Felix W. Holocaust testimony
Abstract
Videotape testimony of Felix W., who was born in Vienna, Austria in 1924. He describes antisemitic incidents; the Anschluss; expulsion from school; Kristallnacht; his father's incarceration in Dachau; confiscation of their apartment; his mother's decision that he was to leave while she waited for his father's release; attempting to enter France in December 1938 from Saarbru?cken, then crossing from Karlsruhe to Lauterbourg; being returned by French authorities; crossing from Freiburg to Basel; assistance from the Committee for Jewish Refugees; and joining relatives in Paris in July 1939. Mr. W. recounts German invasion; leaving Paris by himself in a mass exodus in June 1940; moving to Pre?chacq-Josbaig to join relatives after their release from Gurs; fleeing to Pau after his uncle's arrest in December 1940; living with his aunt in Rioupe?roux; arrest on August 31, 1942; incarceration in Gurs, then Rivesaltes; escaping in September; obtaining false papers; returning to his aunt; assistance from the mayor; fleeing from Lyon to Chamonix; crossing to Switzerland; arrest by Swiss guards; transfer to refugee camps in Martigny, Bu?ren, and Girenbad; learning photography in Locarno; and photographing refugee camps for the Zentralleitung der Arbeitslager.
Extent and Medium
8 videocassettes
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.
Rules and Conventions
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Process Info
compiled by Staff of the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies
People
- W., Felix, -- 1924-
Corporate Bodies
- Gurs (Concentration camp)
- Rivesaltes (Concentration camp)
Subjects
- Antisemitism -- Prewar.
- False papers.
- Postwar experiences.
- Crystal Night, 1938.
- Aid by non-Jews.
- Concentration camp inmates -- Escapes.
- Child survivors.
- Refugees, Jewish.
- Kristallnacht, 1938.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Children.
- Jews -- Migrations.
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Personal narratives.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, Jewish.
- Holocaust survivors.
- Men.
- Video tapes.
Places
- Austria -- History -- Anschluss, 1938.
- Girenbad (Switzerland)
- Büren (Switzerland)
- Martigny-Ville (Switzerland)
- Locarno (Switzerland)
- Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (France)
- Lyon (France)
- Pau (France)
- Paris (France)
- Basel (Switzerland)
- Karlsruhe (Germany)
- Saarbrücken (Germany)
- Vienna (Austria)
- Austria.
- Lauterbourg (France)
- Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany)
- Rioupéroux (France)
- Préchacq-Josbaig (France)
- Trient (Switzerland)
Genre
- Oral histories. -- aat