Darchambeau, J.-M.

Search for:

Biographie

Description de l'interview extraite du site US Fortunoff / Biographie à venir

Jean-Michel Darchambeau was born in Oran, Algeria and raised in Belgium. He recalls his parents' divorce (his mother was Catholic); a close relationship with his grandfather; working in Liège; marriage; imprisonment for resistance; escaping; he and his wife being sent for forced labor in Nuremberg; her release after two weeks (she was ill); going on leave (he never returned); his wife's death in 1942; living underground in Paris; arrest while trying to escape to England; imprisonment in St. Gilles; suffering greatly in solitary confinement; clandestinely sending a message to his family; transfer to Dachau; a friend receiving extra food for "volunteering" for medical experiments; incredible solidarity and friendship among his Belgian group; hospitalization for typhus; receiving packages from home; liberation by United States troops; and repatriation. Mr. D. discusses never sharing his experiences with his family; fighting to receive benefits as a camp survivor (his forced labor in Germany counted against him); never believing he would survive Dachau; believing he and his fellow prisoners are permanently depressed as a result of their camp experiences; and visiting schools to share his experiences.

(Copyright : Fortunoff Video Archives for Holocaust Testimonies – Yale)

Ressources

Fiche interview

Code interview : YA/FA/066
Date interview : 07/06/1995
Lieu interview : Centre Audiovisuel de l’Université Libre de Bruxelles
Durée interview : 6h03
Langue interview : Français
Interviewers : Yannis Thanassekos et Michel Rosenfeldt
Cameraman : Dimitri Gilis
Consultation : Autorisée
Indexation thématique : Oui
Séquençage interview : non

Mots-clés du témoignage :
Dachau | Moulins (prison) | Präzifix / Dachau | Résistant / Résistante | Saint Gilles (prison)