The documentary Transport XX to Auschwitz by Karen Lynne & Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg is shown at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) on Saturday October 27 at the main film festival theatre Cinema Paradiso in Fort Lauderdale, and again the next Saturday, November 3rd, at the Sunrise Civic Theatre in the city of Sunrise, Florida. Thanks all helping us with this documentary – – Simon Gronowski (see trailer poster) in particular for his special effort!!
Synopsis – During the Shoah, the Nazis, in their quest for the final solution of the Jewish question, utilized thousands of trains from Germany and the occupied countries to transport 3,000,000 Jews to the concentration and death camps.
This is the true story of one of the most audacious and heroic rescue attempts, which occurred on April 19, 1943, the first night of Passover, at the same time that the Warsaw Ghetto uprising began. On that night, Transport XX departed Mechelen, Belgium at 10 p.m. with 1631, Jewish men, women and children for Auschwitz II-Birkenau.
Half an hour later, it was stopped by three young Belgians armed with only 1 pistol, pliers and a hurricane lamp. The only documented attack on a death train during the Shoah. What happened leading up to, during and after this audacious rescue attempt are featured with archival footage and survivor interviews.
We are proud to announce that the “Transport XX to Auschwitz” documentary has been selected to be shown by the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. The dates of the showing will be posted by October 1st, 2012. Here a link to the trailer and details of this film.
Trailer of the film Transport XX to Auschwitz by Karen Lynne & Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg. This documentary is coming soon.
During the Shoah, the Nazis, in their quest for the final solution of the Jewish question, utilized thousands of trains from Germany and the occupied countries to transport 3,000,000 Jews to the concentration and death camps.
This is the little known, true story of a most remarkable and heroic rescue attempt which occurred on April 19, 1943, the first night of Passover, at the same time that the Warsaw Ghetto uprising began, some 720 miles away.
On that night, Transport XX departed Mechelen, Belgium at 10 p.m. with 1631 Jewish men, women and children for Auschwitz II-Birkenau.
Half an hour later, it was stopped by three young Belgians armed with only 1 pistol, pliers and a hurricane lamp.
This was the only documented attack on a death train during the Shoah.
May 11, 2012 – Régine Krochmal, who in 1943 courageously escaped from the 20th train from Mechelen to Auschwitz, died today in Brussels, almost 92 years of age. A short compilation made today of images of Régine, about a year ago at the Transport XX commemoration in Boortmeerbeek on May 15, 2011.
Dutch: Eerbetoon aan een moedige verzetsvrouw
Régine Krochmal – die in 1943 op moedige wijze ontsnapte uit de 20ste trein van Mechelen naar Auschwitz – is vandaag (11 mei, 2012) overleden in Brussel, op bijna 92 jarige leeftijd.
Ik heb haar helaas slechts eenmaal persoonlijk ontmoet – bij de herdenkingsbijeenkomst van transport XX in Boortmeerbeek vandaag bijna een jaar geleden. Daarnaast, heb ik voor een nieuwe documentaire over transport XX, wekenlang ‘aan haar lippen gehangen’ bij werk aan haar getuigenissen eerder vastgelegd op video bij andere gelegenheden. Zo heb ik haar bijzonder leren waarderen als een moedige, levenslustige, en in meerdere opzichten ‘kleurrijke’ vrouw.
Vanavond heb ik een kort verslag – een impressie – samengesteld met onder andere beeld van haar toespraak op de herdenking van het XXste Transport in Boortmeerbeek vorig jaar, en beeld van de vele anderen die er in slaagden uit de veewagons van dit konvooi te springen.
Deze video is een eerbetoon aan een moedige verzetsvrouw.
20130206 update:
The video embedded here is from my Vimeo account. The same file uploaded May 11, 2012 on YouTube, was supplemented today with an english translation in closed captions (subtitles) – here a link to that subtitled video
Deze opname van de vertoning van de Transport XX one-minute film in Paradiso in Amsterdam vorig jaar (Nov. 28, 2010) werd vandaag online gezet.*
Amsterdam – Paradiso Nov. 28, 2010 – The One Minutes – Waar Geschiedenis begint…
Waar Geschiedenis Begint …
Op zondag 28 november 2010 presenteerde het Nationaal Historisch Museum en The One Minutes de “Waar Geschiedenis Begint” show in Paradiso, Amsterdam. Geschiedenisfilms van één minuut passeerden de revue … Gastheer is kunstenaar en theatermaker Steven de Jong. Meerdere schermen tegenover elkaar in Paradiso zorgden voor goed zicht op de vertoning.
Waar begint geschiedenis?
