Children of Izieu

A colony of Jewish children taken refuge was created in 1943, during the Second world war, in the common Frenchwoman of Izieu (Département of Ain). It was directed by the director Miron Zlatin, and his wife, Sabine Zlatin, a Jewish Frenchwoman born with Warsaw and which had been devoted to the rescue and the protection of Jewish children. Izieu until in 1942 was located in the nonoccupied zone, near the Suisse.

The April 6th 1944, the troops of the Gestapo, under the command of the “Butcher of Lyon”, alias Klaus Barbie, invested the orphanage and stopped the forty-four children residents and 7 adults present framing them. They all were embarked in trucks towards Lyon before being dispatched with the Camp of Drancy. From there, the voyage towards the camps of death started. Forty-two children were gauzes on their arrival with Auschwitz, youngest were 5 years old. Two older children and Miron Zlatin were sent to Tallinn (Estonia), where they were carried out by balls. Absent at the time of the raid, Sabine Zlatin, from now on called “the Lady of Izieu” devoted the remainder of its existence to its combat for the memory of the children.

Following the emotion raised by the lawsuit of Klaus Barbie in 1987, a memorial was founded on the initiative of Sabine Zlatin and the Jewish community of Lyon in the house and the dependences of the home for children, under the name of Museum-memorial of the children of Izieu . It was inaugurated by the president François Mitterrand on April 24th, 1994. Sabine Zlatin is extinct in 1996 at the 89 years age.

Testimonys

Testimony of Leon Reifman, survivor and witness of the raid: I descended the staircases when I heard my sister shout: " The Germans, the Germans are there! Run away yourself! " I jumped by the window and hid me under a bush. I heard the children shout, terrorized by the orders of the Nazis.

An survivor of Auschwitz told the destiny of the children, at the time of the lawsuit of Klaus Barbie: I wondered where were the children made with us. In the camp there was no child. Those which were already there for a long time, said to me: " You see this chimney which does not stop smoking? … You do not feel an odor of cooked flesh…? "

Around Izieu

Pierre-Jerome Biscarat, children of Izieu. April 6th, 1944. A crime against humanity. Inheritances, Veurey To yield to 2003.
the lady of Izieu (2007), telefilm of Alain Wermus of 2x90 minutes with Veronique Genest, written by Stephan Kaminka and Alain Stern.

External bonds

Site of the House of Izieu - memorial of the exterminated Jewish children
the list of the children and the teachers

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