Thousands were trapped in Bordeaux as the German army approached.

His descendants and the families of those he saved continue to share his story as a beacon of humanitarianism.

Aristides de Sousa Mendes, the Portuguese consul in Bordeaux during WWII, is the "Portuguese Wallenberg." In June 1940, defying direct orders from his government, he issued thousands of visas to refugees fleeing Nazi-occupied France.

The Portuguese regime (Estado Novo) explicitly banned visas for "undesirables," including Jews and stateless persons.

He personally traveled to the border at Hendaye to ensure refugees were allowed through.

In 2021, he was granted a monument in Lisbon’s National Pantheon.

He was recalled to Lisbon, stripped of his diplomatic rank, and denied his pension. Legacy of Honor