Luigi Beretvas poses with his wife on the balcony of a home in Algiers.
Overview
- Caption
- Luigi Beretvas poses with his wife on the balcony of a home in Algiers.
- Date
-
1945
- Locale
- Tunis, [North Africa] Tunisia
- Photo Credit
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Ori Schwartz Beeri
Rights & Restrictions
- Photo Source
-
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Copyright: United States Holocaust Memorial MuseumProvenance: Ori Schwartz Beeri
Keywords & Subjects
Administrative Notes
- Biography
- Luigi Beretvas (the brother-in-law of the donor) was the son of two Hungarian physicians, Leopold Beretvas and Renee Reiss Beretvas. Luigi was born in Palermo, Italy on March 30, 1920 and he had two siblings, Anni (b. 1920) and Emanuel (b. January 10, 1927). All of the children were born in Sicily where the family lived from 1919 to 1933. They then moved to Tunisia. Like his parents, Luigi studied medicine. After the start of the war, Luigi was not permitted to continue his studies and instead gave private lessons in English and Latin. In November 1942 German troops occupied Tunisia. Luigi left clandestinely with four friends in the hope of reaching the Free French Forces in Algiers. On the way, they stopped in Depienne, where one of his friend's parents lived. However, an Italian farmer saw them and denounced them to the Germans, who arrested them. The group of Germans included Sergeant Richard Abel. Luigi understood the conversation of the Germans and understood the danger they faced. Not only were they considered Jews, but spies as well. They were slated to be executed at dawn. Richard Abel requested to speak to Luigi while the others waited. He confirmed what they already knew, that they were to be shot in the morning. Suddenly Abel told him he would help them escape. Luigi was at first skeptical, but Abel gave him his gun, a map and information about minefields so that they could reach Algiers. In exchange Louis gave Abel the address of his parents in Tunis. Abel went to the Beretvas home and explained that he opposed Hitler, how he had helped Luigi and his fear of being taken prisoner. Luigi's parents gave him civilian clothing and hid him in their house. The Beretvas family continued to stay in contact with Abel after the war and for the rest of their lives. They spoke every month and met once a year. In 1969 Yad Vashem appointed Richard Abel as Righteous Among the Nations.
- Record last modified:
- 2021-06-24 00:00:00
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/pa1178068
