Alter Mojze Goldman
Encyclopedia
Alter Mojze Goldman was a Polish Jew who was active in the French Résistance
during World War II
.
He was born in Lublin
after the death of his father. He fled to France
at the age of fifteen because of anti-Semitism
. However, he was disappointed with reality in France and tried Germany
. There, he was horrified by what he saw and returned to France, becoming a miner. He joined a military unit in Algeria
and thus obtained French citizenship. He was disgusted by the violence he witnessed and returned to France, becoming a tailor and playing basketball in a Jewish sports club. There, he became a communist and a militant, but he was revolted by the assassination of Trotsky and the excesses of Stalin.
He went to Spain, where he tried to join the French unit in the International Brigades
fighting with the Spanish Republicans
, but was rejected. In 1939, he was mobilized
in the French military and was decorated. When he was demobilized, he went south to the unoccupied part of France
(Lyon
), where he joined the FTP-MOI
Resistant
Communist movement, composed of immigrants . His unit was involved in urban sabotage efforts.
In Lyon, he met Janine Sochaczewska, who became the mother of his illegitimate son Pierre Goldman
, born 22 June 1944. They separated after the liberation, and she worked in the Polish embassy and returned to Poland in 1947. At that time, Alter took Pierre so that he would not grow up in the country that had seen the elimination of so many Jews.
In June 1949, Alter married Ruth Ambrunn, another Jewish Résistance fighter, born in Munich
in 1922. Pierre was legitimized as their son. The couple had three children together: a daughter, Evelyne, and two sons, Jean-Jacques Goldman
, the pop singer, and Robert Goldman
, a songwriter.
Goldman was elected to the Légion d'Honneur
on 19 November 1988 for his role in the Résistance. He died barely a month later at the age of seventy-nine.
Resistance
- Physics :* Electrical resistance, a measure of the degree to which an object opposes an electric current through it* Friction, the force that opposes motion** Drag , fluid or gas forces opposing motion and flow...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He was born in Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
after the death of his father. He fled to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at the age of fifteen because of anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
. However, he was disappointed with reality in France and tried Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. There, he was horrified by what he saw and returned to France, becoming a miner. He joined a military unit in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and thus obtained French citizenship. He was disgusted by the violence he witnessed and returned to France, becoming a tailor and playing basketball in a Jewish sports club. There, he became a communist and a militant, but he was revolted by the assassination of Trotsky and the excesses of Stalin.
He went to Spain, where he tried to join the French unit in the International Brigades
International Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....
fighting with the Spanish Republicans
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, but was rejected. In 1939, he was mobilized
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
in the French military and was decorated. When he was demobilized, he went south to the unoccupied part of France
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
(Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
), where he joined the FTP-MOI
FTP-MOI
The Francs-tireurs et partisans – main-d'œuvre immigrée were a sub-group of the Francs-tireurs et partisans organization, a component of the French Resistance. A wing composed mostly of foreigners, the MOI maintained an armed force to oppose the German occupation of France during World War II...
Resistant
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
Communist movement, composed of immigrants . His unit was involved in urban sabotage efforts.
In Lyon, he met Janine Sochaczewska, who became the mother of his illegitimate son Pierre Goldman
Pierre Goldman
Pierre Goldman, was a French left-wing intellectual who was convicted of several robberies and mysteriously assassinated. It has been suspected that the Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación death squad was involved in his murder...
, born 22 June 1944. They separated after the liberation, and she worked in the Polish embassy and returned to Poland in 1947. At that time, Alter took Pierre so that he would not grow up in the country that had seen the elimination of so many Jews.
In June 1949, Alter married Ruth Ambrunn, another Jewish Résistance fighter, born in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
in 1922. Pierre was legitimized as their son. The couple had three children together: a daughter, Evelyne, and two sons, Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman is a Grammy Awards-winning French singer-songwriter. He is hugely popular in the French-speaking world, and since 2003 was the second-highest-grossing French living pop singer, after Johnny Hallyday.- Biography :...
, the pop singer, and Robert Goldman
Robert Goldman (French songwriter)
Robert Goldman is a French songwriter. He was born in Paris, France, the son of Alter Mojze Goldman and Ruth Ambrunn who were Jewish French resistance fighters during the Second World War. He is the younger brother of Jean-Jacques Goldman and half-brother of Pierre Goldman.He has written more than...
, a songwriter.
Goldman was elected to the Légion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
on 19 November 1988 for his role in the Résistance. He died barely a month later at the age of seventy-nine.