The European project “Convoi 77” and the History of Avram and Luna Mordo

08/01/201801/02/2017 by Swenja Granzow-Rauwald

Interview with Jacqueline B. The „Convoi 77“ was the last convoy of deportees taken from Drancy to Auschwitz. The descendants of the deportees of „Convoi 77“ are working on finding the last traces of the deportees. It is a project that also is also directed at high schoolers. Jacqueline B. ist the grand-daughter of Avram et Luna Mordo. Swenja … Read more

“Be prepared to listen!”

17/11/202015/10/2016 by Swenja Granzow-Rauwald

Interview with Yvonne Cossu-Alba and Ulrich Gantz on the dialogue between descendants of victims and the descendants of perpetrators From 15-20 August 2016, the International Nuremberg Principles Academy held the Summer Academy entitled “Education in the Aftermath of Conflict: Learning from the past?” Participants discussed the role of education in post-conflict societies with a special focus on … Read more

“The guiding principle should always be humanity.”

17/11/202017/05/2016 by Swenja Granzow-Rauwald

Interview with Alexandra Senfft On May 2nd, 2016, Alexandra Senfft’s new book „Der lange Schatten der Täter. Nachkommen stellen sich ihrer NS-Familiengeschichte“ (“The Perpetrators’ Long Shadow. Descendants Face their Nazi Family History”) was published. The author, the granddaughter of the „Gesandte des Driten Reiches in der Slowakei“ („Envoy of the Third Reich to Slovakia“), demonstrates through dialogues with other … Read more

The 4th generation is ready for reconciliation

04/12/202409/05/2016 by Yvonne Cossu-Alba

Interview with Damien Bertrand, great-grandson of Edmond Forboteaux who died on May 3rd, 1945. 1 How did you learn about what happened to your grand-father? In my family, people hardly spoke about my great-grandfather’s concentration camp experience probably because his death in May 1945, shortly before the liberation by the British troops, led to a major … Read more

“They are not perpertrators and we are not heros!”

04/12/202403/12/2015 by Yvonne Cossu-Alba

They are not perpertrators and we are not heros!

Jacqueline Gicquel, the daughter of Pierre Gicquel who died in the Watenstedt satelite camp on February 22, 1945, talks about the effects of her father’s absence and her hope that instead of feeling guilty the perpetrators‘ descendants will commit themselves to „Never again!“. Here are her answers to questions I asked her regarding the main themes of discussion that were lead during the workshop „Dialogue between the descendants of former concentration camp prisoners and the descendants of Nazi perpetrators“ during the Forum „Future of Remembrance“ held at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial on May 6, 2015.

“Forgive but not forget!”

04/12/202403/12/2015 by Yvonne Cossu-Alba

Forgive but not forget!

Christine Rault, the grand-daughter of Joseph Rault who died in the Sandbostel reception camp on May 19, 1945, gives insights into her family history and describes her positive attitude toward the dialogue between the descendants of persecutees and the descendants of Nazi perpetrators. Here you can read her answers to some questions I asked her regarding the main themes of the discussion that took place during the workshop „Dialogue between the descendants of former concentration camp prisoners and the descendants of Nazi perpetrators“ during the Forum „Future of Remembrance“ held at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial on May 6, 2015.

“There is no hatred felt by the descendants of the victims toward the descendants of the perpetrators.”

19/01/202326/11/2015 by Yvonne Cossu-Alba

There is no hatred felt by the descendants of the victims toward the descendants of the perpetrators

Jean-Michel Clère, grandson of Robert Clère who died in Sandbostel on May 18, 1945, and president of the Amicale de Neuengamme et de ses Kommandos, participated in the workshop „Dialogue between the descendants of former concentration camp prisoners and the descendants of Nazi perpetrators“ during the Forum „Future of Remembrance“ held at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial on May 6, 2015. Here are his answers to some questions I asked him about some of the main themes covered during the workshop discussions.

Pascal Rogers praises the dialogue between descendants of both concentration camp prisoners and nazi perpetrators

02/11/201726/11/2015 by Yvonne Cossu-Alba

Pascal Rogers praises the dialogue between descendants of both concentration camp prisoners and nazi perpetrators

Pascal Roger, the great-grandson of Abel Leprince who died in the Neuengamme concentration camp in March 1945, participated in the workshop „Dialogue between the descendants of former concentration camp prisoners and the descendants of Nazi perpetrators“ during the Forum „Future of Remembrance“ held at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial on May 6, 2015. Here are his answers to some questions I asked him about some of the main themes covered during the workshop discussions.

Interview with Lauren Fox, author of “Days of Awe”

18/11/202018/11/2015 by Swenja Granzow-Rauwald

Interview with Lauren Fox, author of “Days of Awe”

The author Lauren Fox. © Amanda Schlicher.

When I had finished „Days of Awe“ I was happy and sad at the same time. Happy, because Lauren Fox had written a realistic ending to the story of Izzy, daughter of a Holocaust survivor, whose world is turned upside down when the loss of both her best friend and her husband leave disenchanted with middle-aged life. Sad, because I wanted to know more, especially about where Lauren Fox had found the courage to create a protagonist whose family’s experience of persecution plays a role in her life without being the only thing that defines her.

Fortunately, Lauren Fox agreed to answer some questions I had emailed her.