Aristides de Sousa Mendes

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Aristides de Sousa Mendes was a Portuguese diplomat who fought against his own government for the safety of Jews living in Europe in the early years of World War II. 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.


I will not condone murder, therefore I disobey and continue to disobey Salazar.

My desire is to be with God against men, rather than with men against God.

If thousands of Jews can suffer because of one Catholic [Hitler], then surely it is permitted for one Catholic to suffer for so many Jews.

I could not have acted otherwise, and I therefore accept all that has befallen me with love.

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