July 20, 2017

Gilberto Bosques Saldvars 125th Birthday

Today marks the 125th birthday of Gilberto Bosques Saldvar, the diplomat known as
the Mexican Schindler who is said to have saved 40,000 lives during WWII while
serving as Mexicos Consul General in France.

Born in Chiautla de Tapia, Puebla, Saldvar made a career of looking after the good
of the public from young adulthood: serving as a teacher, government newspaper
director, and ultimately, a public servant. In 1939, he was sent to France to serve
as Mexicos Consul General.

After fleeing the Nazi occupation of Paris in 1940, Saldvar received support from
the Mexican government to establish a consulate in southern France. He rented a
castle and holiday camp in Marseilles at which he hid Jews and Spanish Civil War
refugees, maintaining that they were protected under international law in what he
considered a Mexican territory. He land his team issued Visas and chartered travel
for tens of thousands of wishing to escape to Mexico until he was arrested by Nazi
forces. After one year of imprisonment, he continued his career in public service
for the remainder of his life.

Today we celebrate Saldvars remarkable courage and moral conviction with a Doodle
that illustrates the peace his actions made possible for the lives of so man