John W. Holocaust testimony
Abstract
Videotape testimony of John W., a Dutch Seventh-Day Adventist, who was born in approximately 1910. He recalls being taught great respect for Jews by his father, a minister; living in Paris in 1940; German invasion; moving to Lyon; joining Amities chre?tiennes, an underground organization to save Jews; organizing a network to assist Jews to escape to Switzerland; his arrest in 1942; torture and interrogation in front of Klaus Barbie; release for lack of proof; involving his friends and family in the network; his father's arrest in Holland for speaking against the Nazis; smuggling American pilots to Spain; arrest of a network member who exposed many of them (his own sister was arrested and died in a camp in Poland); being informed in Geneva that he should travel to England; arrest in Toulouse; being sentenced to death; escape; and being smuggled to England. Mr. W. discusses the importance of his religious beliefs to his work saving Jews and recognition by Yad Vashem.
Extent and Medium
1 videocassette
Conditions Governing Access
This testimony is open with permission.
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Copyright has been transferred to the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies. Use of this testimony requires permission of the Fortunoff Video Archive. This testimony cannot be used for commercial purposes.
Rules and Conventions
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Process Info
compiled by Staff of the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies
People
- Barbie, Klaus, -- 1913-1991.
- W., John, -- 1910?-
Subjects
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Personal narratives.
- Men.
- Video tapes.
- Faith.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Underground movements -- France.
- Seventh-Day Adventists.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, Dutch.
- Righteous Gentiles in the Holocaust.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Prisoners and prisons, French.
Places
- Lyon (France)
- Geneva (Switzerland)
- Netherlands.
- Paris (France)
- Toulouse (France)
Genre
- Oral histories. -- aat