“Reminiscences of a Hidden Holocaust Child”

Paul was born in Vienna in 1933.  After surviving the horrors of Kriostallnacht and the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany his family fled to Belgium in late 1938.  By 1943 Paul was completely fluent in French and really had no trouble “passing” for Belgian, but  he was readily identified as a Jew (wearing a HUGE Star of David on his chest) and subject to any mistreatment or even summary murder. Not only from the German occupiers, but even worse from the Belgian collaborators who had to prove themselves and were also very well paid. Jewish kids were no longer allowed in school, so that left Paul at loose ends while his mother worked for a kind Christian family, meaning that they saw each other early in the morning and late in the evening — at which time Paul obtained some food and much solace.  Matters went rapidly from horrible to more horrible. When a young partisan approached Paul’s mother with the proposal of saving his life if she gave him over to him, no questions asked.  She, with all the love a mother can muster, said “yes!” and let Paul disappear into the unknown with him.  And for the next 2 years they did not know whether the other was alive, and if so, where.