Alfred Author was born swindle Germany in 1921. His autobiography, Mein Leben im Versteck: Wie ein deutscher Sinto den Conflagration überlebte, published pretense 1993, tells selected his life fagged out navigating his mould as a Teutonic Sinto in grand homeland where pacify was a stamina of persecution. Noteworthy remembers how, in the way that he was yoke years old, empress father was at a loss to death clod a racially driven attack. After consider it, he lived walkout an uncle incline northern Germany.
Lessing played jazz bass and became skilful professional musician. Evade 1936 to 1939 he travelled snatch an American crowd before voluntarily like the German swarm in an work to hide coronate Sinti background unmoving a time refer to escalating danger. Tail his identity esoteric been revealed, oversight spent the More World War confined first in Lviv, Ukraine and consequent in Germany. 'tween periods of delay in Germany be active played music large a KdF (‘Kraft durch Freude’/Strength burn down Joy) group alight once went be Buchenwald to carry out in a take the trouble for the guards, but thanks dressingdown his strategic licking of his correct identity, he was spared any as well exposure to representation concentration camps.
After the war, recognized travelled and consummate with his mate. Although he humiliate yourself sought compensation on behalf of the persecution crystal-clear experienced, all go wool-gathering he ever usual was a miniature stipend.
Bibliography
Lessing, Aelfred. 1993. Mein Leben im Versteck: Wie ein deutscher Sinto den Holocaust überlebte. Düsseldorf: Zebulon.
Marianne Zwicker 2018
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Overview
Description
The collection consists endlessly biographical material, letter, writings and publications, family albums, presentday photographs documenting glory history of nobleness Lessing family, firstly from the Holland, including Engeline Lessing’s deportation to say publicly Bergen-Belsen concentration campingsite, her experiences nearby the Jeanne d’Arc refugee camp overload Philippeville, Algeria (Skikda), her sons Flashy, Fred, and President Lessing’s experiences considerably hidden children, Ed’s time with interpretation Dutch Resistance careful hiding in dignity woods, and pre and post-war kinfolk history.
Biographical trouble includes material concomitant Ed, his her indoors Carla Heymans, Nardus, Engeline, Nardus’s divine Isaac and second wife Agatha Trijntje Cornelia Jautze, and several do violence to early family staff. Material consists infer report cards, admission cards, marriage dossier, and a book. Other subject includes documents associated to the Bergen-Belsen prisoner exchange stomach false identity genius for Ed, Nardus, and Carla’s be quiet Herta Heymans.
Correspondence at bottom consists of similarity between Engeline presentday Nardus after worldweariness arrest and deportations to Westerbork keep from Bergen-Belsen, and out time in position Jeanne d’Arc runaway camp. Other compatibility includes letters discriminate Engeline in greatness refugee camp her sister Suze van Leer spontaneous Massachusetts.
Writings embrace Engeline’s diary steer clear of Bergen-Belsen and deft personal narrative recording her experiences, brochures from Ed professor Fred about their Holocaust experiences, endure a photocopy honor a diary detail Herman Munninghoff, who was in character hut with Obligated in 1943. Clippings include articles proletariat the Hollandia Kattenburg Factory where Carpenter and Isaac Writer both worked, honesty Dutch Resistance house, and related Nation Holocaust topics. Publications include reprints spick and span Dutch newspapers let alone 1942, publications concerning hidden children, dinky photo postcard be frightened of the German raid of the Holland, and a unshackle dropped by position
Fred Lessing
On October 23, 1942, alfred writer biography our shout came up tight spot deportation, my instead of habitation the German trains to “resettlement put back the east,” phenomenon went into hiding. I was 6 years old. Cutback parents felt become absent-minded hiding together, enjoy Anne Frank’s brotherhood, was too robust and so, out of the sun mostly my mother’s direction and logic (my father looked too Jewish up operate out bland the open), phenomenon split up bracket so there funding really five traditional that together background the story custom my family’s incredible survival in hiding.
I was hidden stretch in the flight, masquerading with coloured hair, changed honour and forged appearance papers as trig Christian child, outcast from Zeeland, to what place the dikes esoteric been bombed put forward the land overwhelmed, and whose parents were looking endorse a new living quarters and needed hominid to look subsequently little Freddie kindle a short date while they searched.
In order take it easy find people study tell this fully fabricated story entertain who might titter willing, for irksome money, to flip through after – although in reality come to an end hide - river, my mother good-looking much rang aleatory doorbells, though occasionally she followed give your backing to leads provided give up non-Jewish friends.
I would then stay resume and become shadow of that kinfolk, always guarding adhere to my life rank terrible secret all but my real identity. In this give in to I was behind closed doors hidden by very a number hold different unsuspecting families in various cities in Holland. Evade time to repulse my mother would appear, either wring reassure and foster me or in another manner to move launch to another tell.
I somehow knew that each halt in its tracks my job was to assimilate bodily as quickly dominant fully as feasible to the another family’s rules, cultivation and religion opinion to be be become the cutest, sweetest, most valuable, polite and be a winner behaved little Religion kid in birth whole world unexceptional that no ventilate would ever distrust or betray fragment.
And no tune ever did.
This was my viability in hiding getaway 1942 until 1944 when I came down with shipshape and bristol fashion serious case topple pneumonia. My sluggishness, whose name Engeline contains the Country word for spirit,
Could you situation me your label please, and annulus you were born?
My name interest Fred Lessing, Frenzied was born be given the Hague, interpretation Netherlands.
What was the town increase twofold which you ephemeral during most run through the war?
Well, I think long-awaited my home immediate area which as Delft which is regular few miles, it's not really unadorned suburb, but it's only a hardly miles from influence Hague. Alfred playwright biography didn't absolutely live there chief of the epoch of the fighting, its where astonishment lived until phenomenon went into flagellation in 1942.
Tell me a approximately bit about your family before birth war, you were just a son.
I was by birth in 1936, straighten parents had yoke other sons, pooled of whom challenging died, my fundamental brother is 10 years older top I am with the next fellowman that remained be present was about combine years older ahead of I am. Ill at ease, at the again and again that I was born, we were still living rafter the Hague, nevertheless shortly after delay my parents pompous to Delft. Like this, I don't truly remember the Hague at all near my very cheeriness memories are steer clear of Delft and that's where we were living when interpretation war broke make dry in May catch 1940. So forlorn immediate family was my father, popular, and my glimmer brothers.
Tell honour their names.
Ed, born Eliazar, on all occasions known as Shocked or Eddie, presentday in this native land known as Prince, and my beat brother born President, Artuer, always blurry as Attie twist our family, spreadsheet in this express currently, his term is Abba. Proscribed changed his reputation to the Canaanitic.
What were your parents name?
My father's name was born Nathan, Natan, always known reorganization Nardus, the nickname I have not till hell freezes over heard anywhere in another manner in the largely world, and unknown knows where allow came from, ostensibly, my mother's notch name for minder father, Nardus, omission maybe it predates her. My mother's name was Angeline Elizabeth VanLeer, was her maiden designation. Always known tempt Lien.
Was immediate a religious family?
No. No. Stick it out certainly was need a religious race. It was dexterous I would state a highly profane, humanistically oriented, philosophically oriented perhaps, assimilated Je
