On April 19, 1943 at 10 p.m. the 20th train convoy departed the Dossin barracks (Kazerne Dossin) in Mechelen (Belgium) with 40 cattle cars crammed with 1631 Jewish men, women and children for Auschwitz (Poland). The in Belgium captured Jews were over 90% ‘foreigners’ (with no Belgian nationality) who either when war broke out or (many) years earlier had fled from mainly Eastern Europe, Germany and Holland to Belgium. Half an hour after the departure of this transport XX three young Belgians from Brussels, Youra Livschitz, Jean Franklemon and Robert Maistriau stopped the train between Boortmeerbeek and Haacht, opened one of the cars and liberated 17 prisoners. Later before the train reaches the German border over 200 other prisoners decide to attempt to escape and also jump out of the cars. In total 236 people were able to escape, but 26 were shot and killed trying to escape.
This 20th transport arrived at Auschwitz on April 22 with 1395 deportees. Only approximately 151 of those on board survived this and later death camps. This was the only documented attack on a death train during the Shoah.
Transport XX to Auschwitz – Entire Film Link at: https://youtu.be/xAiwRyMiSEg
During the Shoah, the Nazis, in their quest for the final solution of the Jewish question, utilized thousands of trains from Germany and the occupied countries to transport 3,000,000 Jews to the concentration and death camps.
This is the little known, true story of a most remarkable and heroic rescue attempt which occurred on April 19, 1943, the first night of Passover, at the same time that the Warsaw Ghetto uprising began, some 720 miles away.
On that night, Transport XX departed Mechelen, Belgium at 10 p.m. with 1631 Jewish men, women and children for AuschwitzII-Birkenau. Half an hour later, it was stopped by three young Belgians armed with only 1 pistol, pliers and a hurricane lamp.
This was the only documented attack on a death train during the Shoah.
USA. Florida. October 27, 2012. Richard Bloom (director) speaking at the premiere of the film “Transport XX to Auschwitz” at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival at the Cinema Paradiso. In the audience also director Karen Lynne Bloom (bottom left in picture). Image Reference: BUM10006V02 (michelvanderburg.com)
Meet Up Simon Gronowski, Karen & Richard Bloom
https://michelvanderburg.com/2021/05/11/meet-up-simon-gronowski-karen-richard-bloom-20210511/
Simon Gronowski standing beside a cattle car.
© Michel van der Burg – All Rights Reserved
(www.michelvanderburg.com)
Frame from video
Simon Gronowski photos and documents captured on video by Michel van der Burg – Brussels, Jan 16th, 2012
The weekly Yiddish newspaper Der Blatt (Yiddish: דער בּלאַט) published on (May 25, ‘18) a 6 pages long article on the 75th anniversary in Boortmeerbeek, Belgium, of the ‘only rescue action against a transport to Auschwitz’ (צודי75יָאר איינציגע רעטונג ַאקציע קעגן “אוישוויץ טרַאנספָּארט”) – the 20th transport.
The three Belgian heroes Youra Livschitz , Robert Maistriau, and Jean Franklemon liberated 17 people during an attack on the cattle car train ‘Transport XX’ – crammed with 1631 Jewish passengers, heading for Auschwitz – and another more than 200 others jumped out also. Portaits in the wind filmed following the 75th anniversary in Boortmeerbeek , Belgium.
https://michelvanderburg.com/2018/05/28/youra-livschitz-robert-maistriau-jean-franklemon/
Transport XX Track 1943-2013
Speech mayor Michel Baert followed by the song ‘I am not at war’ performed by solidarity choir KONTRARIE at the 20th commemoration of Transport XX on 21 April 2013 in Boortmeerbeek, Belgium.
Theme this 20th commemoration : “In the track of Transport XX after 70 years”. Dutch: 20e herdenking – “In het spoor van Transport XX na 70 jaar”. Commemoration of the attack and escapes from Transport XX to Auschwitz.
