Mellem jødiske flygtninge og tyske soldater

Resumé

Between Jewish Refugees and German Soldiers

The Rumanian-born artist Joseph Salamon is widely known for his art, especially his many sculptures in bronze, stone and wood, which can be seen all over Denmark and are exhibited in Argentina, the USA, Europe, and Israel as well. He has lived, studied and worked in Israel and Italy before settling down in Denmark in 1960.

In this article, Joseph tells the story about his childhood in Romania before and during the Second World War. We hear about the everyday life of a Jewish family in Bucharest, anecdotes from relatives and the horrible realities of the Holocaust. But Joseph also tells about his peculiar encounters with German soldiers, some of whom Joseph got along with on a relatively friendly basis and who – according to Joseph – helped save many Jews in the neighbourhood. We are also told about the many Jewish refugees from Poland and Hungary that his father’s company saved and sheltered.

After the war, Josef and his parents move to Israel. Like many other Jewish families, they had suffered the loss of family and friends and hoped for a new beginning. Joseph, now in his 80’s, has wanted to pass on parts of his life story that he has not spoken of publicly before.