Ana Buka

Vital Craeninckx was named after his paternal grandfather Vital Craeninckx who died in Neuengamme on November 16, 1944 at the age of 51. Also Vital’s grandfather from his mother’s side of the family, Frans Pasteyns, was deported and died at the age of 48 on February 23, 1945 in the camp Meppen-Versen. He was one … Read more

Marianne Rüsz’s father Børge Emil Pedersen was imprisoned in the Neuengamme concentration camp and the Versen satellite camp. She became an active memeber of the Danish Neuengamme Association to fulfil the promise that her father and other prisoners who survived made to their fallen comrades: “They shall not be forgotten”. How did you learn about … Read more

Viviane Cauwbergs is the granddaughter of Evrard Cauwbergs who was arrested during the second raid in Meensel-Kiezegem and deported to the Neuengamme concentration camp where he died. Viviane told us about her growing up with a father whose father died at the hands of the Nazis, about the silence shrouding her grandfather’s story for a … Read more

Rafael Priego is a great-nephew of Gabriel Priego González, who fought with the Third Mixed Brigade of the Spanish Republican Army during the Spanish Civil War. At the end of the war, Gabriel Priego Gonzáles fled to France where he was interned in a camp for Spanish refugees. Following the German defeat of France in … Read more

Knud Lynge, Lars Lynge’s father, was arrested at his workplace at the Royal Danish Nautical Charts Archive on November 14, 1944. On this day, the Gestapo stormed the building to look for an escaped person which is when they found a gun in Knud Lynge’s bag. During the war he taught resistance fighters to shoot … Read more

Aurélie Boisseau is the great-granddaughter of Raphaël Gicquel, a resistance fighter from France. When the Gestapo found the weapons he had been hiding on his farm, he was arrested and deported to the Neuengamme concentration camp. He died on the Cap Arcona on May 3, 1945. How did you learn about your great-grandfather’s story? When … Read more

Jozef Lemmens is the son of Frans Lemmens who was arrested on August 11, 1944 during “retaliation measures” in Meensel-Kiezegem and deported to Germany. Frans Lemmens died in the Neuengamme concentration camp. Jozef Lemmens answered our questions about his involvement in the National Association Meensel-Kiezegem ’44 and what he would like to pass on to … Read more

Pascale Evans is the daughter of Pascal Valliccioni who was arrested for being active in the French resistance and deported to Germany. He survived his imprisonment and lived to tell his story. His daughter answered our questions about what remembrance work means to her and what values she wants to pass on to her children. … Read more

Wilma Knoppersen is a member of the board of the October 44 Foundation (Putten, Netherlands). Both of her grandfathers, Heimen Knoppersen and Johan Wendt, were arrested during the raid in Putten on October 1 and 2, 1944 and deported to Neuengamme on October 14, 1944, where they both died the following year. How did you … Read more