Mozes (Maurice) Fink. Collection

Maurice Fink was born in Sambor, Poland, in 1923. He moved to Belgium with his family during childhood. His father's death led him to leave school and contribute to the family's support by becoming a furrier. The German invasion marked a turning point, leading him and his family to flee to France. They were subsequently arrested and imprisoned in Saint-Cyprien. They were released due to his brother's musical talent and reunited with their mother in Toulouse. Their journey continued as they moved to different towns near Agde, Marseille, and Valras-Plage. In the summer of 1942, Maurice was arrested again and imprisoned in Rivesaltes and later Drancy. He and his brother were deported to a camp in ?azy, Germany, and separated from their mother. The conditions during deportation involved forced labor, maltreatment, and deprivation of food. In the midst of adversity, Maurice and his brother found solace in singing Jewish songs, which earned them additional rations. His brother's protective instincts saved him from deportation to Auschwitz. He observed Yom Kippur through fasting even under dire circumstances. A close bond formed with a fellow Belgian prisoner, which provided emotional support. Transfers continued, leading them to Markstädt, where the protection of a kapo and extra food from a civilian supervisor helped them. Further transfers brought them to Fünfteichen, where he was separated from his brother and friend. Liberation came in the winter of 1945 with the arrival of Soviet troops. Maurice's journey took him to various places, including Kraków, Katowice, Marseille, and Antwerp. A long-awaited reunion with his brother and friend was an emotional moment. His life unfolded with work in Brussels, marriage, the birth of his child, a move to New York, then Philadelphia in 1951, and finally returning to Antwerp in 1957.

On 31/01/2002, 18/02/2002 and 28/02/2002 Mozes (Maurice) Fink had a video testimony of him recorded at his own house. The interviewer is Rik Hemmerijckx and the cameraman is Jens Kallweit. The initiative came from the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies and Foundation Auschwitz. In August 2023 Daphna Epstein-Riff, granddaughter of Mozes (Maurice) Fink permitted Kazerne Dossin to digitally archive the video testimony of her grandfather.

Daphna Epstein-Riff, 2023