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January 27, 1944. During a roundup in the Aube
Department, Colette Rozen, 12, whose parents had been deported in July 1942, is
arrested. She writes these letters to her adoptive family from her prison cell
in Chalons-sur-Marne.
It was very painful for me to leave you and
I think constantly about Annette. Still, I have to be brave to accomplish such
a difficult task. I hope to see you again soon for you know I'm suffering like
this so far away from you, and besides it's a really unjust fate for me. We're
in the prison of Chalons. They put eight of us in the same cell. Last night was
very cold. I slept on a straw mat about three feet across, not even, with the
other little girl.
We don't know when we're leaving. I hope I'll be
able to send you more news. Oh, assuming I return. Life won 't be rosy. Until
soon, then.
A thousand hugs and kisses for the whole family.
Colette who loves you forever.
We just found out that we're
leaving by train for Paris. We've been told to put all our baggage in the
baggage car, but I'm keeping mine with me.
What a life. I'll write you
from Drancy if I can.
Try to send me a package. I wish I had brought my
brown dress. My provisions are running out and I'm already hungry. Oh how
miserable I'm going to be.... Deported from Drancy on February 10
on convoy 68, Colette, like her parents, was
murdered at Auschwitz.
March 30, 1944. A report by OSE to its
correspondents in Switzerland:
The closing of the children's homes is
complete. All the children have been sent to secure places. Since October more
than 1,000 children in this category have been transferred to family
placements. For the moment we have kept open the Limoges nursery, which will be
turned over to the Red Cross. The identities of all the children have been
changed. Furthermore, we have left functioning the Chaumont home, whose 50
children are subject to the Public Assistance agency, which does not permit
immediate closing of the home.
In recent days we have been obliged to
take under our wing 300 more children belonging to families recently deported.
As you can see, we are doing everything we can to make our work conform
to the needs existing in all domains. You will understand, however, how
complicated the situation is and how difficult it is to do what is needed in
the present conditions.
We know that you will do everything possible to
help us in our work. It is particularly important that your financial aid comes
regularly and that we have in hand reserve funds in order not to be taken
short, some thing that could easily lead to catastrophe.
April 6, 1944. The chief of the Gestapo in Lyons, SS
Lieutenant Klaus Barbie, cables the Jewish Affairs Department of the Gestapo in
Paris that a children's home in the village of Izieu, in the Rhone Valley east
of Lyons, has been "cleaned out" and that 44 Jewish children and 7 adult staff
members are under arrest and will be transferred to Drancy the next day.
The Izieu home is situated in a large farmhouse, high in the small,
relatively isolated village. Once a Catholic children's vacation home, it is
registered as a shelter for refugee children and is secretly financed by OSE.
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FRENCH
CHILDREN OF THE HOLOCAUST A memorial
Serge Klarsfeld
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