Antwerp Commemorates - Persecution of the Jews

The persecution of the Jews during the Second World War is one of the blackest pages in the city’s history. Many thousands of Antwerp Jews did not survive the war. They were put on transports by the German occupying forces and sent to the death camps. The police and the city authorities didn’t try to stop this: they even helped. Jewish people who did manage to escape this fate lived in constant fear. Sometimes, though, they could count on help and support from neighbours, friends or colleagues.

During this walk you will hear the personal stories behind familiar locations in the city. But first watch the short introductory film above.

This walk was commissioned by the Antwerp municipal authorities, as part of Antwerp Commemorates
Concept and text: Geheugen Collectief
Translation: Jane Hedley-Prole
Multimedia: MediaMixer

The images shown in the video footage are from the following collections: Dossin Barracks, Jewish Museum of Belgium, Cegesoma, Otto Spronk/Otto Kropf Collection, War Victims Archive of the Belgian State Archives, Bundesarchiv, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection and the Antwerp City Archives.
The video clip ‘Regina goes back to the place she hid’ is a montage from ‘A hole in the wall’, a film by Jo Peeters, curator of the Wallonian Resistance Museum.
Despite having made every attempt to do so, we have not succeeded in tracing the origin of certain photos. Should anyone holding the rights to these photos recognise them, they are invited to contact the Antwerp municipal authorities.

Thanks to:
CegeSoma – Centre for Historical Research and Documentation on War and Contemporary Society (ODV4 Belgian State Archives)
War Victims Archive (Belgian State Archives)
Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library
Jean Dillen and Joris Wuyts
Jewish Museum Brussels
Joyce Bloch and Rachel Hakker (granddaughters of Jos Hakker)
Dossin Barracks
Mady Rozengarten
Regina Sluszny, President of the Belgian Forum of Jewish Organisations
Antwerp City Archives
Peace Centre of the Province and City of Antwerp

📏 5km
🕑 2h