He died disgraced and impoverished, asking his children to one day clear his name. Decades later, the story of how that man, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, helped save thousands upon thousands of lives during World War II, is finally spreading around the world.
Today his family and descendants of those that were saved by his actions are working to restore not only his name, legacy, and to ensure that his story lives on.
My guest on this podcast is one of the founders of the Sousa Mendes Foundation, herself the daughter and grand daughter of Sousa Mendes visa recipients: Olivia Mattis. In this conversation she tells the story of Sousa Mendes, what became of her family after making it to Portugal, and eventually how this foundation came to exist.
For more information on Sousa Mendes as well as theSousa Mendes Foundation, follow the links above. You can also find them on facebook.