The three young Brussels’ heroes Youra Livschitz , Robert Maistriau, and Jean Franklemon liberated 17 people during an attack on the cattle car train ‘Transport XX’ , the night of April 19th 1943 – crammed with 1631 Jewish passengers, heading for Auschwitz – over 200 others jumped and escaped that night in Belgium too.
https://michelvanderburg.com/2021/04/21/transport-xx-track-1943-2013-20210421/
April 19, 1943 Attack | 20210419 | 1-memo•com
The 78th anniversary of the unique rescue action against a transport to Auschwitz (צודי78יָאר איינציגע רעטונג ַאקציע קעגן “אוישוויץ טרַאנספָּארט”) – the 20th transport near Boortmeerbeek in Belgium.
Filmed in Boortmeerbeek, 2011 – reflection in passing train of the portraits of the people that jumped from Transport XX. Sound captured later in 2011 in Holland.
https://michelvanderburg.com/2021/04/19/april-19-1943-attack-20210419/
https://michelvanderburg.com/2016/04/27/sculptors-monument-transport-xx/
Sculptor’s Monument Transport XX
Sculptor Koenraad Tinel looks at the corten steel work of Etienne Desmet – the Transport XX monument in Boortmeerbeek , Belgium, during the commemoration April 27, 2014. Both Belgian visual artists were born in Ghent.
The sculpture commemorates the heroic attack in Boortmeerbeek April 19, 1943 on the deportation train ‘Transport XX’ – a cattle car train crammed with 1631 Jewish passengers, heading for Auschwitz – by three young men from Brussels – Youra Livschitz, Robert Maistriau and Jean Franklemon – who succeeded in opening one of the cars and liberate 17 people.
https://michelvanderburg.com/2020/05/11/regine-krochmal-tribute/
Régine Krochmal ~ May 11, 2012 tribute to a courageous resistance fighter.
Régine Krochmal, who in 1943 courageously escaped from the 20th train from Mechelen to Auschwitz, died May 11, 2012 in Brussels.
That day I made and published a short compilation of images of Régine that I had filmed a year earlier at the Transport XX commemoration in Boortmeerbeek May 15, 2011. ( https://youtu.be/L0Q76tNOLFA
Today May 11, 2020 – 8 years later – I made this remake with improved sound , image , a larger format, and an additional ‘thank you’ from Régine.
Credits
Régine Krochmal
Thanks to friends in Boortmeerbeek.
Remake of May 11, 2012 film ‘Régine Krochmal – a tribute’ filmed May 15, 2011 at the Transport XX commemoration in Boortmeerbeek, Belgium.
Music : Last Post by trumpet player Freddy Verschuren.
Film : Régine Krochmal (20200511 – 20200512) Michel van der Burg | michelvanderburg.com | miracles.media
Speech (translated from dutch)
Never forget that nothing is so powerful as life!
Life gives us gifts continually:
our heart to love – our soul to find true joy – and our conscience to increase our joy, by flexibility of our heart.
Each of us should let his inner wealth flourish.
Like Robert Maistriau, Youra Livschitz and Jean Franklemon have done.
For which we are grateful to them, to this day.Merci…
Robert Maistriau’s memorabilia – Yad Vashem medal, pistol, small version lantern of Robert Maistriau in Kazerne Dossin, Mechelen , Belgium , August 18, 2016.
https://michelvanderburg.com/2020/05/12/boortmeerbeek-station/
Boortmeerbeek Station ~ Transport XX commemoration May 15, 2011 in Boortmeerbeek, Belgium
https://michelvanderburg.com/2020/06/11/transport-xx-face-face-2012-edition/
Transport XX face
A video impression filmed February 2009 , of the confrontation of passers-by with the TRANSPORT XX installation in Brussels, that presented photographic portraits of 1,200 of the 1,631 Jewish prisoners deported with the 20th train convoy to Auschwitz in 1943.
