1. Index Number : P.III.i. (Belgium) No. 274.
2. Title of Document : The Jewish Children in Belgium.
3. Date : May 1940 - September 1944.
4. Number of pages : 53.
Language : French.
5. Author or Source : Maurice Heiber.
6. Received from : Mr Z., Brussels, 1956.
7. Form and Contents : The author was born in Galicia, educated in Vienna and England. Since 1926, he lived in Belgium. Like so many others he fled to France at the time of the German invasion and soon returned to Brussels. Up to then, he had no contact with Jewish organisations; now he accepted the responsibility for the Jewish orphanage (p.2). Later, he worked for the A.J.B. and then joined the Resistance, Comite National du Front de' l'Independence as a representative of the C. D. J. Comité de défense des Juifs. Description in detail of the organisation and the work done in order to rescue the Jewish children (p.4-11-17, 20-22, 24-26, 38-39, 41).
Home for old people (p.15-16, 45-46) and orphanage at Ophem-Wezembeek (p.15-17). In summer, 1942, the author tried in vain to rescue a number of Jewish refugees from Holland arrested by the Gestapo, when they crossed the Belgian border (p.17-19); but he succeeded with the help of the Résistance and others in the case of fourteen girls who had been hidden in a convent and found out (p.20-22); in consequence he was arrested and with his wife sent to Malines, Kaserne Dossin; there he tried to improve the conditions of life, especially for the children, and organised the resistance, (p.22, 45-49). Internment of all Belgian gipsies (p.32-35). Internment of Belgian Jews in big numbers and under appalling conditions (p.35-37).
Released in January 1944, the author went back to Brussels, but soon returned to Malines, which was liberated in September 1944 (p.46-49) He returned to Brussels on foot. Taken ill with t.b., he had to stay in Switzerland until 1947.
8. References : Rotkel (p.2). Kriwan van den Bergh (p.2), Ferdman (p.2, 46). Rosenfeld (p.2, 16-17, 51). Jospa (p.4, 15, 45, 51), Werber (p.4), Perelman (p.4, 10, 46). Yvonne Jospa, Ida Sterno, Andree Geelen, Brigitte Moens (p.5).
‘Solidarite Juivre‘, ‘Poale Zion‘ O.N.E; le Secours d'Hiver (p.5). Bolle (p.10). Mlle. Nevejean (p.12, 16, 19). Hellendael (p.3). Hambresin (p.4, 10). Nykerk (p.10,45). Schilferding (p.13); Robi Essinger (p.19). Meyer (p.15, 25, 47, 51). Von Haan (p.15, 51). Schund (p.16, 51-52). Asche (p.17, 20, 23, 44, 52). Jacques (p.20, 52).
‘Arbeitsraan’ (p.15,51). St. Gilles (p.17, 44). Breendonck (p.18, 44, 52). Anderlecht, convent (p.20-21, 52). Erdmann, camp leader, Malines (p.23, 43). Ida Wolfovitch (p.23), Max Wolfovitch (p.39) Dr. Kroll (p.25-26). ‘Les Insoumis‘ (p.31-32). Albert Vankoeverden (p.30-31, 39, 45-48). Otto Spitz, Austrian resistance group (p.39-40). Martin, the first news on Auschwitz and Birkenau (p.33). Mischlinge, mixed marriage, escape (p.39-40). Krauss (p.41). Nadja Bolotin, Dounia Sadow (p.41-42). A.I.V.S. (p.48). T.B.Sanatorium Alsemberg (p.49).
An English translation of this testimony is not yet available.
The Wiener Library is reliant on a team of volunteer translators to translate this collection of eyewitness testimonies from the 1950s. If you are highly competent in written German and English and would like to help in this regard, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at translation@wienerlibrary.co.uk.
Click here to read more about this project.