Het Nationaal Historisch Museum en The One Minutes vroegen filmmakers en studenten van Nederlandse Kunstopleidingen om een one minute video te maken over waar hun geschiedenis begint. Bijvoorbeeld bij de naam van hun grootmoeder, de straat waarin ze wonen of beelden van verlies, liefde, trouw en inzicht.
Over “Transport XX”
Deze korte! documentaire is een video impressie (28 februari 2009) van de confrontatie van voorbijgangers met de TRANSPORT XX installatie in Brussel: met fotografische portretten van 1200 van de 1631 joodse gevangenen die gedeporteerd werden met het 20ste trein konvooi naar Auschwitz in 1943.
Op 19 april 1943 om 10 uur ‘s avonds vertrekt het 20ste trein-konvooi van de Kazerne Dossin in Mechelen (België) met 40 beestenwagons volgepropt met 1631 joodse mannen, vrouwen en kinderen richting Auschwitz (Polen). De in België gevangen genomen joden waren voor meer dan 90% ‘vreemdelingen’ (zonder de Belgische nationaliteit), die toen de oorlog uitbrak of al (vele) jaren eerder uit voornamelijk Oost Europa, Duitsland en Holland naar België waren gevlucht. Een half uur na het vertrek van dit transport XX slagen de drie Brusselse jongemannen Youra Livschitz, Jean Franklemon en Robert Maistriau er in de trein te stoppen tussen station Boortmeerbeek en Haacht, vervolgens met een nijptang een wagon te openen, en 17 gevangenen te bevrijden. Later voordat de trein de Duitse grens bereikt besluiten nog eens meer dan 200 gevangenen een ontsnappingspoging te wagen en ook uit de wagons te springen. Totaal probeerden 233 mensen te ontsnappen, en slaagden 118 mensen daar in. Helaas werden er ook 26 mensen gedood en 89 anderen weer opgepakt en weer gevangen gezet of op latere treinen naar Auschwitz gezet. Van de mensen die met deze trein op 22 April in Auschwitz aankwamen overleefden er slechts 153 dit concentratiekamp.
Dit was voor zover bekend de enige aanval op een dodentrein tijdens de Holocaust.
Credits
De Kazerne Dossin digitaliseerde de foto’s van de Dossin gevangenen, die meestal afkomstig zijn uit het Belgische Algemeen Rijksarchief – Dossiers Vreemdelingen Politie.
De TRANSPORT XX installatie in Brussel werd van 27 januari tot 15 maart 2009 georganiseerd door het BELvue Museum in samenwerking met JMDV/Kazerne Dossin.
De portretten werden buiten gepresenteerd langs het “Park van Brussel” (Warandepark) tegenover het Koninklijk Paleis.
Dit project werd voor het eerst gepresenteerd aan de internationale pers op vrijdag 20 april 2007 bij de Kazerne Dossin.
Dank je wel: Marjan Verplancke en andere medewerkers van Kazerne Dossin (JMDV) in Mechelen, België en het project “Geef ze een gezicht” – waarmee Kazerne Dossin tracht om zoveel mogelijk portretten van gedeporteerden samen te brengen, om hen hun gezicht terug te geven, en de herinnering levend te houden.
Deze ‘one minute cut’ is een bewerking van de eerder in 2009 op youtube/channel012 verschenen video “TRANSPORT XX – installation Brussels”. Speciaal voor het One Minutes festival werd de oorspronkelijke film van ca. 3 minuten (2 min 50 sec) ingekort tot 1 minuut. Vanwege het speciale ‘format’ van de ‘The One Minutes’ zijn in deze 1-minuut versie de titel en credits achterwege gelaten in het beeldmateriaal, en werd de titel pas bij vertoning door de organisatie toegevoegd.
This recording of the Transport XX one-minute film presentation last year (Nov. 28, 2010) in Paradiso in Amsterdam was uploaded today.
Amsterdam – Paradiso Nov. 28, 2010 – The One Minutes – Where history starts …
November 28, 2010 the Dutch Museum of National History and The One Minutes presented a selection of videos about Dutch History in Paradiso, Amsterdam. Artists and art students were asked to make a one minute video about where history starts. The videos were shown at the ‘Waar Geschiedenis Begint Show’ (Where history starts). Special host is artist and theater director Steven de Jong. Multiple screens at opposite sides in Paradiso offered a good view for everyone on the show.
“Transport XX”
This short! documentary is a video impression (February 28th, 2009) of the confrontation of passers-by with the TRANSPORT XX installation in Brussels, that presented photographic portraits of 1,200 of the 1,631 Jewish prisoners deported with the 20th train convoy to Auschwitz in 1943.