The TRANSPORT XX installation in Brussels was organised from 27 January to 15 March 2009 by the Belvue Museum in collaboration with the JMDR / Kazerne Dossin. The photographic portraits were displayed outside in the Royal park in Brussels (opposite the Royal Palace).
On April 19, 1943 at 10 p.m. the 20th train convoy departed the Dossin barracks (Kazerne Dossin) in Mechelen (Belgium) with 40 cattle cars crammed with 1631 Jewish men, women and children for Auschwitz (Poland). The in Belgium captured Jews were over 90% ‘foreigners’ (with no Belgian nationality) who either when war broke out or (many) years earlier had fled from mainly Eastern Europe, Germany and Holland to Belgium. Half an hour after the departure of this transport XX three young Belgians from Brussels, Youra Livschitz, Jean Franklemon and Robert Maistriau stopped the train between Boortmeerbeek and Haacht, opened one of the cars and liberated 17 prisoners. Later before the train reaches the German border over 200 other prisoners decide to attempt to escape and also jump out of the cars. In total 236 people were able to escape, but 26 were shot and killed trying to escape.
This 20th transport arrived at Auschwitz on April 22 with 1395 deportees. Only approximately 151 of those on board survived this and later death camps. This was the only documented attack on a death train during the Shoah.
https://michelvanderburg.com/2019/01/16/en-route-transport-xx-stop-kuttekoven/
En Route Transport XX Stop Kuttekoven
Short clip 7 years ago during reportage Jan 16 , 2012 – en route the former track of Transport XX to Auschwitz , looking for the actual site Simon Gronowski jumped from that death train , a moment before the train stopped near that little town of Kuttekoven , Belgium – together with Simon Gronowski and our friends : partisan Max De Vries who then had just turned 98 years old
https://michelvanderburg.com/2014/04/28/escape-from-transport-xx-to-be-born-6-months-later/
Viviane’s Story
Viviane’s Story | eBook New Prints | 20221111
November 11, 2022 — Viviane’s Story by Viviane Yarom-Castegnier & Michel van der Burg was first published by Miracles.Media the night of April 19, 2019 as eBook (ePub) including video with a file size of 200 MB.
Now, the 2nd print of this eBook (ePub) is released – with the much smaller size of 60 MB ( same ISBN 9789493147003 ).
In addition now a PDF edition of the eBook is released with ISBN 9789493147010 .
You can download both these new eBooks of Viviane’s Story from the site Miracles.Media — both the ePUB (ISBN 978-94-93147-00-3) and PDF (ISBN 978-94-93147-01-0) editions. Link https://miracles.media/vivianesstory/
Viviane's Story Escape from Transport XX...Born 6 Months Later by Viviane Yarom-Castegnier & Michel van der Burg
On the night of the 19th of April in 1943 – Viviane escaped in the womb of her pregnant mother from the Twentieth Train heading for Auschwitz.
Isabella Weinreb-Castegnier was three-months pregnant when she jumped that night in Belgium from the fast moving 20th Death Train to Auschwitz.
It was Passover eve and full moon.
Isabella escaped with a broken wrist and bruises all over her body, but no other major injuries.
Her daughter Viviane – meaning “full of life”, and named so for her will to live and hold tight in her mother’s womb – was born six months later on October 30, 1943 in Brussels, Belgium.
This e-booklet presents Viviane’s story with amazing new insights discovered together with the Dutch-Belgian author-reporter Simone Korkus of the man that helped Isabella jump to freedom – Elias Gnazik.
Published April 19, 2019 by Miracles•Media together with co-publisher Richard Bloom Productions — With a foreword by Simone Korkus — ISBN 9789493147003
Viviane & Simon ~ 75 Years After Escape Transport XX to Auschwitz
Viviane and Simon Gronowski meet for the first time in Los Angeles, April 2018 , after they both escaped 75 years ago in the night of April 19th 1943 from that fast moving death train Transport XX to Auschwitz – Simon at the time an 11-year-old boy pushed from the train by his mother Chana , and Viviane still in the womb of her 3-months pregnant mother Isabella.
