Does anyone here know what happened between 1939 and 1945?

Marked by Nazism, the Germans took over Europe while torturing people they thought
were inferior, and so the Holocaust took place.

You've all heard of the Holocaust, but did you know that there were people who helped Jews
escape from concentration camps? Those to me were the real heroes.

One of them is Portuguese, his name was Aristides de Sousa Mendes

First of all, who Aristides de Sousa Mendes was, was a diplomat Portuguese born on July 19,
1885, he directed the consoled Portuguese in Zanzibar, Tanzania, San Francisco, California,
Curitiba, Brazil, Antwerp, Belgium and finally in Bordeaux in France.

consul of Portugal, in Bordeaux in the year that Germany invaded France during World War
II, with the advance of German troops, Jews and emigrants of various nationalities sought to
flee the country, the dictator of Portugal, António Oliveira de Salazar, ordered that the
consulates did not provide visas to Jews and foreigners to enter Portugal, against orders,
Aristides provided about thirty thousand visas in the summer of 1940 thus saving more than
thirty thousand people

This courageous action came at a high price for Mendes. When he returned to Portugal, he
was fired from the diplomatic service and had his career destroyed. He faced financial
hardship and social isolation. Only decades after his death in 1987 did the Portuguese
government begin to reconcile to officially acknowledge his heroic act

The story of Aristides de Sousa Mendes is an extraordinary testimony to the strength of the
individual in the face of adversity and injustice. His moral courage during World War II, in
defying government orders and saving thousands of lives, highlights the transformative
power that a single person can have. Mendes embodies moral responsibility and humanitarian
action, demonstrating that even in dark times, personal integrity can illuminate paths of hope.

In a world often marked by ethical challenges and dilemmas, Aristides de Sousa Mendes' life
stands as an inspiring beacon, encouraging us to question unjust norms, stand up for justice,
and act with kindness regardless of the circumstances.