On April 19, 1943 at 10 p.m. the 20th train convoy departed the Dossin barracks (Kazerne Dossin) in Mechelen (Belgium) with 40 cattle cars crammed with 1631 Jewish men, women and children for Auschwitz (Poland). The in Belgium captured Jews were over 90% ‘foreigners’ (with no Belgian nationality) who either when war broke out or (many) years earlier had fled from mainly Eastern Europe, Germany and Holland to Belgium. Half an hour after the departure of this transport XX three young Belgians from Brussels, Youra Livschitz, Jean Franklemon and Robert Maistriau stopped the train between Boortmeerbeek and Haacht, opened one of the cars and liberated 17 prisoners. Later before the train reaches the German border over 200 other prisoners decide to attempt to escape and also jump out of the cars. In total 233 people attempted to escape, and 188 did succeed. Unfortunately also 26 were killed and 89 others recaptured and interned or put on future trains to Auschwitz. This 20th transport arrived at Auschwitz on April 22. Only 153 of those on board survived this death camp.
This was the only documented attack on a death train during the Shoah.
Credits
The Kazerne Dossin digitalised the photo’s of the Dossin prisoners, that mostly are from the “National State Archives of Belgium. Ministry of Justice, Public Safety Office, Foreigner’s Police, individual files”
The TRANSPORT XX installation in Brussels was organised from 27 January to 15 March 2009 by the BELvue Museum in collaboration with the JMDR / Kazerne Dossin. The photographic portraits were displayed outside in the Royal park in Brussels (opposite the Royal Palace).
Thank you: Marjan Verplancke and other co-workers of the Jewish Museum of Deportation and Resistance (JMDR) in Mechelen (Malines, Belgium) and project “Give them a Face”.
With the ‘Give Them a Face’ project the Kazerne Dossin aims to bring together as many portraits of deportees from the Dossin barracks in Mechelen as possible and give them back their face – and the memory alive.
This ‘one minute cut’ is a reworking of the video “TRANSPORT XX – installation Brussels” presented earlier in 2009 at youtube/channel012. For this special ‘The One Minute’ edition, the original film of around 3 minutes was edited to a 1-minute cut.
Because of the special format of the ‘The One Minutes’ the credits and title were omitted from the actual footage, the title was added by the organisation at display.
Amsterdam – Paradiso Nov. 28, 2010 – Le ‘One Minutes’ – Où l’histoire commence …
TRANSPORT XX — Une Minute à Paradiso, Amsterdam
Ce enregistrement du Transport XX ‘one minute’ film presentation l’année dernière (Nov. 28, 2010) à Paradiso (Amsterdam) a été téléchargé aujourd’hui.
Cette ‘Une Minute film’ à Paradiso est une remaniement spéciales de la vidéo originale de près de 3 minutes intitulé “TRANSPORT XX – installation Brussels” publié plus tôt en 2009 à youtube/channel012.
L’installation “Transport XX” – une série de portraits photos des juifs qui devaient être emmenés de Malines à Auschwitz le 19 avril 1943 – etait organisée par le BELvue Musée à Bruxelles de 27 janvier au 15 mars 2009 le long du Parc Royal juste en face du Palais Royal de Bruxelles.
Merci bien Marjan Verplancke et des autres collègues de la Kazerne Dossin à Malines (la Belgique) et le projet ‘Donnez-leur un visage’.
Kazerne Dossin a digitalisé des photos de déportés de Dossin – la plupart proviennent des Dossiers de la Police des Étrangers (Archives Générales du Royaume).
Avec le projet ‘Donnez-leur un visage’ Kazerne Dossin vise à réunir le maximum de portraits de déportés afin de leur rendre un visage.
Dutch text below (texte Français ci-dessous)This recording of the Transport XX one-minute film presentation last year (Nov. 28, 2010) in Paradiso in Amsterdam was uploaded today.
Amsterdam – Paradiso Nov. 28, 2010 – The One Minutes – Where history starts …
November 28, 2010 the Dutch Museum of National History and The One Minutes presented a selection of videos about Dutch History in Paradiso, Amsterdam. Artists and art students were asked to make a one minute video about where history starts. The videos were shown at the ‘Waar Geschiedenis Begint Show’ (Where history starts). Special host is artist and theater director Steven de Jong. Multiple screens at opposite sides in Paradiso offered a good view for everyone on the show.
Trailer – ‘Where History Starts Show’
“Transport XX”
This short! documentary is a video impression (February 28th, 2009) of the confrontation of passers-by with the TRANSPORT XX installation in Brussels, that presented photographic portraits of 1,200 of the 1,631 Jewish prisoners deported with the 20th train convoy to Auschwitz in 1943.