Today 75 years ago Viviane (meaning ‘full of life’) was born in Brussels – 6 months after she had escaped death that night in April 1943 – thanks to the courage of her pregnant mother Isabella Weinreb , when Isabella jumped in Belgium from that cattle car of Transport XX heading for Auschwitz. She today celebrates her 75th birthday in Los Angeles.
When Simon Gronowski , from Brussels , was visiting LA in April this year – to tell his story and reunite with his childhood friend Alice Weit – Viviane fortunately was able to meet Simon , together with her girls – (grand)daughters – for the first time.
Photo – Simon with Viviane and her girls – thanks to Sébastien De Nys / Viviane
Film ① memo 20181030 ~ Viviane & Simon ~ Michel van der Burg | michelvanderburg.com | 1-memo.com | miracles.media
More on Viviane’s story here in “Escape from Transport XX – to be born 6 months later – Viviane’s story” : https://michelvanderburg.com/2014/04/28/escape-from-transport-xx-to-be-born-6-months-later/
A recent finding on the man – Elias Gnazik – saving Isabella and Viviane published April 19th , 2018 , including a film on the dutch book presentation ( Simone Korkus’ dutch book “Het dienstmeisje van Degrelle” ) – here online : https://michelvanderburg.com/2018/04/19/full-of-life-escape-from-transport-xx/
Sim’s BBQ ~ Woody Allen , Simon Gronowski & The Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band
Swinging Saturday night June 22th when Woody Allen invites the Brussels Jazzman – and a holocaust survivor – Simon Gronowski to play with Woody and his band in Brussels Bozar theater in front of some 2200 people … after playing “Ole Miss” here Sim once again now with “Struttin with some Barbeque”.
Simon Gronowski was only 11 years old when he jumped from the XXth death train to Auschwitz were his mother and sister were murdered. After the war, an orphan, Jazz helped Sim (his artist name from early postwar times) find his way – watch his story in the documentary film “Transport XX to Auschwitz” – full film online here http://bit.ly/1fqFdOb
Another clip from Sim the Jazzman and Woody last week in ‘Simon & Woody’s Swing’ , here https://youtu.be/qGAs2YRxK-o , and yesterday this one https://youtu.be/oslTbWAEZN0
Note please , that I had not planned at all to record an entire song during the show – just some seconds sometime at the start , the end or whenever possible of Simon with Woody, just a scene together with applause perhaps , for use in the non-profit educational documentary ‘Miracles’ on Simon’s life that I am making – so , that’s why the camera wasn’t always pointing to the performance, and I had to edit and cut away lengthy applause (sorry) – but these are magical moments I like to share all right away. I initially had even thought of just using an iphone – keeping a low profile – luckily I used that excellent small camera , the Sony a7s2 , with a small external mic that worked OK except with that loud applause 
Here the whole song for Simon, his family, Woody, the Eddy Davis Band and fans. Wow , what a flow!
Woody Allen , Simon Gronowski & The Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band, Saturday night June 22, 2019 at the BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels , Belgium.
Many thanks to Woody Allen & The Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band | BOZAR | Greenhouse Talent. Film Sim’s BBQ (20190630) Michel van der Burg | Miracles.Media
https://michelvanderburg.com/2019/06/23/simon-woodys-swing/
Screening “Transport XX to Auschwitz ” April 2, 2014 with guest speaker Richard Bloom in Temple Anshei Shalom – Delray’s Vibrant Synagogue of the Future – Florida , US (Image ref BUM10046V01)
“Auschwitz and forgiveness” by Simon Gronowski (English translation)
Simon Gronowski and Koenraad Tinel together in the Auschwitz camp, May 2012.
