[Page 172]

Map of France

German troops parading in Paris

According to Lucien Lazare, author of “La Resistance Juive en France” there were 350,000 Jews in France in July, 1940, and 540,000 in July, 1941.^[3] The number included Jewish military personnel. On German orders the French checked all Jewish residentsof Paris that reached a population of 148,024.^[4]

On April 21, 1941, near the village of Struthof, the Nazis opened the only concentration camp in France, Natzweiler, located in the province of Alsace. Its annexes, scattered over both sides of the Rhine, made up a network of close to 70camps. Of the nearly 52,000 detainees of the concentration camp Natzweiler, about 35,000 did not go through the central camp. A labor camp supporting the Nazi War industry was also used for medical experiments by Nazi professors from the Reich University of Strasbourg. From 1941 to 1945, the concentration camp Natzweiler was one of the most murderous camps of the Nazi system.

Nearly 22,000 deportees died there. On November 23, 1944, the Allies discovered the site which had been evacuated by the Nazis on September 14, 1944. In August, 1941, the French opened the Drancy concentration camp near Paris.

The history of the concentration camps in France is a very difficult and sensitive subject. In 1939, before the Nazis invaded France, the French government had opened camps (like Gurs or Noe) designed to receive the Spanish refugees escaping from the fascist regime of Franco. These camps were guarded by the French police and in the summer of 1940, all refugees were handed over to the Nazis. They were quickly transferred to variousconcentration camps in Germany and very few of them survived. The camp of Drancy was a transit camp located not far from Paris. Like many other camps in France, it was created by the government of Philippe Petain and was under the control

French Jews at Drancy near Paris transit camp. They would all be shipped East

There is much evidence about the brutality of the French guards in Drancy. The conditions of life were extremely difficult, due to neglect of personal, ordinary human needs, adequate food, unsanitary conditions, and over–crowding. The camp transported thousands of Jews to the death camps in the East. The French were not satisfied with the number of arrested Jews and ordered a massive round up of Parisian Jews on July 16, 1942. They were taken to a sports arena and then sent to the Drancy concentration camp. 13,000 Jews were arrested in this action in Paris. The Vichy Regime and the Nazi German government worked hand in hand in the destruction of French Jewry. The collaboration between the two regimes ended with the debarquement of American and British troops in North Africa, namely Algeria and Morocco on November 8, 1942. The Germans occupied the so–called “Free zone” and put an end to the Vichy regime. Now Nazi Germany ruled all over France. The actions and arrests of Jews increased throughout the country and they were sent East where they perished.

About 50,000 foreign Jews and 26,000 French Jews were deported, fora total of 76,000 Jews, who were also excluded from the army, press, commercial and industrial activities, and the civil service. Another status law was passed in July 1941 and required the registration of Jewish businesses and excluded Jews from any profession, commercial or industrial. These laws were passed in Vichy butenforced throughout both zones. The Germans were more than happy to apply these laws in their zone. In 1940, the French Jewish population consisted of about 330,000 Jews; about half were French citizens while the rest were foreign Jewsnamely Polish, German, and Austrian. Many German Jews were rounded up and placed in closed camps were conditions were horrible. All of them were later sent to the East where they perished. Foreign Jews were seized and arrested in both zones.

On April 21, 1941, near the village of Struthof, the Nazis opened the concentration camp in France, Natzweiler, located in the province of Alsace. Its annexes, scattered over both of the Rhine, made up a network of close to 70 camps. Of the nearly 52,000 detainees of the concentration camp Natzweiler, about 35,000 did not go through the central camp. A labor camp supporting the Nazi war industry, it was also used for medical experiments by Nazi professors from the Reich University of Strasbourg. From 1941 to 1945, the concentration camp Natzweiler, was one of the most murderous camps of the Nazi system.

