de Óbidos Marinas freshly built, and connections to the colonial empire (from Asia, Africa, to the American continent), through which refugees could leave, often arriving in Lisbon by train.
Imagine the hustle and bustle of embassies to create a network of informants and control these flows, access information on the movement of planes, trains, and boats, and negotiate the supply of raw materials. This alone could make a movie!
Bar at the Palácio Hotel, Estoril. Undated photograph produced during the activity of the Mário Novais Studio: 1933-1983. Source: Calouste Gulbenkian Art Library.
Now, imagine hotels being referenced with a faction leaning more towards one side of the war or the other. Agents recruiting in city cafes and even nightclubs — often women — or exchanging information on the terraces of Estoril. Goodness, was it really like that?!
Thus, figures such as Edward Arnold Chapman (1914–1997) emerge, known as Agent Fritz (to the Germans) and simultaneously as Agent Zigzag (to the Allies). With a history of safe-cracking and a twenty-year prison sentence yet to be served, it was in Lisbon that he was tasked with sinking a British ship, which he promptly informed, ensuring it didn't happen.
And what about the Catalan Spaniard Juan Pujol Garcia (1912–1988)? A double agent codenamed Garbo, involved in a game of counterintelligence regarding the location and date of the Allied forces' landing in northern France.
And the most cinematic of the three, Dusko Popov (1912–1981)? Yes, it was this double agent of Serbian origin who inspired Ian Fleming to create the agent Bond, James Bond (or 007). It was in Estoril that Fleming socialized with Popov and observed his fondness for casino games, drinks, and ladies.
Eddie Chapman (left), Juan Pujol Garcia (center) e Dusko Popov (right). Sources: WarfareHistoryNetwork; npr.com; Observador.
Three mysterious and intriguing characters! Like our three Lindenwood piões (in Portuguese can refer to spinning top or pawn), which, on one hand, may go unnoticed, but on the other, always have that ambiguous profile that leaves us persistently trying to unravel where on earth these creatures came from.
Most of the time, they rest cautiously on their Polished Nickel base, with a sober and discreet posture that seems to hide some fascinating secrets. However, when they leave it, it becomes difficult to predict their next moves... so, just in case, we advise you to keep an eye on them!
The mystery surrounding them is part of their charm. So, when faced with these intriguing spies, allow yourself to imagine the stories they could tell and the secrets they keep.
Isn't reality even more fascinating than fiction?
DISCOVER THE TRÊS EsPIÕES COLLECTION
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Cover photo: On the left: "English police record with information on [Dusko] Popov." Source: Observador. In the background: Hotel Palácio (Estoril). 1940. António Passaporte. Source: Cascais Digital Archive.