In Their Own Words...Survivors' Memorial to the Fallen. Landsberg DP Camp, Laupheim, Germany. 1947.
This is one of a series of photos taken in the Landsberg DP Camp, 1947,in Laupheim, Germany. The original photo of the survivors was posted on this site several years ago by me (it is a photo of all the same people, but they are standing out side with coats and hats) This photo, along with 3 or 4 others which included this memorial plaque, were sent to me by Meital Brodwowski, granddaughter of Meyer-Hirsch Burdwoski, and Robin Nichinsky, daughter of Samuel, and granddaughter of Joseph Nichincky. In my opinion, it is one of, if not the most powerful of all the photos discovered. I think we often wonder "what would THEY have wanted to say" in memorium to their fallen town, and lost familes. And, here it is, in black and white, the words they did indeed come up with.
As a side note, the first time that I ever saw this photo, there were NO people in it. It was the memorial plaque itself. The photo was part of the larger collection of Klodawa photos that my grandfather Menasha Pizer, had kept over the years. The photo was labeled in my grandmother's handwriting "Israel Memorial". I had always assumed this was correct, and that these words were somewhere in Israel, and over time, after some digging, and feedback from Klodawa familes, the story would make itself known. The mystery was certainly solved when the larger photo was sent to me some years later by two different descendents, and the faces of the survivors appeared, and I had already come to know many of the names. The names I did not know, were identified to me by Michael Pizer and Jurek Francuz.
Pictured in this photo are:
Kneeling left to right: Joseph-Zalig Nicinski Son of Mendel Grynfeld (to the left of the sign), David Burdowski, Michael Pizer (to the right of the sign)
First Row Standing Left to Right [to the left of the sign]:Chaica Marczak, Lili Niehaus, Sura-Laia Sendowski, Samuel Nicinski,Golda Malka Sendowski.To the right of the sign: Regina Tama [wife of David Burdowski] Benjmin Landau, Lienna Pizer, Jurek Francuz [behind Benjamin Landau.]
Second Row Standing Left to Right: Yizhak Lewin, Libel Korek, Myer-Hirsch Burdowski, Mordchai Burdowski, Mendel Grynfeld, Henyik Opoczyinski, Zalma Marczak, Max Rotbert, Henyik Niehaus, Pesa Zysling.
Thank you to Elaine Kempinski Alexander, daughter of Pesa Zysling Kempinski, for this most updated translation.
Hebrew:
YIZKOR,
5702 - 5707
Leh-zakhor 350 mishpokhot
HAK'DOSHIM,
Shehnahflu Meedae HaNatzim
B'KLODOWA,5702 22 YOM B'TEVETT. N. TZ. B. H.
English:
MEMORIAL,1942 - 1947,
TO REMEMBER 350 JEWISH FAMILIES,
MARTYRS,
WHO FELL AT THE HANDS OF THE NAZIS,
IN KÅODOWA,
5702 - 22nd DAY OF TEVET / JANUARY 11, 1942,
T'hae Nishmahtahm Tz'rurot Bitz'ror HaChayim/
(Literally: May Their Souls Be Bound In the Bond of Life.
Meaning in Orthodox tradition: May They Inherit Olam HaBa / the World-to-Come / the next world.)
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