Man who helped thousands of refugees during World War II honoured with mural in Montreal

The man known as the Portuguese Schindler, who helped thousands of refugees escape World War II, was honoured with a mural in Montreal this week.

The gigantic mural dedicated to Aristides de Sousa Mendes was inaugurated Sunday.

This comes two days after the mural was officially unveiled earlier this week during Portugal Day – also known as Dia de Camões – where Montreal’s Portuguese community celebrated with traditional dancing and music.

Mural of Aristides de Sousa Mendes in Montreal on June 10, 2022. (Credit: CityNews/Brittany Henriques)

“Not only do we have a strong Portuguese community and Jewish community here that were affected by this man, but we have a human community and this man saved lives,” said muralist Matthew Cadoch.

“A hero is a hero. It’s so great to celebrate and preserve our cultures, but at the same time we do all share one culture, which is human race, and whether you’re Jewish or Portuguese or anybody, this is a man who put his life on the line to save lives.”

Archival photo of de Sousa Mendes. (Credit: Sousa Mendes Foundation/handout)

De Sousa Mendes issued visas to about 30,000 refugees. He ended up being fired from his position and died a poor man.

“He was a consult in Bordeaux when the World War II started and when he realised that the Jews were being prosecuted and people wanted to leave the country, get out of Germany or France at that time, Portugal was one of the ways to get out,” said Herman Alves, the organizer of the Montreal Portugal Festival. “They needed a visa so they started lining up at the Portuguese consulate and he was helping refugees.”

Matthew Cadoch working on his mural of Aristides de Sousa Mendes. (Credit: CityNews/Brittany Henriques)

For Cadoch, part of the desire to honour de Sousa Mendes came from a personal place.

“The story of Aristides is so inspiring and as someone who comes from a Jewish family too, who knows, maybe I wouldn’t even be around if he didn’t do what he did,” said Cadoch. “It’s really an honour, and it was easy for me to get involved, it came very naturally.”

“He was not really recognized for what he did until after he passed away, so I think that makes it all the more important and special that we celebrate what he did and his life because he was a hero.”