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.

Below the original 1 minute film Transport XX – face to face

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. Continue reading “Transport XX – One Minute in Paradiso, Amsterdam” →