The Refugee Crisis in Bordeaux
In June 1940, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, Portugal’s consul general in Bordeaux, faced thousands of desperate refugees outside his office. With the Nazis advancing, they needed visas to escape through Spain to neutral Portugal.
Circular 14 and Defiance
Portugal’s dictator, António de Oliveira Salazar, had prohibited issuing visas to Jews and stateless persons through Circular 14. Initially seeking permission to issue visas, Sousa Mendes’ requests were denied. Confronted by the suffering, he decided to act against his orders.
Signing Thousands of Visas
Sousa Mendes began issuing visas to anyone in need, working tirelessly for days. He signed thousands of documents, helping families escape Nazi persecution. Refugees included Jews, intellectuals, and artists like Salvador Dalí and H.A. Rey, co-creator of Curious George.
The Cost of Conscience
For his defiance, Sousa Mendes was dismissed, stripped of his pension, and blacklisted. He died impoverished in 1954. Today, he is recognized as one of the Righteous Among the Nations, credited with saving tens of thousands of lives during the Holocaust.
In June 1940, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, Portugal’s consul general in Bordeaux, faced thousands of desperate refugees outside his office. With the Nazis advancing, they needed visas to escape through Spain to neutral Portugal. pic.twitter.com/Lph971Z8bo
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