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
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
From April 30 till May 2, 2016, the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial in Hamburg, Germany, invites descendants of former concentration camp prisoners, members of survivors associations, Memorial staff and organizations supporting their work as well as young adults and other interested individuals to the Forum “Future of Remembrance” (program) to discuss questions regarding the creation of … Read more
2016 will become an interesting year in Meensel-Kiezegem (Belgium). The two organizations active in the commemoration of the Second World War are merging into “Meensel-Kiezegem ‘44”. This way they continue to engage in the commemoration and remembrance of the tragical happenings in the village during the Second World War.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
I have been waiting for a novel like „Days of Awe“ by Lauren Fox for a long time. Finally, an author dares to portray the daughter of a Holocaust survivor as a person whose life is multi-faceted, and only one of these facets is the trauma experienced by her family. In fact, Izzy, the second generation narrator, at 43 struggles to keep her worn-out life as wife, mother and confidante from falling apart much the same way as other women might do, that is, with a healthy mixture of longing to be truly seen, a pinch of dark humor and some self-loathing.
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