His altruism should be an example for all those struggling to change a world that is once again failing to protect its citizens. Today, mendess name is engraved in gold in the pantheon of the righteous among the nations. This article about a person or group of people is a stub. 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. It makes every sense to make this film because of its subject matter, told portuguese director francisco. Aug 04, 2016 portugals schindler is remembered, decades after his lifesaving deeds. 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. The film reveals that, like oskar schindler, sousa mendes did not set out to be a hero. Sousa mendes was portugals consul in bordeaux when germany invaded france in 1940 during world war ii.
With vitor norte, carlos paulo, joao nunes monteiro, leonor seixas. He was a portuguese diplomat who served his country for 30 years. He was dismissed from the diplomatic service and was denied retirement and severance benefits. Wissenschaftlicher aufsatz aus dem jahr 2017 im fachbereich romanistik portugiesische sprache, literatur, landeskunde.
The guardian reports that his final wish was that his name be restored. Stripped of his diplomatic status, barred from practicing law and publicly disgraced, sousa mendes was prevented from ever working again. With bernard le coq, nanou garcia, lionel lingelser, roger souza. Following the occupation of france in the summer of 1940, foreign consulates were faced with large numbers of jews, desperately trying to obtain. Working in bordeaux during the french 1940 defeat, he violated an order from portuguese strong leader salazar. 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. 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 sousa mendes foundation is interested in tracking the fates of all visa recipients, no matter their stories. Thank you for helping build the largest language community on the internet.
It is estimated he saved the lives of more than 12,000 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. Born into an aristocratic portuguese family, mendes chose a diplomatic career for himself. In the days of the invasion, the population of bordeaux is reported to have. However, mendes had a keen sense of right and wrong, coupled with solid christian values. The sousa mendes visa recipients came from fortynine countries and all walks of life. Bordeaux, france may 1940 on may 10, 1940, germany invaded france and swiftly advanced south through the country. How diplomats misjudged hitlers rise by christoph strupp. 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. Portuguese diplomat saves refugees from nazi germany i am. Sousa mendes left bordeaux on july 8 and returned to lisbon, portugal.
Apr 08, 2011 the strain caused the fracturing of his family, and in 1954 sousa mendes died in poverty and obscurity. In portugal, a protector of a people is honored the new. Als generolkonsul zu bordeaux huet hien am zweete weltkrich geschaten 30. He studied law in the centros regions capital, coimbra, and obtained his degree in 1908. In order to cross the french border into spain, the refugees needed. As the portuguese consulgeneral in bordeaux, france, during world war ii, sousa mendes was responsible for saving the lives of thousands of people. The views expressed here are his own unless otherwise noted.
Those attributes led him to openly defy his government to save the lives of thousands of people. Sousa mendes, portugals consul in bordeaux when germany. 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. Sousa mendes saved more lives than schindler so why isnt. 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. Download premium images you cant get anywhere else. He issued visas to 30,000 refugees, the majority of whom were jews fleeing the nazis, helping them to avoid certain death. 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. We saw the movie with a different english title, disobedience.
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