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Postcard of a pension (a small hotel) in Le Chambon which served as a refugee home for children sheltered from the Nazis. Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France, date uncertain.
A group of children who were sheltered in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, a town in southern France. Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France, August 1942.
Hermine Orsi sheltered a number of Jews in her home and helped others reach refuge in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. Yad Vashem recognized her as "Righteous Among the Nations." Marseille, France, 1940.
Jewish children sheltered by the Protestant population of the village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. France, 1941–44.
Jewish children sheltered by the Protestant population of the village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. France, 1941.
Hanne's family owned a photographic studio. In October 1940, she and other family members were deported to the Gurs camp in southern France. In September 1941, the Children's Aid Society (OSE) rescued Hanne and she hid in a children's home in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. Her mother perished in Auschwitz. In 1943, Hanne obtained false papers and crossed into Switzerland. She married in Geneva in 1945 and had a daughter in 1946. In 1948, she arrived in the United States.
The family bible shown here belonged to Andre Trocme and contains annotations he made in preparation for his sermons. Trocme was a Protestant pastor in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France. During the war, he and the town's residents helped shield Jews, especially Jewish children, and others from the Germans. The operation saved thousands of refugees, including about 5,000 Jews. His handwritten inscription in French reads, in part, "Happy are those hungry and thirsty of justice; for they will be satisfied."
The cover of a diary written by Elizabeth Kaufmann while living with the family of Pastor André Trocmé in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France, 1940–41.
Page from a diary written by Elizabeth Kaufmann while living with the family of Pastor André Trocmé in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France, 1940–41.
Photo of Peter Feigl, a Jewish child hidden in the Protestant village Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. Le Chambon, France, August 9, 1943.
Page from the diary of Peter Feigl, a Jewish child hidden in the Protestant village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. The photos show his parents, who perished in a concentration camp. The text is in French and German. Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France, 1942-1943.
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