On April 19, 1943 at 10 p.m. the 20th train convoy departed the Dossin barracks (Kazerne Dossin) in Mechelen (Belgium) with 40 cattle cars crammed with 1631 Jewish men, women and children for Auschwitz (Poland). The in Belgium captured Jews were over 90% ‘foreigners’ (with no Belgian nationality) who either when war broke out or (many) years earlier had fled from mainly Eastern Europe, Germany and Holland to Belgium. Half an hour after the departure of this transport XX three young Belgians from Brussels, Youra Livschitz, Jean Franklemon and Robert Maistriau stopped the train between Boortmeerbeek and Haacht, opened one of the cars and liberated 17 prisoners. Later before the train reaches the German border over 200 other prisoners decide to attempt to escape and also jump out of the cars. In total 233 people attempted to escape, and 188 did succeed. Unfortunately also 26 were killed and 89 others recaptured and interned or put on future trains to Auschwitz. This 20th transport arrived at Auschwitz on April 22. Only 153 of those on board survived this death camp.
Transport XX — face to face | 2010 edition | 20200609 release*
SlideShow showing some 40 frames (with sound) from the video “Transport XX face to face” (Note 20220616 : video no longer available).
Below some frames from this video.
Still 01 | Transport XX face to face | 20110119
Still 02 | Transport XX face to face | 20110119
Still 03 | Transport XX face to face | 20110119
Still 11 | Transport XX face to face | 20110119
Still 40 | Transport XX face to face | 20110119
About this video
A short evocation of the TRANSPORT XX Installation in Brussels 2009, that confronted passers-by with 1200 portraits of Jews (from Belgium, Holland, and other countries) deported on this 20th train convoy from Belgium to Auschwitz on 19 April 1943. Many deportees managed to escape, among others when three young men stopped the convoy that night …
A first edition of the film was published (see below) as “TRANSPORT XX – installation Brussels” via youtube.com/channel012. Thank you: Marjan Verplancke and other co-workers of the Kazerne Dossin / Jewish Museum of Deportation and Resistance in Mechelen (Belgium) and project “Give them a Face”. The Kazerne Dossin – kazernedossin.eu – digitalized the photo’s of the Dossin prisoners, that mostly are from the “National State Archives of Belgium. Ministry of Justice, Public Safety Office, Foreigner’s Police, individual files” URL arch.be/ .
With the ‘Give Them a Face’ project the Kazerne Dossin aims to bring together as many portraits of deportees from the Dossin barracks in Mechelen as possible and give them back their face – and the memory alive.
Notes (3)
1) Making of the film: Note that this movie originally started as pure registration – in a few ‘long takes’ – of these quite overwhelming visual impressions from my first encounter with this installation (not yet aware actually of the factual history of these portraits). Only the next day, after completing the capturing of 4 long takes while walking back and forth the rows of portraits – did I read the caption halfway the installation, and first became aware of the background, more or less: that is, the history and ‘identity’ of the portraits and this ‘transport’. This prompted the idea for this visual account with the superimposed montage of the imagery of two of the takes, combined with the ambient sound (with of the lowest levels of wind noise) of a third take.
2) A first edition of this film (“TRANSPORT XX – installation Brussels”) was published on 19 april 2009 via “channel012” at YouTube- and that version was also added in 2009 to the collection of the Dossin Barracks / Jewish Museum of Deportation and Resistance (Mechelen, Belgium).
3) This ‘final cut’ now named “Transport XX face to face” has some editing corrections and a new title and credits. This edition was first published October 2010 in the 7th round of the New Arrivals 2010 / 2011 of the dutch broadcaster ‘NTR’. New Arrivals | KORT! ntr: (no longer available via this link) http://www.kortefilmonline.ntr.nl/page/detail/newarrivals/video/788830/transport-xx—face-to-face
(Also uploaded via Vimeo 2 days ago)
Update 20111215 credits / link info
Posted by michelvanderburg – Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Comment :
Dear Michel, thanks for your good work. I wanted to point you a small but significant detail: transport XX was the 1rst time where a special wagon (Sonderwagen) was added with 19 resistants and “jumpers” (18 men & 1 women) from previous transports. The wagon was located just before the last wagon with the guards. It is possible that they were marked with red paint on the back of their clothes in order to destroy them automatically on arrival at Auschwitz. The pictures of these 19 prisonners was excluded from the mural exposition outside Dossin Kaserne. In my opinion their pictures should be added as it is our duty to honor their memory. Alain Blitz – Kibbutz Hasolelim, Israel – granson of Chaskel Feiwel Blitz, N0. 9 on the Sonderwagen of Transport XX
Wednesday, 13 April 2011 at 14:24:00 CEST
Republished 20220621 by Michel van der Burg | michelvanderburg•com , from imichel•com | imichel•blogspot•com | 20110119
*Note Update 20220621 Transport XX — face to face | 2010 edition | 20200609 release