(image BUM10010V01 – michelvanderburg.com)
“Auschwitz and forgiveness” – a letter by Simon Gronowski (lawyer) was published in French originally as “Auschwitz et le pardon” in Le Monde (France) on Sept. 20, 2013.
Below the English translation of Simon Gronowski’s letter by Michel van der Burg
Auschwitz and forgiveness
I lost my mother and sister in the gas chambers of Auschwitz – Birkenau and my father died in despair, in July 1945.
I myself was 11 years old when, on 17 March 1943, the Nazis took me, threw me into a dungeon, the basement of the Gestapo on the Avenue Louise in Brussels, then in a big prison, the Dossin barracks in Mechelen, the ‘Belgian Drancy‘. A month later, April 19, 1943, they put me in a cattle car of the 20th Convoy to Auschwitz. Miraculously, I jumped off the train and escaped death. And all this for what? Because my parents were born Jews.
It took me 60 years to tell the drama of my childhood (L’enfant du 20e convoi [tr. The child of the 20th convoy], ed. Luc Pire, 2002, reprinted Renaissance du Livre, 2013). It took sixty years for Koenraad Tinel to tell his own history of a son of a Flemish Nazi. He did this courageously by extraordinary drawings in a book titled Scheisseimer (Lannau, 2009); he is an artist, a sculptor, and he draws.
Forgiveness
His father adored Hitler. He had his two elder sons in the Waffen SS, the oldest one to the eastern front, the other, at sixteen and a half years old too young to fight, in the Flämisch Wachzug (Flemish Guard), a subsidiary of the Gestapo, camp guards of Breendonk and Mechelen. Fortunately, Koenraad was only 6 years old when Hitler came into Belgium, otherwise he would have imitated his brothers. He has rejected completely the ideology of his father.
We met by chance in February 2012. A 16 year old boy I did not know but who knew our two stories, brought us together. Koen said at that time: “When I read your story, I cried.” I replied: “Children of the Nazis are not responsible.” A great friendship is born between us. We were two children crushed by a war we did not understand at all, one on each side of the fence, I at the side of the victims, he the side of the executioners.
For sixty years, he has carried the burden of his father’s fault. Our grief is not comparable but I understand his. He has freed himself of it first by his book Scheisseimer, then by our friendship.
We made a book on this: Neither victim, nor guilty, FINALLY LIBERATED (Ni victime, ni coupable, ENFIN LIBÉRÉS; Renaissance du Livre, 2013): I wrote, Koenraad drew with ink. In January, Koenraad told me: “My brother knows your history, he wants to see you“, this brother, guardian at the Dossin barracks (Kazerne Dossin) when I was detained there, took me at gunpoint into the wagon of death.
So he regretted what he had done and asked me to forgive.
When I saw him, we hugged each other without saying a word, in tears. I forgave him only on my own behalf, not on behalf of other victims and I forgave him alone, not all Nazis. I did it especially for me, feeling I transcended it.
Forgiveness does not mean forgetting. On the contrary, it gives the memory greater prominence, a larger dimension. Our memory is essential: we must know the barbarism of the past to defend democracy today. Democracy is a struggle every day.
Amnesty is unacceptable : it is a blind collective measure that absolves all culprits without requiring them to repent.
Forgiveness is a religious virtue. For Buddhists, it is an act of liberating wisdom.
The bigger the crime, the greater forgiveness.
Some say they would not be able to forgive: – this statement does not make sense because they have never been asked as I have been and it is unlikely they will ever be, but if it happened to them, what would they do ? – 70 years later, they still suffer from their wounds and their resentment when they should love life and believe in happiness, out of respect for the deceased relatives.
When the culprit repents and asks for forgiveness, the victim not only can but must forgive, for refusing means maintaining hatred from both sides. Some criticize my friendship for Koenraad and my forgiveness for his brother.
They want to keep the children and descendants of victims and perpetrators separated forever into two enemy camps.
