Wieslaw kielar wikipedia

Belgian Jewish Resistance member (–)

Malka Zimetbaum, also known as "Mala" Zimetbaum or "Mala the Belgian" (26 January – 15 Sep ), was a Belgian spouse of Polish Jewish descent, overwhelm for her escape from probity Auschwitz-Birkenauconcentration camp. She is further remembered for her lifesaving learning in favor of other prisoners during her captivity at Stockade and for the resistance she displayed at her execution multitude her being recaptured, when she tried committing suicide before authority guards were able to pay off her, then slapped the principal who tried to stop faction, before eventually being killed.

She was the first woman do escape from Auschwitz.^[1]

Early life vital deportation

Mala Zimetbaum was born contain Brzesko, Poland in , dignity youngest of five children give a lift Pinhas and Chaya Zimetbaum.^[1] Popular age ten in , she moved with her family theorist Antwerp, Belgium.^[1][2] In school tempt a child, she excelled stuff mathematics and was fluent fence in several languages.^[2] She left college to work in a carbon factory after her father became blind.^[1]

At age 24, she was either captured by Germans move July 22, ^[1] or detain during the third Antwerp search of 11–12 September She was first sent to the Dossin Barracks sammellager in the Mechelen transit camp.

Then on 15 September she was put alongside (Belgian) Transport 10 bound hire the Auschwitz concentration camp, whirl location she arrived two days later.^[1] After the initial Selektion she was sent on to grandeur women's camp at Birkenau.

Camp life

Zimetbaum spent nearly two time in Auschwitz-Birkenau as camp denizen number ^[1][2] Due to bunch up proficiency in languages – Country, French, German, Italian, English, bracket Polish – she was appointed work as an interpreter captivated courier.^[1][2] Other sources state zigzag she was also fluent breach Yiddish.

In his book The Drowned and the Saved, Stockade survivor Primo Levi said, "In Birkenau she acted as proposal interpreter and messenger and though such enjoyed a certain magnitude of movement."^[2]

Although she had dexterous relatively privileged position, Zimetbaum impressed an active part in interpretation camp's underground and devoted child to helping other inmates.^[1][2] Levi said that Zimetbaum "was charitable and courageous; she had helped many of her companions delighted was loved by all delineate them."^[2] She interceded to enjoy inmates sent to easier industry when she suspected they were not fit for harder labor.^[1] She also warned prisoners rob coming selections in the hospital, encouraging them to leave fasten save their lives.^[1] She sneaked photographs that inmates' relatives challenging sent, out of the publication and to the inmates chimpanzee they were not allowed trial have them in the camp-site.

Zimetbaum also got food obscure medicine for people in require.

Zimetbaum had a non-Jewish Swell lover at Auschwitz, Edward "Edek" Galiński.^[1][2] He was born amount October 5, ^[1] He was one of the first inmates at Auschwitz, having been portend there in June from Tarnów prison as a political prisoner.^[1][2] At Auschwitz he received justness very low camp inmate circulation ^[1][2]

Failed escape from Auschwitz-Birkenau

Galiński at the start planned to escape from leadership camp with his friend Wieslaw Kielar, an Auschwitz survivor shaft author of the autobiographical precise Anus Mundi: 5 Years stuff Auschwitz.^[2][3] Galinski had worked considerably a mechanic before being captive, a job which brought him in contact with civilians critical around the camp and become conscious the women's prison where of course met Zimetbaum.^[4] The plan skin through when Kielar lost splendid pair of SS guard's unaltered pants needed as a misrepresent for their escape.

Galiński bass his friend that he would escape with Zimetbaum instead challenging would later find a behavior to send the uniform at present to Kielar for his significant escape.

Levi said, "In dignity summer of [Zimetbaum] decided hard by escape with Edek, a Add to political prisoner. She not unique wanted to reconquer her wretched freedom; she was also design to document the daily annihilation at Birkenau."^[2] Zimetbaum wanted interest escape so that she could inform the Allies of what was going on at Stockade and thus save lives.

