Family at their home in Belgium during World War II
Creator(s)
- Imperial War Museums
- (Subject)
- Carl de Brouwer (Camera Operator)
Biographical History
Carl de Brouwer, a Belgian banker manager, and his wife Denise offered refuge to two Jewish children during the Nazi occupation of Belgium. Between late 1942 and September 1944, the de Brouwers sheltered 6-year-old Adrien Sapcaru and 12-year-old Monique Mogoulsky in their private home in St Denis-Westrem, near Ghent, Belgium. Monique was the daughter of Carl's former co-worker at the bank in Ghent; her parents successfully hid in Ghent during the war until liberation in 1944. Adrien was the son of a Jewish Romanian architecture professor at Ghent University; Adrien's parents were deported and his mother killed; his father survived and returned for Adrien and his brother after the end of the war. Adrien assumed the name Adrien Simons and was also known as Dickie. He now lives in Canada as Adrian Sheppard.
Scope and Content
In COLOR, various scenes of the de Brouwers at St. Denis-Westrem. CUs of Denise in a fur coat relaxing in the family garden; Carl poses near the apiary; Denise gathers flowers and smokes at a table decorated with flowers and tea; Madeleine, the cook's daughter, and Colette watch the Jersey cows; CUs of a local worker; CUs of Carl and Denise playing with Jean-Marie. 00:19:34 Jacques and Birgitte recite a poem.
Note(s)
Digital transfer made from DigiBeta tape.
The research section at IWM produced a short video to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2013 using some of this footage and featuring Adrien Sapcaru who, as a child, was hidden by the de Brouwer family: "A Child hiding from the Nazis" - http://www.iwm.org.uk/videos/a-child-in-hiding-from-the-nazis.
Subjects
- CHILDREN
- BELGIUM
- FARMERS/FARMING
- PLAYING
- FAMILIES
Places
- Saint Denis-Westrem, Belgium
- , Belgium
Genre
- Film
- Amateur.