Nearly 22,000 deportees died there. On November 23, 1944, the Allies discovered the site which had been evacuated by the Nazis on September 14, 1944. In August 1941, the French opened the Drancy concentration camp near Paris. The camp transferred thousands of Jews to the death camps in the East. The French were not satisfied with the number of arrested Jews and ordered a massive round up of Parisian Jews on July 16, 1942. They were taken to a sports arena and then sent to the Drancy concentration camp. 13,000 Jews were arrested in this action in Paris. The Vichy Regime and the Nazi Germany worked hand in hand in the destruction of French Jewry. The collaboration between the two regimes ended with the debarquement of American and British troops in North Africa namely Algeria and Morocco on November 8, 1942. The Germans occupied the so–called “Free zone” and put an end to the Vichy regime. Now Nazi Germany ruled all over France.

The actions and arrests of Jews increased throughout the country and sent East wherethey perished. About 50,000 foreign Jews and 26,000 French Jews were deported, for a total of 76,000 Jews.

With the liberation of France, the country's civil administration began to function again. People who had co–operated with the Germans were dismissed or jailed. France under Charles de Gaulle refused to allow refugee camps to be created and would not permit UNRRA to operate in France. The French government rapidly expedited the return of Jewish and non–Jewish Frenchmen. Most French Jews and residents of France eagerly returned to France where they received some help. Few French Jews remained in the DP camps in Germany and Austria as opposed to the Jewish Shoah survivors from the East who refused to return to their former homes. Jewish DP refugees from Germany and Austria soon started to appear in Paris, Lyon and Marseilles. They crossed the French borders illegally and settled in France. The French government was rather liberal in permitting these Jews entry and provided a transit camp where refugees were kept until a ship was available to transport them to North America. When the Leibner family received the visa entrance to the United States, the JDC in Paris, France sent the family to Bremerhaven port in Germany to board a refugee ship heading to the United States.

The Leibner family leaving Paris for Bremen, Germany Left Yehudah Leibner, center Serl Lang– Leibner, Yaakov Leibner and Wolf or William Leibner

The truck refused to start and the French police spotted them and arrested them. They were interrogated in French that they did not understand. Then JDC officials appeared and took charge. The JDC officials signed some form of bond and they were released from prison and taken to Paris where the JDC helped them get a place and provided them with some money to support themselves. Meanwhile JDC located people related to the Leibners in the United States. The latter tried to reach them in Poland but they were no longer there. The papers were somewhere between Warsaw, Poland and Paris, France. New papers were issued and the Leibners were placed on the list to the United States. The French JDC used these documents in the French courts as proof that they would soon leave France. The stay continued for about 6 years until theywere sent to the United States.

France followed a very liberal policy with regard to illegal Jewish DP refugees. The French government also allowed many Jewish children transports to enter France where they were placed in various Jewish orphanages throughout France. These homes were supported by the JDC and the Jewish Agency of Palestine that provided many Palestinian teachers and nurses. Of course, some orphanages were reserved for French Jewish orphans where the language and culture were French. These homes were also supported by JDC and French social welfare organizations. The refugee orphanages were situated in a Palestinian environment with an emphasis on Hebrew and Jewish culture. Many of the homes belonged to Zionist political parties where the Zionist party ideology was stressed. Most of the children were waiting to go to Palestine.

Transport of Jewish orphans from Poland to France

Batia Epstein was one of the Jewish orphans from Poland to arrive in France where she lived at the Chateau de Perigueux near Toulouse, France

Chateau Vouzon in Perigueux, France, where Jewish refugee children. The Chateau was owned by the French Rothschild family.

David Danieli formerly Danilowski arrived from Poland to Strasburg where there was a large Jewish orphanage

Most of the illegal Jews eventually left France as did the Jewish refugee children. All the children were transported to Marseilles where they boarded ships that took them to Israel once the state was proclaimed. Many of the older refugees followed. The place was once a nice place but now it was run down, the lawns were unkempt, the trees needed trimming. The

A view of Salon–de–Provence, with the church and clock tower

The small town of Salon de Provence, a small distance north of Marseilles was the center of Brichah and Mossad activities in these port areas. The “Exodus” ship left these shores with a large number of Jews heading for Palestine. It was escorted by the British navy all along the trip.

Footnotes

1. William Langer, Encyclopedia of World History, Maughlin, Mifflin Co, Boston USA. P.1147 Return
2. Ibid p.1148 Return
3. Lazare, La resistance Juive en France, Stock, 1987, p.22 Return
4. Lazare, p.48 Return
5. Lazarre p.88 Return

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