In 1936 , she was appointed to the Brazilian Consulate in Hamburg , Germany , where she was made the Chief of the Passport Section . She started to help Jewish people during Kristallnacht , on November 9 , 1938 . She handed out visas to Jews without the red " J " that identified them as such , since Brazilian Dictator Getúlio Vargas non-officially denied visas to Jews . She was in very close relations with underground activists in Germany and would even grant visas to Jews she knew that had forged passports . In 1938 she met fellow diplomat and assistant-Consul João Guimarães Rosa , who would later become her second husband , and one of the most important Brazilian writers . His magnum opus , Grande Sertão Veredas , was dedicated to her . With his help , she intensified her humanitarian activity , saving a great number of Jews from imprisonment and death . She remained in Germany until 1942 , when Brazil broke relations with Germany and joined the Allied Forces
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Aracy de Carvalho Guimarães Rosa