"De Sousa Mendes, Aristides
The Portuguese diplomat, Aristides de
Sousa Mendes, was his country’s consul general in Bordeaux, France. The
German occupation prompted tens of thousands of refugees, including
thousands of Jews, to flee southward from the northern departéments in
the hope of exiting France via the only remaining avenue of escape, the
southern border into Spain and Portugal, and then sailing for America.
Until May 10, 1940, entrance visas to, or transit permits through
Portugal could be obtained at the Portuguese consulate in Bordeaux. On
that date, however, the Government of Portugal
prohibited further crossings by refugees, especially Jewish refugees,
thus closing the last avenue of hope. Some 30,000 refugees, including
10,000 Jews, congregated at the consulate in Bordeaux and applied
pressure to obtain the piece of paper that would extricate them from
France. Sousa Mendes, a devout and good-hearted Christian, decided to
help the refugees despite his government’s orders. He received a
delegation of refugees at the consulate, headed by Rabbi Haim Kruger,
and promised transit visas to everyone in need, adding that those who
could not pay for them would receive them at no charge. He then set up
an improvised office in the consulate and, with the help of two of his
sons and several Jews who were waiting nearby, began to issue entrance
permits. Sousa Mendes toiled for three days and three nights, allowing
himself not a moment’s rest and collapsing in exhaustion once the job
was done. A rumor about Sousa Mendes’s actions reached Lisbon, which
summarily ordered him to return to his homeland at once. Two men were
sent to escort him back to Portugal, and as he and they passed the
Portuguese consulate in Bayonne, Sousa Mendes observed a crowd of
hundreds that reminded him of the spectacle he had seen several days
previously in the consulate at Bordeaux. Sousa Mendes entered the
consulate and, ignoring the objections of the local consul, ordered him
to issue visas to all applicants at once. He stamped the visas
personally, adding in handwriting, “The Government of Portugal asks the
Government of Spain kindly to allow the holder of this document to cross
Spain freely. The holder of this document is a refugee from the
conflict in Europe and is en route to Portugal.” After providing all
applicants with this much-sought document, Sousa Mendes personally
escorted them to a Spanish border post and made sure they crossed
safely. The Portuguese Government dismissed Sousa Mendes from his
position in the Foreign Ministry and left him destitute and unable to
support his family of 14 children. He explained his actions: “If
thousands of Jews are suffering because of one Christian [Hitler],
surely one Christian may suffer for so many Jews.” Sousa Mendes died
penniless in 1954; not until 1988, thanks to external pressure and his
children’s efforts, did his government grant him total rehabilitation.
On October 18, 1966, Yad Vashem recognized Aristides de Sousa Mendes as Righteous Among the Nations".
On October 18, 1966, Yad Vashem recognized Aristides de Sousa Mendes as Righteous Among the Nations".
Iad Vashem