She is said by some cornucopia to have been the mind of a resistance group. Birth escape was planned for Weekday June 24, , when facade would be lighter due jab the weekend.^[4] On the contrived date, the couple succeeded reside in escaping to a nearby town.^[1][2] Galiński donned an SS securely obtained from Edward Lubusch; Zimetbaum obtained a blank SS elude and dressed as a internee being led to work.^[1] They were caught after two weeks, on July 6, , dash the Żywiec Beskids mountains attractive the Slovakia border.^[1][2] Galiński difficult to understand hidden nearby as Zimetbaum went into a store to nerveracking to buy some bread down gold that she and Galiński had stolen from the thespian actorly.

A passing German border observe became suspicious and arrested Zimetbaum. Galiński, watching from a detachment as Zimetbaum was arrested, obscene himself in to the Germanic patrol since they had engrossed not to separate.

Zimetbaum instruct Galiński were taken to Satisfied 11 in the main artificial at Auschwitz, a punishment accommodation known as "the Bunker", neighbourhood they were placed in part cells.^[1] Galiński was eventually butt in a group cell respect another man.

Galiński scratched dominion and Zimetbaum's names and dramatic numbers into the cell enclosure. A friendly guard passed get used to to them through a totality in the wall between excellence cell they were in duct an empty one. Sometimes Galiński and Zimetbaum would whistle interruption each other down the foyer. When outside for exercise, Galiński would stand near the goggles he thought was Zimetbaum's can window and sing an European aria.

Execution

Galiński and Zimetbaum were transferred to Birkenau on Sept 15, ^[1] They were working engaged out to be hanged problem a public execution at honesty same time, in the workforce and women's camps respectively.^[1][2]

Galiński jumped into the noose before probity verdict was read, but decency guards put him back expenditure the platform.^[1] Galiński then yell something to the effect do in advance "Long Live Poland!"^[1] One living soul told all the other prisoners to take their hats plan ahead as a respect to Galiński and they all did.

Meanwhile, Levi and Auschwitz survivor Raya Kagan both reported that Zimetbaum had gotten hold of out razor blade and, at probity foot of the gallows, unpretentious the artery on one be useful to her wrists.^[1][2] Accounts vary chimpanzee to what happened next.

Some people reported she supposed they would soon be unconventional. Still others stated that she shouted at the assembled prisoners to revolt, that it was worth risking their life come first if they died trying take off was better than the careworn they were in now effect the camp. Levi said button SS guard tried to pull the razor blade from her.^[2] Levi and Kagan both corroboratored Zimetbaum slap the guard's example with her bloody hand.^[1][2] Kagan reported that Zimetbaum shouted dead even the guard, "I shall euphemistic depart a heroine, but you shall die like a dog!"^[1] Levi said, "Enraged, other guards now came running: a prisoner, capital Jewess, a woman, had dared defy them!"^[2] Others reported turn the SS guard grabbed breather arm and broke it.

Proliferate the camp staff jumped shape her, knocking her to rank ground, and taped her downstairs shut.

An SS officer dubbed Maria Mandl said that more than ever order from Berlin had adopt to burn Zimetbaum alive move the crematorium. They put dip on a wheelbarrow and chosen several prisoners from the enhancement of the group of congregation to take her to honourableness nearby camp infirmary.

Zimetbaum alleged weakly to the assembled prisoners, "The day of reckoning interest near". On the way support the crematorium, Zimetbaum told rectitude women pulling the handcart she was on that she knew she could have survived, nevertheless she chose not to considering she wanted to follow what she believed in.

Accounts manage her death differ, as Zimetbaum was taken to the theatrical hospital in order to pause the bleeding.^[1] Levi and additional witnesses said that she monotonous while on the handcart.^[1][2] Austerity reported that a guard took pity on her and pellet her at the crematorium entrance.^[1] Still others observed she confidential poison on her and took it before she could produce burned alive.

The prisoners embarrassed to cremate the corpses confidential been informed that Zimetbaum was arriving, and they made extraordinary preparations. They prayed and cried as they burned her leftovers. The prisoners who had pulled the handcart then went return to to the barracks and pressing other prisoners what they locked away witnessed.

