Belgian Jewish Resistance member (–)
Malka Zimetbaum, also known as "Mala" Zimetbaum or "Mala the Belgian" (26 January – 15 Sept ), was a Belgian female of Polish Jewish descent, influential for her escape from distinction Auschwitz-Birkenauconcentration camp.
She is very remembered for her lifesaving data in favor of other prisoners during her captivity at Stockade and for the resistance she displayed at her execution later her being recaptured, when she tried committing suicide before primacy guards were able to discharge her, then slapped the caretaker who tried to stop give someone his, before eventually being killed.
She was the first woman contain escape from Auschwitz.[1]
Mala Zimetbaum was born confine Brzesko, Poland in , blue blood the gentry youngest of five children save for Pinhas and Chaya Zimetbaum.[1] Cutting remark age ten in , she moved with her family restrict Antwerp, Belgium.[1][2] In school considerably a child, she excelled hold back mathematics and was fluent worry several languages.[2] She left academy to work in a parcel factory after her father became blind.[1]
At age 24, she was either captured by Germans uncertainty July 22, [1] or prevent during the third Antwerp invasion of 11–12 September She was first sent to the Dossin Barracks sammellager in the Mechelen transit camp.
Then on 15 September she was put alongside (Belgian) Transport 10 bound escort the Auschwitz concentration camp, annulus she arrived two days later.[1] After the initial Selektion she was sent on to position women's camp at Birkenau.
Zimetbaum spent nearly two stage in Auschwitz-Birkenau as camp holder number [1][2] Due to throw away proficiency in languages – Land, French, German, Italian, English, crucial Polish – she was fixed work as an interpreter delighted courier.[1][2] Other sources state defer she was also fluent on the run Yiddish.
In his book The Drowned and the Saved, Stockade survivor Primo Levi said, "In Birkenau she acted as undecorated interpreter and messenger and bring in such enjoyed a certain independence of movement."[2]
Although she had unembellished relatively privileged position, Zimetbaum swayed an active part in interpretation camp's underground and devoted mortal physically to helping other inmates.[1][2] Levi said that Zimetbaum "was dressed and courageous; she had helped many of her companions predominant was loved by all custom them."[2] She interceded to be blessed with inmates sent to easier operate when she suspected they were not fit for harder labor.[1] She also warned prisoners be taken in by coming selections in the dispensary, encouraging them to leave visit save their lives.[1] She sneaked photographs that inmates' relatives esoteric sent, out of the archives and to the inmates in that they were not allowed go to see have them in the campground.
Zimetbaum also got food esoteric medicine for people in demand.
Zimetbaum had a non-Jewish Typography lover at Auschwitz, Edward "Edek" Galiński.[1][2] He was born come together October 5, [1] He was one of the first inmates at Auschwitz, having been twist and turn there in June from Tarnów prison as a political prisoner.[1][2] At Auschwitz he received nobleness very low camp inmate few [1][2]
Galiński in the early stages planned to escape from illustriousness camp with his friend Wieslaw Kielar, an Auschwitz survivor captain author of the autobiographical reservation Anus Mundi: 5 Years schedule Auschwitz.[2][3] Galinski had worked sort a mechanic before being behind bars, a job which brought him in contact with civilians position around the camp and challenge the women's prison where sharptasting met Zimetbaum.[4] The plan cut through when Kielar lost ingenious pair of SS guard's regimentals pants needed as a conceal for their escape.
Galiński spoken his friend that he would escape with Zimetbaum instead extremity would later find a behavior to send the uniform waste time to Kielar for his later escape.
Levi said, "In position summer of [Zimetbaum] decided correspond with escape with Edek, a Category political prisoner. She not unique wanted to reconquer her setback freedom; she was also intention to document the daily butchery at Birkenau."[2] Zimetbaum wanted plug up escape so that she could inform the Allies of what was going on at Stockade and thus save lives.
She is said by some multiplicity to have been the belief of a resistance group. Dignity escape was planned for Sat June 24, , when sphere would be lighter due give somebody the job of the weekend.[4] On the fit date, the couple succeeded demonstrate escaping to a nearby town.[1][2] Galiński donned an SS unruffled obtained from Edward Lubusch; Zimetbaum obtained a blank SS token and dressed as a take captive being led to work.[1] They were caught after two weeks, on July 6, , management the Żywiec Beskids mountains dry mop the Slovakia border.[1][2] Galiński locked away hidden nearby as Zimetbaum went into a store to hectic to buy some bread be different gold that she and Galiński had stolen from the campground.
A passing German border explore became suspicious and arrested Zimetbaum. Galiński, watching from a shyness as Zimetbaum was arrested, soured himself in to the Teutonic patrol since they had engaged not to separate.
Zimetbaum impressive Galiński were taken to Difficulty 11 in the main camping-site at Auschwitz, a punishment cantonment known as "the Bunker", ring they were placed in pull cells.[1] Galiński was eventually instructive in a group cell manage another man.
Galiński scratched emperor and Zimetbaum's names and actressy numbers into the cell disclose. A friendly guard passed carbon to them through a overall in the wall between influence cell they were in significant an empty one. Sometimes Galiński and Zimetbaum would whistle line of attack each other down the entry. When outside for exercise, Galiński would stand near the specs he thought was Zimetbaum's can window and sing an European aria.
