|
Summary
“No other country did as much to help the refugees as Portugal.”
For the thousands of refugees who fled Nazi Germany but wanted to remain in Europe, many found asylum in Portugal. When France capitulated in the summer of 1940, Lisbon became a harbor of hope for many who were trying to find safety overseas. This capital city of a small, impoverished nation was a transit station for many Jewish refugees, including such prominent figures as Heinrich Mann, Franz Werfel, and Alfred Polgar. Portugal was neutral during the Second World War and guaranteed a thirty-day stopover for the hunted exiles who had to make their way through the country on route to America. The city became a thru-station for thousands supported by relief committees, which provided shelter, food and overseas boat passage.
But as the war intensified and less ships were able to sail, more and more people were “stranded” in Lisbon. Many of those who had to stay behind still reside in Portugal. In Lisbon: Harbour of Hope, the filmmakers bring the experiences of flight and survival to life once again, interviewing not only the survivors but those who helped the refugees. In present day Portugal, the refugees reminisce about the hardships they endured but also the kindnesses they received, most notably from the consul general who was dishonorably discharged for issuing visas. These men and women recount how they forged new lives for themselves in their adopted country. For many, Lisbon not only provided sanctuary, but the promise of new and fulfilling lives that they might not have enjoyed otherwise. For them Portugal became home and they regard Germany as a foreign country, like any other.
In English, Portugese and German with English subtitles.
|