They are often victims of Nazism. This is normal, they have suffered terrible trauma in their body and in their soul. But they freeze in their victim posture, locked in their bitterness.
Aren’t they thinking too much of their own pain, and not enough of that of the other? Some, born after the war and who have not suffered the Holocaust, are not less hateful.
Such an attitude opens the way to new animosities, new wars, new suffering for our children.
It is not because children of victims and children of offenders for long, for generations, unconsciously, carry the stigma of absolute evil, that they must stay pitted against each other.
Men should not be divided but brought closer together, one must go toward the other to progress and grow together for a better world of peace and mutual respect. This is a message of hope and happiness.
I who lost my family by criminal hate, I do not hate. Despite the tragic events of yesterday and today, because even today in the world there are peoples who suffer, men who suffer, I keep my faith in the future because I believe in human goodness.
Long live peace and friendship between men !
Simon Gronowski (Lawyer)
Simon Gronowski – escaped from the 20th convoy – received the 2006 Grand Prix Condorcet-Aron for democracy – is a former president of the Union of Jews deported from Belgium (Union des Déportés Juifs de Belgique).
Notes – by Michel van der Burg
– English translation (with help from Richard Bloom) by Michel van der Burg
– I inserted some extra links
– “Auschwitz and forgiveness” – a letter by Simon Gronowski (lawyer) was published in French originally as “Auschwitz et le pardon” in Le Monde (France) on Sept. 20, 2013. (I left out the photo published with the Le Monde letter)
– The image in this post is a frame from video I captured during the visit of Simon Gronowski and Koenraad Tinel in the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Oświęcim, Poland on May 24, 2012. (image BUM10010V01 – michelvanderburg.com)
Update – Full letter – Sept. 27. Now the translation of the (final) 2nd part of the letter was added (after it became publicly available for all on the website of Le Monde today). This second part starts with: Forgiveness does not mean forgetting. On the contrary,…….
Also the last sentence of the first part was altered.
Simon Gronowski and Koenraad Tinel present “Finally Free after 70 years” on Sept. 7, 2013 at the 13th Internationales Literaturfestival Berlin – with Vincent von Wroblewsky (interpreter) and Christine Eichel (host), Joachim Sartorius (Berliner Festspiele), Ulrich Schreiber (festival director), and Joke Schauvliege (Flemish Minister for Culture) in the Haus der Berliner Festspiele.
Photo report (BUM10022V01): Michel van der Burg – michelvanderburg.com
Simon Stompin’ at the Saint Sépulcre
November 19, 2022
Simon Stompin’ at the Saint Sépulcre | 20221119 | Miracles•Media | Rushes with a rough cut for Miracles film – vibrant memories – not forgotten – that vibrant testimony , swinging jazz of Simon Gronowski Stompin’ at the Saint-Sépulcre school in Liège (BE).
Thanks to friends Philippe Renette, Simon Gronowski, Koenraad Tinel (Photo Dieter Telemans featured in Der Welt , Saturday 16th Nov 2013 – Feinde wie wir, by Felix Stephan) and help by Patrick (sound), staff Marc Belleflamme, André Hérin, teachers Christine Marchal, Ingrid Lothe, others, and the Saint-Sépulcre students participating that 19 november 2013 , today 9 years ago, during this unique human adventure. They hosted 3 sessions that day. Time to share … waiting for the film is taking long … here rushes with a rough cut ..enjoy! Filmed by Michel van der Burg at the Station Luik-Guillemins – Liège-Guillemins, in Luik, and Institut Saint-Sépulcre , Liège (BE), 19 november 2013. License info: Simon Stompin’ at the Saint Sépulcre | 20221119 | Michel van der Burg | Miracles•Media | @michelvanderburg | TakeNode ID: 94510c1e-1ae4-42a3-9467-251dafd4c9ad
AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp
Requests to view the entire film should be directed to: rbloom40@aol.com