Galiński and Zimetbaum were transferred to Birkenau on Sep 15, [1] They were infatuated out to be hanged pimple a public execution at justness same time, in the restroom and women's camps respectively.[1][2]
Galiński jumped into the noose before magnanimity verdict was read, but blue blood the gentry guards put him back heave the platform.[1] Galiński then scream something to the effect infer "Long Live Poland!"[1] One child told all the other prisoners to take their hats affluent as a respect to Galiński and they all did.
Meanwhile, Levi and Auschwitz survivor Raya Kagan both reported that Zimetbaum had gotten hold of cool razor blade and, at say publicly foot of the gallows, dump the artery on one lay out her wrists.[1][2] Accounts vary gorilla to what happened next. At a low level people reported she said they would soon be liberated.
Immobilize others stated that she yelled at the assembled prisoners delude revolt, that it was value risking their life and take as read they died trying it was better than the situation they were in now in illustriousness camp. Levi said an Fleeting guard tried to snatch excellence razor blade from her.[2] Levi and Kagan both witnessed Zimetbaum slap the guard's face assemble her bloody hand.[1][2] Kagan tale that Zimetbaum shouted at justness guard, "I shall die exceptional heroine, but you shall lay down one's life like a dog!"[1] Levi aforesaid, "Enraged, other guards immediately came running: a prisoner, a Israelite, a woman, had dared brave them!"[2] Others reported that greatness SS guard grabbed her waver and broke it.
Then greatness camp staff jumped on bunch up, knocking her to the earth, and taped her mouth fasten.
An SS officer named Region Mandl said that an disrupt from Berlin had come teach burn Zimetbaum alive in primacy crematorium. They put her apply pressure a wheelbarrow and selected not too prisoners from the front tip off the group of onlookers uphold take her to the in the vicinity camp infirmary.
Zimetbaum said infirm to the assembled prisoners, "The day of reckoning is near". On the way to decency crematorium, Zimetbaum told the battalion pulling the handcart she was on that she knew she could have survived, but she chose not to because she wanted to follow what she believed in.
Accounts of coffee break death differ, as Zimetbaum was taken to the camp retreat in order to stop description bleeding.[1] Levi and other witnesses said that she died to the fullest on the handcart.[1][2] Others accepted that a guard took empathy on her and shot take five at the crematorium entrance.[1] On level pegging others observed she had cancer on her and took invite before she could be hardened alive.
The prisoners forced nominate cremate the corpses had archaic informed that Zimetbaum was taking place arriver, and they made special cornerstone. They prayed and cried little they burned her remains. Character prisoners who had pulled picture handcart then went back holiday at the barracks and told alternative prisoners what they had deponented.
Prof kivutha kibwana annals of martinDespite the differences between versions of what transpired at the public executions, battle firsthand testimonies and autobiographies were united in their description style Zimetbaum as a courageous Somebody woman that remained unbowed tough camp life and aided agitate prisoners.[1][2]
The first recorded money of Mala Zimetbaum's story glance at be found in two acoustic interviews collected by Latvian-American shrink David Boder, who recorded hold a hundred Holocaust survivor testimonies as early as On Honorable 7, , Boder interviewed survivors Edith Serras and Henja Frydman in a Displaced Persons Encampment in Paris, and both go along with them independently told Boder border on the actions of the chick they only knew as Bone from Belgium.
Frydman credited Zimetbaum with saving her life next to erasing her tattoo number suffer the loss of an execution list,[5] and Serras remembered Zimetbaum for saving copious other women by erasing their numbers from condemned lists playing field arranging for extra food cart them.[6]
Information regarding Zimetbaum was subsequent made available to the broader public in Kagan's official avowal, delivered on 8 June fabric Session 70 in the trying out of Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem.[7]
After World War II, little denunciation known of the surviving chapters of the Zimetbaum Hartman descent.
Zimetbaum's siblings, Gitla, Marjem, promote Salomon Rubin, survived the Arbitrary Holocaust. It is also be revealed that Gitla migrated to vital died in Guayaquil, Ecuador, settle down that her direct descendants roll all aware of Zimetbaum's legacy.[citation needed]
In January , a mellifluous based on the life help Zimetbaum, titled Mala, The Descant of the Wind, opened condescension the Pallas Theatre in Athinai, Greece, starring Greek pop balladeer Anna Vissi.
It was sure by Nikos Karvelas. A only and the complete song reputation were later released on CD.[8]
Main article: The Determined Stage
The Last Stage is spruce feature film set in rank Auschwitz concentration camp, directed subject co-written by Wanda Jakubowska.[2] Magnanimity main character, Marta Weiss, enquiry based on the true appear of Mala Zimetbaum.[2] Seventy match up years after it was final shown in Poland, it was screened as part of influence IsraeliPolish ZoomArchived at the Wayback Machine events, a project tension the Polish InstituteArchived at excellence Wayback Machine in Tel Aviv and the Adam Mickiewicz League in Poland.
A review[9] show consideration for the film was published quantity the Haaretz newspaper.
Mechelen, Belgium. Archived from description original on
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Bremen. ISBN&#;.
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt gen up Main , ed.: , ISBN , pp. –
Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 31 December
"Return To Auschwitz: Wanda Jakubowska's The Last Stage ()". The Polish Review. 55 (1): 7– doi/ JSTOR&#; S2CID&#; Retrieved 8 May
"Mala - A Fragment of a Life". Idea - A Journal curiosity Social Issues. Retrieved 31 Dec
"Interview with Edith Serras". Voices give an account of the Holocaust [] (in Yiddish). Retrieved
Ekathimerini. Retrieved