Aristides de Sousa Mendes visa register (1939–1940)

The document registered in Memory of the World in 2017 is a consular fee register from Portugal’s consulate in Bordeaux, covering 1939–1940. It includes entries for visas granted by Aristides de Sousa Mendes during the flight of refugees from France in 1940. Held by the Diplomatic Archives of Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lisbon, it provides a specific administrative source for studying this episode.

One book, distinct from the consul’s biography

The nomination identifies the volume as Consulado de Portugal em Bordéus, L.2 (69850). It recorded fees for consular acts, including visas. Although its familiar name highlights visas, the book’s financial and administrative purpose helps explain what was recorded and what may be missing.

The inscription recognises this document, rather than all Sousa Mendes papers or an unspecified group of books. The consul himself, the consulate building and records of his career are related but distinct entities.

June 1940 in context

Germany’s invasion of France drove refugees south, seeking passage through Spain and Portugal. Sousa Mendes granted visas against restrictive instructions from the Portuguese government. The nomination associates the book with visas granted in Bordeaux between 14 and 21 June 1940.

To research a person or family, first locate an entry and date, then compare other records of their journey. A recorded visa does not establish every subsequent stage of the route. It also cannot automatically determine the total number of people helped.

What the entries can establish

The register offers a contemporary source for names, dates and consular acts. It is not a complete list of the consul’s humanitarian activity. The nomination notes missing records for visas granted under his authority in Bayonne and Hendaye. Absence from this volume does not prove that a person received no assistance.

Distinguish visas, administrative entries and people: a reference may relate to a family, and the surviving record may be incomplete. Counting lines cannot produce a definitive estimate of lives saved.

Research and access

Use the UNESCO nomination to identify L.2 (69850) and the Bordeaux consulate fonds. When contacting the Diplomatic Archives, give this reference and request confirmation of its current identification, available reproductions and consultation conditions.

The 2016 form described access to an electronic copy and restricted consultation of the original; its historical address does not guarantee current availability. Visiting the Palácio das Necessidades or an exhibition about Sousa Mendes does not guarantee access to the book either. For comparison, explore the Letter of Pêro Vaz de Caminha, distinguishing its period, purpose and inscription.