Following the occupation of france in the summer of 1940, foreign consulates were faced with large numbers of jews, desperately trying to obtain. Having graduated in law, in the university of coimbra, in 1907, aristides unlike his father, who was a judge and his twin brother, who embarked in politics chooses to follow a consular career, mainly connected to administrative aspects, in particular the. We saw the movie with a different english title, disobedience. How diplomats misjudged hitlers rise by christoph strupp. This article about a person or group of people is a stub. Portuguese diplomat saves refugees from nazi germany i am. Thank you for helping build the largest language community on the internet. Bordeaux, france may 1940 on may 10, 1940, germany invaded france and swiftly advanced south through the country. Sousa mendes, portugals consul in bordeaux when germany. Als generolkonsul zu bordeaux huet hien am zweete weltkrich geschaten 30. The sousa mendes foundation is interested in tracking. At the time of the german invasion of france he was the portuguese consul to bordeaux, a catholic gentleman of aristocratic origins in late middle. At the time, portugal was under the dictatorial rule of antonio salazar, and even though it was declared as officially neutral in the war, salazar issued a directive called circular 14 to all of portugals diplomats, instructing them to. Sousa mendes left bordeaux on july 8 and returned to lisbon, portugal.
Wissenschaftlicher aufsatz aus dem jahr 2017 im fachbereich romanistik portugiesische sprache, literatur, landeskunde. As the portuguese consulgeneral in bordeaux, france, during world war ii, sousa mendes was responsible for saving the lives of thousands of people. His twin brother cesar, born a few minutes earlier, had a july 18 birthday. The sousa mendes foundation is interested in tracking the fates of all visa recipients, no matter their stories. They were jews and nonjews, public figures and private citizens, most with passports but many without. Between june 16 and 23, 1940, he frantically issued portuguese visas free of charge, to over 30,000 refugees seeking to escape the nazi terror, 12,000 of whom were jews. Sousa mendes was portugals consul in bordeaux when germany invaded france in 1940 during world war ii. Following the occupation of france in the summer of 1940, foreign consulates were faced with large numbers of jews, desperately trying to obtain visas in order to leave nazi dominated territories. Having graduated in law, in the university of coimbra, in 1907, aristides unlike his father, who was a judge and his twin brother, who embarked in politics chooses to follow a consular career, mainly connected to administrative aspects, in particular.
It is estimated he saved the lives of more than 12,000 jews. His disobedience again angered the portuguese government. In portugal, a protector of a people is honored the new york times. In the days of the invasion, the population of bordeaux is reported to have. Download premium images you cant get anywhere else. Those attributes led him to openly defy his government to save the lives of thousands of people. Born into an aristocratic portuguese family, mendes chose a diplomatic career for himself. In june of 1940, he defied his own government by issuing portuguese visas to 30,000 refugees seeking to escape the nazi terror, 12,000 of whom were jews. According to the sousa mendes foundation which is run by descendents of the visa recipients, he provided approximately 30,000 people with portuguese visas to escape nazi persecution. Stripped of his diplomatic status, barred from practicing law and publicly disgraced, sousa mendes was prevented from ever working again. The sousa mendes visa recipients came from fortynine countries and all walks of life. With an additional subsidy from the ministry, the foundation was just able to buy back the sousa mendes family home with the objective of creating the sousa mendes museum, in permanent tribute to the heroic acts of. He issued visas to 30,000 refugees, the majority of whom were jews fleeing the nazis, helping them to avoid certain death.
The guardian reports that his final wish was that his name be restored. Aug 04, 2016 portugals schindler is remembered, decades after his lifesaving deeds. Most sought to enter spain, proceed to portugal, and then escape by ship. Five sousa mendes visa recipients and their families were on hand to welcome the president, and representatives of the sousa mendes foundation. Sousa mendes saved more lives than schindler so why isnt. Apr 08, 2011 the strain caused the fracturing of his family, and in 1954 sousa mendes died in poverty and obscurity. He was a portuguese diplomat who served his country for 30 years. Working in bordeaux during the french 1940 defeat, he violated an order from portuguese strong leader salazar. With bernard le coq, nanou garcia, lionel lingelser, roger souza.
Sousa mendes saved more lives than schindler so why isnt he. After filling posts in various capitals including the united states and europe, he was posted to bordeaux, france, as the portuguese consulgeneral. He studied law in the centros regions capital, coimbra, and obtained his degree in 1908. As the portuguese consul stationed in bordeaux, france, he found himself confronted in may and june of 1940 with the reality of many thousands of refugees outside the portuguese consulate attempting to escape the horrors of the nazi war machine. However, mendes had a keen sense of right and wrong, coupled with solid christian values. Sousa mendes, stationed in bordeaux, france, rescued thousands from the holocaust by providing them visas to portugal in violation of strict orders issued by his own government. Today, mendess name is engraved in gold in the pantheon of the righteous among the nations. It makes every sense to make this film because of its subject matter, told portuguese director francisco. He was dismissed from the diplomatic service and was denied retirement and severance benefits. In portugal, a protector of a people is honored the new. At the time of the german invasion of france he was the portuguese consul to bordeaux, a. The film reveals that, like oskar schindler, sousa mendes did not set out to be a hero. With vitor norte, carlos paulo, joao nunes monteiro, leonor seixas.