Goldfischer-Wyszegrodzka family. Collection

Leibisch GOLDFISCHER was born on 28 March 1905 in Medenice, Poland, the child of Salomon GOLDFISCHER and Chaja ALPERN. He moved to Belgium from Vienna, Austria, on 5 May 1927. Once in Belgium, he made a stopover in Borgerhout, at Van der Keilenstraat 11, before settling in Brussels in August at Hollandsestraat 25, later in Anderlecht at Memlingstraat 31, and finally at Van Lintstraat 59, which became his last known address before deportation. Leibisch worked as a shoemaker on Rue des Fiennesstraat, where he made designs for leather shoes and earned 170 BF weekly. He married Marjem WYSZEGRODZKA (born on 20 August 1908 in Łęczyca, daughter of Majer Lajbus WYSZEGRODZKA and Bajla BAGNO), who had been in Belgium since 22 August 1927 and had obtained a visa to work at Jos Zimmerman's clothing shop at 121 Rue des Huidevettersstraat in Brussels, earning 200 BF a month. The couple married on 1 February 1930, and their son Henri was born on 15 October 1932 in Brussels. Marjem also had relatives in Brussels; her sister Ita WYSZEGRODZKA worked at Electro Mutuel on Metaalstraat 22 in Saint-Gilles, her sister Cywla WYSZEGRODZKA, married to shoemaker Goldztein, lived on Belgradostraat 54 in Forest, and her brother Samuel WYSZEGRODZKA, a producer of waterproof glue, lived on Kartuizersstraat 70 in Brussels. On 7 October 1942, Leibisch and Marjem were registered at the Dossin Barracks as numbers 53 and 54 on the deportation list for Transport XIII, which left Mechelen for Auschwitz-Birkenau on 10 October 1942. Upon arrival on 12 October, Leibisch was selected for forced labour and had number 19985 tattooed on his forearm. Leibisch was a forced labourer attached to the satellite camp in Gross-Rosen throughout the war, working mainly on railway construction and maintenance. He survived the horrors of the camp and was repatriated to Belgium after liberation by Soviet troops on 13 February 1945. Marjem did not survive deportation. Henri Goldfischer went into hiding in Anderlecht just in time in the summer of 1942 thanks to the help of the Jewish Defence Committee (JVC) or Comité de Défense des Juifs (CDJ). His saviour was Alfonso Frosali, who kept Henri in hiding at 31 Wérystraat, Ixelles. Henri remained in hiding until the end of the war with a host family near Namur and also at a boarding school. Afterwards, his aunt looked after him until he was reunited with his father Leibisch in late 1945. On his return to Belgium, Leibisch and Henri lived at Kliniekstraat 28 in Anderlecht. On 26 February 1949, he remarried Hena LIPSZYC (born 24 July 1901, widow of Efroim LIPSZYC), and together they settled at 14 Rue de Fiennes in Brussels. Leibisch resumed work as a shoemaker, this time with Mr Kalma Charendorf at 224 Chaussée de Mons in Anderlecht.

On 29 February 2024, Koenraad Decock, Anne Goldfischer and Gabrielle Goldfischer kindly permitted Kazerne Dossin to digitally archive one Polish passport in this collection.

Koenraad Decock, Anne Goldfischer and Gabrielle Goldfischer