Kraków central station

Kraków Central station – Recorded May 2012. Poland. Kraków. Kraków Główny station – 10PM. One minute film by Michel van der Burg, september 2012. License: Creative Commons Attribution

Transport XX to Auschwitz showing soon at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF)

We are proud to announce that the “Transport XX to Auschwitz” documentary has been selected to be shown by the Fort Lau derdale 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.

Transport XX to Auschwitz – trailer

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.

Régine Krochmal – tribute to a courageous resistance fighter

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

Transport XX – One Minute in Paradiso, Amsterdam

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” →

Transport XX face to face | imichel•com | 20110119

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

TAGS #Auschwitz #Belgium #Brussels #convoy #deportation #escape #holocaust #Jew #JMDR #Jood #Kazerne Dossin #Malines #Mechelen #shoah #train #Transport XX #republish #imichel #imichelcom #blogspot #blogger #1Memo #michelvanderburg

TRANSPORT XX — installation Brussels | imichel•com | 20090419

TRANSPORT XX — installation Brussels | 20090419

Video description

Nederlands (English – French/Français, see below):

TRANSPORT XX — installatie Brussel
Video impressie (28 februari 2009) van de confrontatie van voorbijgangers met de TRANSPORT XX installatie in Brussel: 1200 fotografische portretten van joden gedeporteerd van Mechelen (België) naar Auschwitz in 1943.

Vandaag precies 66 jaar geleden — op 19 april 1943 — deporteerde het TRANSPORT XX treinkonvooi 1631 gevangenen (voornamelijk joden) van de Kazerne Dossin in Mechelen (België) naar Auschwitz-Birkenau (Polen).
Een op de zeven van de gedeporteerden wist te ontsnappen; ondermeer door de verzetsactie van de drie Brusselse jongemannen — Youra Livschitz, Jean Franklemon and Robert Maistriau — die het konvooi ‘s nachts tot staan brachten na Boortmeerbeek — niet ver van Mechelen.
Het project TRANSPORT XX is een constructie waarin de portretten getoond worden van 1200 van de 1631 gevangenen van dit 20ste konvooi.

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 (Meer info hieronder).
De fotografische portretten werden buiten gepresenteerd langs het “Park van Brussel” (Warandepark) tegenover het Koninklijk Paleis. Op deze wijze werden voorbijgangers geconfronteerd met de 1200 gezichten van de slachtoffers.
Met deze gebeurtenis werd tevens de bevrijding herdacht van Auschwitz-Birkenau op 27 januari 1945.

Meer info:

Dit project werd voor het eerst gepresenteerd aan de internationale pers op vrijdag 20 april 2007 bij de Kazerne Dossin / Joods Museum van Deportatie en Verzet (JMDV).

De Kazerne Dossin digitaliseerde de foto’s van Dossin gevangenen, die meestal afkomstig zijn uit het Belgische Algemeen Rijksarchief – Dossiers Vreemdelingen Politie.
Met het project “Geef ze een gezicht” tracht Kazerne Dossin om zoveel mogelijk portretten van gedeporteerden samen te brengen, om hen hun gezicht terug te geven, en de herinnering levend te houden.

English:
Video impression (February 28th, 2009) of the confrontation of passers-by with the TRANSPORT XX installation in Brussels, that presented 1200 photographic portraits of Jews deported from Malines (Belgium) to Auschwitz in 1943.

Today exactly 66 years ago — on 19 April 1943 — the TRANSPORT XX train convoy deported 1,631 prisoners (mainly Jews) from the Dossin Barracks in Malines (Belgium) to Auschwitz-Birkenau (Poland).
One out of seven of these deportees managed to escape, among others by the act of resistance of the three young men — Youra Livschitz, Jean Franklemon and Robert Maistriau — who stopped the convoy that night after Boortmeerbeek (near Malines).
The project TRANSPORT XX is a construction depicting the portraits of 1,200 of the 1,631 prisoners deported on this 20th convoy.

The TRANSPORT XX installation in Brussels was organised from 27 January to 15 March 2009 by the BELvue Museum in collaboration with the JMDR/Dossin Barracks (More info below).
The photographic portraits were displayed outside in the Royal park in Brussels (opposite the Royal Palace). In this way passers-by were confronted with 1,200 faces of the victims.
This event commemorated the release of Auschwitz-Birkenau (Poland) on 27 January 1945.

More info:

This project was first presented to the international press on Friday 20 April 2007 at the Dossin Barracks / Jewish Museum of Deportation and Resistance (JMDR).

The Kazerne Dossin 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”.
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.

Français (French):

TRANSPORT XX — installation Bruxelles
Une vidéo de l’installation “Transport XX” – une série de portraits photos des juifs qui devaient être emmenés de Malines à Auschwitz le 19 avril 1943 (organisée par le BELvue Musée à Bruxelles – 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.

Info updated:
20090504
20101130 replaced ‘ClipStills’ by VideoframesWork™
20111215 credits / link info
20120109 french credits

Posted by michelvanderburg – Sunday, April 19, 2009

Republished 20220618 by Michel van der Burg | michelvanderburg•com , from imichel•com | imichel•blogspot•com | 20090419 .
Note (20220618): The still image burned-in caption has text ‘ClipStills’ that was replaced in later years in post text by VideoframesWork , and elsewhere again later by the final choice ‘Storyboard’. Now replaced in text by Storyboard here too.

Credit 2022 format
TRANSPORT XX — installation Brussels | 20090419 | Michel van der Burg | michelvanderburg•com – CC BY SA 3.0

TAGS #Auschwitz #België #Belgique #Belgium #Brussels #Brussel #Bruxelles #channel012 #convoy #train #deportation #holocaust #shoah #Jew #JMDR #BELvue #installation #Youra Livschitz #Jean #Franklemon #Robert #Maistriau #KazerneDossin #Malines #Mechelen #michelvanderburg #transport #XX #TransportXX #VideoframesWork #storyboard #ClipStills #republish #imichel #imichelcom #blogspot #blogger #1Memo #michelvanderburg #Michel van der Burg