Portugal's Schindler?

Do You Know...

Saturday, 3 April, marked the 67th anniversary of the death of a heroic Portuguese man you probably never heard of. His name was Aristides de Sousa Mendes do Amaral e Abranches. He aided thousands of people fleeing Nazi Germany.

Aristocratic Lineage

Born to a wealthy family in central Portugal, Sousa Mendes earned his law degree from the University of Coimbra. He married his childhood sweetheart. Together they traveled the world as he assumed assignments as consular in Zanzibar, Brazil, Spain, and the United States. From time to time, Sousa Mendes got in trouble professionally. But after the Second Republic was installed, a coup that Sousa Mendes looked on favorably, his job prospects improved. In 1929 he was assigned to a post in Belgium and then in 1938, he was assigned to the post of Consul-General of Bordeaux, France, with jurisdiction over the whole of the southwest of France.

By 1938, Salazar knew the Nazis' approach to the 'Jewish question'. But he feared that aliens might undermine his regime. Like many of his European neighbors, Portugal severely limited immigration. With the Nazi invasion of Poland, WWII began. Portugal remained neutral. However, in November 1939, it directed all Portuguese consuls throughout Europe, to not offer visas to war refugees whom they considered to be "inconvenient or dangerous."

Foreigners of indefinite or contested nationality, the Stateless, Russian Citizens, Holders of a Nansen passport, or Jews expelled from their countries … the consuls needed to ask permission in advance of the Foreign Ministry head office in Lisbon.

A Rabbi and a Pregnant Lover

As Germany approached Paris, Sousa Mendes was met with two moral crises. The first was Belgian rabbi, Chaim Kruger whom he had befriended. He offered safe passage to Kruger and his family, but Kruger refused to abandon the thousands of other Jewish refugees in Bordeaux. Oddly enough, at the same time Sousa Mendes who already had fathered 14 children with his wife, was confronted by his pregnant lover. These two things lead to what is described as a “nervous breakdown” that caused him to retreat to his bedroom for three days. But after three days, on 17 June 1940, his son Pedro Nuno de Sousa Mendes reports:

He strode out of his bedroom, flung open the door to the chancellery, and announced in a loud voice: 'From now on I'm giving everyone visas. There will be no more nationalities, races or religions'.

No one is certain how many visas Sousa Mendes issued over the next month. Estimates range from 10,000 to 30,000. Though the vast majority were not famous, such notables as Salvador Dali and the Rothchilds owe their freedom to his efforts. His activities were noticed in Lisbon, and he received several cables ordering him to stop. Ultimately, he was recalled and lost his job and his ability to make a living. But in reflecting on his decision he was quoted as saying:

If so many Jews can suffer because of one Catholic, it's all right for one Catholic to suffer for many Jews.

Summer Travels

We are planning what we hope will be several road trips this summer. Among our stops, we hope, will be to visit the home of Sousa Mendes (Casa do Passal) which has been restored and made into a museum by an American foundation started by descendants of those he allowed to escape. If you are interested in learning more, there are several videos online. This one has English subtitles.