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. The german occupation prompted tens of thousands of refugees, including thousands of jews, to flee southward from the northern departements in the hope of exiting france via the only remaining avenue of escape, the southern border into spain and portugal, and. Sousa mendes saved more lives than schindler so why isnt. Portugals schindler is remembered, decades after his lifesaving. Sousa mendes saved more lives than schindler so why isnt he a. The actions of three portuguese diplomats in world war documentary. Portugals schindler is remembered, decades after his lifesaving deeds. At the time of the german invasion of france he was the portuguese consul to bordeaux. Most sought to enter spain, proceed to portugal, and then escape by ship.
As the portuguese consulgeneral in bordeaux, france, during world war ii, sousa mendes was responsible for saving the lives of thousands of people. 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. The strain caused the fracturing of his family, and in 1954 sousa mendes died in poverty and obscurity. He studied law in the centros regions capital, coimbra, and obtained his degree in 1908.
With bernard le coq, nanou garcia, lionel lingelser, roger souza. Aristides sousa mendes a sua vida em filme imagens. He was a portuguese diplomat who served his country for 30 years. Portuguese diplomat saves refugees from nazi germany i. Cesar mendes eyewitness account of visit to uncle, dr. Two other portuguese diplomats, carlos sampaio garrido and alberto teixeira branquinho, acted in a. In portugal, a protector of a people is honored the new york times.
The guardian reports that his final wish was that his name be restored. But portugals prime minister salazar has forbidden its diplomats to open portugals borders to undesirables specifically jews, refugees from occupied countries, and stateless persons. With vitor norte, carlos paulo, joao nunes monteiro, leonor seixas. 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. Bordeaux, france may 1940 on may 10, 1940, germany invaded france and swiftly advanced south through the country.
Yet he is reported to have saved 30,000 people during the holocaust, 12,000 of them jews. After filling posts in various capitals including the united states and europe, he was posted to bordeaux, france, as the portuguese consulgeneral. The views expressed here are his own unless otherwise noted. 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. Born into an aristocratic portuguese family, mendes chose a diplomatic career for himself.
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