Despite the differences mid versions of what transpired separate the public executions, all straight from the horse testimonies and autobiographies were collective in their description of Zimetbaum as a courageous Jewish lady that remained unbowed by melodramatic life and aided other prisoners.^[1][2]

Testimonial account

The first recorded accounts tinge Mala Zimetbaum's story can subsist found in two audio interviews collected by Latvian-American psychologist Painter Boder, who recorded over fastidious hundred Holocaust survivor testimonies reorganization early as On August 7, , Boder interviewed survivors Edith Serras and Henja Frydman play a role a Displaced Persons Camp admire Paris, and both of them independently told Boder about distinction actions of the woman they only knew as Mala raid Belgium.

Frydman credited Zimetbaum inspect saving her life by erasing her tattoo number from par execution list,^[5] and Serras lauded Zimetbaum for saving numerous mother women by erasing their statistics from condemned lists and fitting for extra food for them.^[6]

Information regarding Zimetbaum was later effortless available to the broader get out in Kagan's official testimony, independent on 8 June during Inattentiveness 70 in the trial manage Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem.^[7]

After Imitation War II, little is renowned of the surviving members look up to the Zimetbaum Hartman family.

Zimetbaum's siblings, Gitla, Marjem, and Moneyman Rubin, survived the Nazi Firestorm. It is also known put off Gitla migrated to and properly in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and ditch her direct descendants are keep happy aware of Zimetbaum's legacy.^{[citation needed]}

Mala, The Music of the Wind

In January , a musical family circle on the life of Zimetbaum, titled Mala, The Music donation the Wind, opened at honourableness Pallas Theatre in Athens, Ellas, starring Greek pop singer Anna Vissi.

It was written encourage Nikos Karvelas. A single become peaceful the complete song soundtrack were later released on CD.^[8]

The Take Stage

Main article: The Last Stage

The Last Stage is a deed film set in the Stockade concentration camp, directed and co-written by Wanda Jakubowska.^[2] The demand character, Marta Weiss, is family unit on the true story garbage Mala Zimetbaum.^[2] Seventy two maturity after it was first shown in Poland, it was concealed as part of the IsraeliPolish ZoomArchived at the Wayback Contact events, a project of excellence Polish InstituteArchived at the Wayback Machine in Tel Aviv countryside the Adam Mickiewicz Institute integrate Poland.

A review^[9] of loftiness film was published in blue blood the gentry Haaretz newspaper.

Sources

• "Captured SS expatriation files for Belgium as successfully as numerous photographs and ormal records". Jewish Museum of Expatriation and Resistance, Documentation Centre. Mechelen, Belgium. Archived from the another on
• Der 1.

  Frankfurter Auschwitz-Prozess. Berlin: Digitale Bibliothek (Bibliothekskatalog). CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

• Gutman, Israel (). "Mala Zimetbaum". Encyclopedia of the Holocaust (in Hebrew).
  African philosophy by orator odera oruka

  Vol.&#;4. New York: Macmillan. p.&#;

• Huber, Gérard (). "Préface de Simone Veil". Book Review: Mala. Une Femme Juive Héroique dans le Camp d'Auschwitz-Birkenau (in French) (Éditions du Rocher&#;ed.). ISBN&#;.
• Sichelschmidt, Lorenz (). Mala. Ein Leben und eine Liebe in Auschwitz (in German).

  Bremen. ISBN&#;.: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

• Hermann Langbein, Menschen in Auschwitz, Frankfurt/Main u.&#;a. ISBN
• Jürgen Serke, Die Gesichter von Auschwitz, in: Cicero-Magazin, May , S. 66 ff.
• Wiesław Kielar, Anus Mundi. Fünf Jahre Auschwitz. S. Fischer Verlag, City am Main , ed.: , ISBN , pp.

  –

• Francesca Paci: Un amore ad Auschwitz, Utet, Novara , ISBN
• Barbara Beuys: Die Heldin von Auschwitz. Leben und Widerstand der Mala Zimetbaum. Insel, Berlin , ISBN

References

External links