3. Introduction
This project is meant to look into the life of
a Portuguese hero Aristides de Sousa Mendes,
emphasising his role in World War II.
4. Birth
Maria Angelina Ribeiro de Abranches and her husband
José de Sousa Mendes had twins in Viseu, Portugal
(July, 1885)
Aristides
de Sousa Mendes
de Amaral e Abranches
César
de Sousa Mendes
de Amaral e Abranches
5. Schooling
The twin brothers César and Aristides got a degree at
Coimbra’s University. They chose a career in law.
At the University, they were
Salazar’s colleagues.
Salazar became the Portuguese
dictator from 1933 to 1968.
6. Marriage and family
Aristides de Sousa Mendes married Angelina, his cousin, on 19th
February 1909. They were a catholic family with conservative
values.
Aristides and Angelina had 14 children.
7. Career
He was the Consul for Portugal in many countries
worldwide:
Demerara, Guyana, South America
Galiza, Spain
Zanzibar, África
Curitiba, Brazil
S. Francisco, USA
Maranhão, Porto Alegre, Brazil
In 1926, he returns to Portugal
(beginning of dictatorship in Portugal)
Anthuerp, Belgium (peak of his career)
Bordeaux, France
9. Bordeaux
In 1938, after the death of two of his children,
some financial troubles and conflicts with some coworkers, Aristides requests Salazar for a transfer.
He is relocated to
Bordeaux, south of France.
10. II World War
At the beginning of the II World War, Aristides
is therefore a Consul in France.
Although Portugal remains neutral in the war,
Salazar demands all his Consuls to deny visas to any
foreigners or Jews.
11. In 1940, faced with an overflow of refugees
fleeing from nazi persecution, Aristides is torn between
Salazar’s demands and the demands of his conscience.
On 16th June of this year, he makes a bold
decision that would save 30 thousand lives, but would
completely ruin his career, and, therefore, his life:
“I will give visas to everyone
who needs, regardless of
Aristides
nacionality, race or religion”
12. A Jew Rabi, Rabi Kruger,
reports that over a weekend
Aristides and two of his sons
worked tiredlessly to issue
passports to refugees, among
whom ten thousand were Jews.
That cost him Salazar’s wrath for his defiance of a direct order.
Aristides is reported to have said:
“Between disobeying a man or God, I prefer
disobeying the former rather than the latter.”
13. In June 1940, Aristides is withdrawn from his functions as Consul
and returns to Portugal.
In Portugal, he faced further sanctions as his salary is reduced to
half, he is barred from working as a lawyer, and even his driver’s
licence is taken away from him.
From then on, Aristides’ life
enters a free fall...
– he sells his assets to survive;
- his wife dies in 1948
- his children emigrate
- his spends above his means
- he is left to the care of a niece
Aristides dies on 3rd April, 1954
in utmost poverty.
14. Tributes after his Death
It was only over a decade later that tribute starts being
paid to him.
•In 1967 Israel recognises him as a hero.
•In 1987 Aristides is paid tribute by Portuguese President,
Mário Soares, in New York, and in 1998 the Portuguese
Parliament determines that Aristides de Sousa Mendes be
officially rehabilitated.
•Recently, a Portuguese film on his life has been released.
15. Cabanas de Viriato
(place of Birth)
Monument in
Bordéus (France)
Street in USA
Memorial in Israel
Street in Austria
16. Work done by:
• Joana Aguiar
• Joana Fogaça
• Maria Rebelo
• Project COMENIUS
• Teacher: Cristina Marreiros
Lagos, PORTUGAL
