Fridland-Frydland family. Collection

Arnold Fridland, born in 1935, is the child of Abram Israel Frydland and Doba/Dobra Blajwas. Abram Frydland was born on 4 April 1913 in Grojec, Poland. He was a leather worker. Doba Blajwas was born on 14 October 1911 in Warsaw, Poland. They lived together in Belgium at Rue Van Lint 13, Anderlecht (Brussels). With the ongoing deportations to the death camps and round-ups of Jews in the country, Abram and Doba felt it had become too dangerous to keep their only child with them. A Christian friend of theirs, who was part of the hiding network called the Jewish Defence Committee (JDC), referred them to the Houyoux family in the south of Belgium that might be willing to take care of their six-year-old son Arnold. This friend, Andrée Geulen, travelled with Arnold to Jumet. There Arnold was hidden, under the false name Arnold Vanderwillen. The Houyoux couple were Edmond Houyoux and his wife Emilia Sevrin, who lived in Jumet-Goyasard north of Charleroi. As a retired coal miner suffering from respiratory problems, he had a small pension on which the childless couple subsisted. Edmond and Emilia, “Parrain” and “Marraine” as Arnold came to call them, did not hesitate to take him into their home, and even though they were poor they shared the little they had with Arnold. He also went with them to church since Edmond and Emilia were devout Protestants. Emilia taught him to read and write at home, since they were afraid to send him to school. Emilia’s sister gave him music and violin lessons when she would come to visit. The Houyoux couple fulfilled Arnold’s parents’ wishes to educate him in such a way that he would become a physician. Emilia would travel regularly with him to Brussels to allow Arnold to keep in touch with his parents. In 1943, during one of those trips, they discovered that the Frydlands were taken from their home. Abram Israel Frydland and his wife Doba Blajwas were arrested and brought to the SS-Sammellager für Juden on 8 July 1943. They were deported together on 31 July 1943 with Transport XXI. Their arrival in Auschwitz-Birkenau was on 2 August 1943. Emilia encouraged Arnold to pray for their safe return. She also constantly reminded him of his parents so that he would not forget them. They disappeared without leaving any trace. They did not survive the deportation, but the circumstances, the moment and the place of their death are not known. In spite of the risks to their own lives, Edmond and Emilia hid Arnold until the liberation. Through the index card system of the JDC, which was central to its administration to reunite parents with their children after the war when the JDC had become the Aide aux Israélites Victimes de la Guerre, an uncle of Arnold found his whereabouts. Zysla (Cécile) Blajwas, Arnold’s aunt, did return from Auschwitz and needed time for rehabilitation. Edmond and Emilia agreed to also shelter Zysla’s son and Arnold’s cousin, Arthur Langerman, for a few months. Arthur Langerman was born on 21 August 1942 in Antwerp, where his parents had both arrived in 1926. Jews of Polish origin, Zysla (Cécile) Blajwas and Salomon Langerman, milliner and furrier respectively, were married in 1941 and tried to live as normally as possible while hiding, while a large part of the family had already been deported. On 28 March 1944, after two years of major roundups, Zysla and Salomon were arrested and deported to Auschwitz on 19 May 1944 with Transport XXV, while Arthur was taken to the nursery in rue Baron de Castro, Etterbeek, managed by the Sipo SD which decided, following a probable action by Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, not to deport certain children temporarily. Arthur was saved, but his father Salomon died following his deportation. Thanks to a friend who made her work in the kitchens, Zysla managed to return from the camps (Auschwitz, Ravensbrück, Neustadt), but unfortunately in a state that did not allow her to recover her son immediately. The uncle of the orphaned Arnold decided to place him in a Jewish orphanage in Antwerp, which meant he had to leave Edmond and Emilia. The separation was traumatic for both sides. Later Arnold immigrated to Israel and then to Canada where his grandmother had settled. Arthur reunited with his mother in 1946 and came to live with her and his aunt Suzanne Blajwas in Brussels and later back in Antwerp. Arthur and Arnold offered a burial site for Emilie and Edmond in the Jumet cemetery and also obtained their recognition as "Righteous among the Nations". There were multiple family relatives of Arnold living in Belgium before the war. The three sisters Tauba Frydland (born on 27 January 1926 in Warsaw, Poland), Catherine Frydland (born on 30 September 1928 in Antwerp, Belgium) and Rachelle Frydland (born in 1935) were cousins of Arnold. Their parents were Israel Majer Frydland (born on 12 or 25 January 1906 in Grojec, Poland), a leather worker too, and Chaja Parle Bornkind (born on 2 or 15 June 1904 in Warsaw). After Germany invaded Belgium on May 10, 1940 the family attempted to flee to Switzerland. After being turned back at the border into France, they decided to return to Belgium. Soon after their return, Chaja gave birth to a fourth daughter, Myriam, on December 15, 1940. In Belgium the Frydland-Bornkind family lived at Rue Rossini 41, Anderlecht (Brussels), but their last address was Rue Van Lint 13 as well. Tauba Frydland, who was a confection worker, was summoned to work by the Germans (Arbeitseinsatzbefehl n° 000288). She came ‘voluntarily’ to the SS-Assembly camp in Mechelen (SS-Sammellager für Juden) on an unknown date (somewhere between the last days of July and early August 1942). Her sister Catherine, still a student, was arrested, supposedly at her home, and brought to the SS-Assembly camp in Mechelen probably only a few days later. They were registered on the deportation list of Transport I under numbers 119 and 476. They were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau on 4 August 1942. They disappeared without leaving any trace. They did not survive the deportation, but the circumstances, the moment and the place of their death are not known. Israel and Chaja then decided to find hiding places for their younger daughters and to hide separately themselves. Through the intervention of the JDC, Rachelle and Myriam were brought to the convent Du Tres Saint Sauveur in Anderlecht. When the monastery was raided, Andree Ermel carried Myriam during the escape and subsequently brought her to her own mother, Celine Ermel. Rachelle hid separately. Israel Majer Frydland was arrested and brought to the SS-Sammellager für Juden on 29 January 1943. He was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau on 19 April 1943 with Transport XX. Upon arrival on 22 April 1943, Israel Majer was selected for the forced labour and given the tattoo number 117514. But the lack of archives or documents prevents us from accurately determining the circumstances, the moment and the place of his death. Icek Lejbus Frydland, born in 1902, was another uncle of Arnold. He was married to Ruchla (Ruchel) Domb. Together they had three children: Antonia (Antoinette), Hendrik (Herman) and Max Willem. They most likely stayed in France since Germany invaded Belgium in May 1940. Icek Lejbus Frydland was deported on the 19th transport from France. It went from Drancy to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The train departed on 14 August 1942. Ruchla Domb, Antoinette, Max Willem, Hendrik Frydland were all deported on the 30th transport from Drancy to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The train departed on 9 September 1942. They disappeared without leaving any trace. They did not survive the deportation, but the circumstances, the moment and the place of their death are not known. The father of Abram, Israel Majer and Icek Lejbus was called Kopel Frydland and was born in 1882. He was also in France during the war. Kopel Frydland was deported on the 50th transport from France. It went from Drancy to Maidanek. The train departed on 4 March 1943. He disappeared without leaving any trace. He did not survive the deportation, but the circumstances, the moment and the place of his death are not known.

In 2023, Arnold Fridland kindly permitted Kazerne Dossin to digitally archive 2 pictures in this collection. On 24 March 2023 Arnold Fridland consented to a video-interview moderated by Jarno Maertens, archivist.

Arnold Fridland