French Holocaust Personal Accounts: Peter Feigl: France (May 1940-Msay 1944)


Figure 1.--

Peter and his mother fled again, this time to France. They settled in the town of Auch. Peter's father managed to rejoin them (spring 1941). They lived in a cramped one room apartment. Peter was saved because his parents sent him to a Quaker summer camp. His father cycled 30 miles to visit him at camp. They were able to spend a few hours together. His father brought along a bag of personal possessions. When his father rode off it was the last time they ever saw each other. While he was at camp, his parents were arrested by Vichy authorities in Auch during the round-up of Jews (August 1942). Had he been at home, he would have been arrested along with hs parents. His parents were were transported to Auschwitz where they were killed (September 6, 1942). Peter was about 13-years old when he was separated from his parents. He started a diary and addressed it to his parents, who he desperately missed and hoped to see again. The diary is a poignant document revealing what these children endured. Peter did not understand that the NAZIs were killing Jews. The French gendarmes came for him, but a medical certificate saves him. The Quakers undertook to hide Peter. They arranged for him to be hidden in the mountain village of Le Chambon sur Lignon (January-September 1943. Peter lived in hiding with the help of false identity papers. While hiding in Le Chambon, his diary was taken away for his own security, but he later started a second diary.

German Invasion (May 1940)

The Germans launched their long awaited Western offensive. They struck first in the north at the Netherlands and Belgium. This at first looked like a repeat of World War I. The Germans occupied most of Belgium, but were stopped by the British and French before reaching Paris. Thus many Belgians attempted to reach France and safety. Peter and his mother were among the refugees. They managed to reach France, but this time the French Army did not stop the Germans. Paris fell and a few days later the French surrendered. Peter and his mother were in the hands of the news French Vichy Government.

Gurs (May-June 1940)

Peter and his mother were held by the French in the Gurs internment camp before the French surrender. There was no school for the children at the camp. He recalls being treated as "enemy aliens". [Feigel, February 18, 2010]

Auch

They settled in the town of Auch. Peter's father managed to rejoin them (spring 1941). They lived in a cramped one room apartment. Peter began attending school in Auch.

Summer Camp (July-August 1942)

Peter was saved because his parents sent him to a Quaker summer camp. His father cycled 30 miles to visit him at camp. They were able to spend a few hours together. His father brought along a bag of personal possessions. When his father rode off it was the last time they ever saw each other.

Parents Arrested (August 1942)

While Peter was at camp, his parents were arrested by Vichy authorities in Auch during the round-up of Jews (August 1942). Had he been at home, he would have been arrested along with hs parents. His parents were were transported to Auschwitz where they were murdered (September 6, 1942).

Separation

Peter was about 13-years old when he was separated from his parents. He started a diary and addressed it to his parents, who he desperately missed and hoped to see again. The diary is a poignant document revealing what these children endured. Peter did not understand that the NAZIs were killing Jews. The French gendarmes came for him, but a very wise French woman and medical certificate saved him.

Figeac

Peter also attended school at Figeac.

Quaker Orphan Transport (November 1942)

The Allied Torch Landings in French North Africa came at terrible time for Peter. Before the Torch landings, there was an Unoccupied Zone. The Germans used the Allied Landings and the lack of a spirited Vichy resistance as a pretext to occupy the free zone (November 10). Peter tells us, "I arrived in Marseilles to join a group of 500 Jewish "orphans" that were granted permission by Vichy to leave for the United States on a Quaker organized transport scheduled to leave later that month. With the German occupation of the free zone, the port of Marseilles was blocked. "I was moved to several "homes" until mid January 1943, and did not attend any schools during that period." [Feigel, February 18, 2010]

Le Chambon sur Lignon (January-September 1943)

Peter tells us, "In early January 1943, it was rumored that the Germans were about to round up all Jews in the Marseilles area. I was then send off to Le Chambon sur Lignon." [Feigel, February 18, 2010] There the Quakers and villagers undertook to hide Peter. They arranged for him to be hidden in the mountain village of Le Chambon sur Lignon (January-September 1943. Peter lived in hiding with the help of false identity papers. While hiding in Le Chambon, his diary was taken away for his own security, but he later started a second diary. He attended school at Le Chambon sur Lignon, but tells us that this was an "exceptional situation". "I, together with many other hidden, school age Jewish children attended hastily improvised schools spread over many houses in that area, all "managed" or under the umbrella of the College Cevenol, a private school. Then in Sept. 1943, after receiving false French documents and false names, I was sent with four other Jewish boys to the public College Champollion in Figeac (Lot) as "internees" (boarding students) with the approval of the principal who knew what, if not who we really were. I assume, but do not know for a fact, that Vichy controlled public schools excluded Jewish pupils of French and/or foreign nationality." [Feigel, February 18, 2010]

Escape to Switzerland (May 1944)

Peter tells us, "I was spirited away to the Swiss border and helped across (mid-Nay 1944). So my limited experience with French schools ended there."[Feigel, February 18, 2010]

Peter's Dairy (1942-44)

Peter while he was in hiding kept a diary. He began the diary on the day he learned that his parents had been arrested (August 27, 1942). There were two volumes. For many years only volume 2 survived. Then the first volume was discovered. It was sent on to Peter. Peter’s diary is now held by the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. Peter’s diary tells the story from his view point. The diary he kept was a record of his separation from his parents. He hoped to be reunited with mother and father. The diary would tell them about him during their separation. The NAZIs did not kill Jews openly in France as they did in the East. Thus Peter and other Jewish children who managed to hide out hoped that they would be unified with their parents after the War. Here are extracts from Peter's diary.

Sources

Feigl, Peter. E-mail message, February 18, 2010.









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Created: 11:28 PM 2/18/2010
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