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David L. Holocaust testimony (HVT-1973) interviewed by Jean-Michel Chaumont and Claire Paulus,

Oral History | Fortunoff Collection ID: HVT-1973

Videotape testimony of David L., who was born in Łódź, Poland in 1924. He recalls his family's move to Cologne, then Brussels in 1928; actively participating in socialist groups; German invasion; resistance activities from 1941 onward; killing a soldier in retaliation for his girlfriend's torture and execution; deportation of his father and brother in 1942; hiding in Brabant; his mother and youngest brother hiding; his arrest as a resistant; imprisonment in St. Gilles, then Malines; and deportation to Auschwitz. Mr. L. recounts finding his father; participating in the inmate underground; commanding a work brigade; arranging extra rations for his brigade; being beaten for not betraying another inmate; the death march to Mauthausen (his father remained behind); receiving food from a Czech woman; transport to Ebensee; participating in the inmate underground; organized refusal to enter the tunnels as the Allies approached; disappearance of most guards; prisoners killing guards and prisoner collaborators; arrival of United States troops; returning to Brussels; reunion with his parents; and learning of his brother's death. Mr. L. notes details of organized resistance in the camps and the importance of political activism and solidarity to survival.

Author/Creator
L., David, 1924-
Published
Brussels, Belgium : Fondation Auschwitz, 1992
Interview Date
April 29, 1992.
Locale
Belgium
Poland
Łódź (Poland)
Brussels (Belgium)
Cologne (Germany)
France
Brabant (Belgium)
Language
French
Copies
2 copies: 3/4 in. dub; and 1/2 in. VHS.
Cite As
David L. Holocaust Testimony (HVT-1973). Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies, Yale University Library.