Léon Goldberg
Encyclopedia
Léon Goldberg, called "Julien" (February 14, 1924, Łódź February 21, 1944) was a Polish Jew and volunteer fighter in the French Liberation army FTP-MOI
in the Manouchian Group.
. In 1928, his father Samuel Goldberg (born in 1901) emigrated to France
bringing his wife Riwka Gelemer and his son in 1929. They stayed in Paris where 2 other children were born, Henry in 1931 and Max in 1934.
of more than 13,000 Jews, the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup, was carried out in Paris on 16 July 1942, Léon's parents sent him and his two brothers into hiding with a neighbour. His parents were arrested; his father was held at Beaune-la-Rolande
and Camp of Royallieu transit camps before being deported to Auschwitz concentration camp on 31 July 1942. His mother and two brothers (Henry, 11 and Max, 8) were held at the Pithiviers
and Drancy
transit camps, and deported to Auschwitz on 19 August 1942.
Goldberg was known within the resistance under the pseudonym "Julien", and his false papers were in the name of "Gérard Charton".
On 23 September 1943 Goldberg, Joseph Boczov
and two other fighters from the FTP-MOI
took a train to Brie-Comte-Robert
. From there they made their way to Coubert
, where they sabotaged the railway. The next day they took the train to Lieusaint
to return to Paris.
On 21 October 1943 Goldberg, Boczov, Maurice Fingercwajg
, Jonas Geduldig (called "Martiniuk"), Thomas Elek
and a sixth resistance fighter, all from the MOI, left on a mission to stop a German convoy on the Paris-Troyes
line at Grandpuits
near Mormant
. During the night they attacked a train with 51 wagons. 27 wagons were destroyed, blocking the two rails and destroying wheat
, wood
, assorted packages and aircraft engine
s. The guards were killed and the train driver was lightly injured. However, the fighters had been observed by the BS2. Three of the participants were killed or taken prisoner, and the other three escaped but were identified.
Goldberg was arrested at Mormant
, and shot at the fort Mont Valérien on 21 February 1944 with the other members of the Affiche rouge
.
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...
in the Manouchian Group.
Youth
Goldberg was born in Łódź, PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. In 1928, his father Samuel Goldberg (born in 1901) emigrated 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...
bringing his wife Riwka Gelemer and his son in 1929. They stayed in Paris where 2 other children were born, Henry in 1931 and Max in 1934.
Second world war
When the mass arrestMass arrest
A mass arrest occurs when the police apprehend large numbers of suspects at once. This sometimes occurs at illegal protests. Some mass arrests are also used in an effort combat gang activity. This is sometimes controversial, and lawsuits sometimes result...
of more than 13,000 Jews, the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup, was carried out in Paris on 16 July 1942, Léon's parents sent him and his two brothers into hiding with a neighbour. His parents were arrested; his father was held at Beaune-la-Rolande
Beaune-la-Rolande
Beaune-la-Rolande is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.On 28 November 1870 it was the site of a battle during the Franco-Prussian War, in which the noted French impressionist painter Frédéric Bazille was killed....
and Camp of Royallieu transit camps before being deported to Auschwitz concentration camp on 31 July 1942. His mother and two brothers (Henry, 11 and Max, 8) were held at the Pithiviers
Pithiviers
Pithiviers is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. It is twinned with Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, England....
and Drancy
Drancy internment camp
The Drancy internment camp of Paris, France, was used to hold Jews who were later deported to the extermination camps. 65,000 Jews were deported from Drancy, of whom 63,000 were murdered including 6,000 children...
transit camps, and deported to Auschwitz on 19 August 1942.
Goldberg was known within the resistance under the pseudonym "Julien", and his false papers were in the name of "Gérard Charton".
On 23 September 1943 Goldberg, Joseph Boczov
Joseph Boczov
Joseph Boczov or József Boczor, aka Ferenc Wolff , was a chemical engineer, Hungarian Jew, and volunteer fighter for the French liberation army FTP-MOI. In 1942 Boczov founded and led the 4th detachment, called the dérailleurs, as they specialized in derailing trains...
and two other fighters from 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...
took a train to Brie-Comte-Robert
Brie-Comte-Robert
Brie-Comte-Robert is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.Brie-Comte-Robert is on the edge of the plain of Brie and was formerly the capital of the Brie française....
. From there they made their way to Coubert
Coubert
Coubert is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
, where they sabotaged the railway. The next day they took the train to Lieusaint
Lieusaint
Lieusaint is the name of several places in France:*Lieusaint, Manche, in the Manche département*Lieusaint, Seine-et-Marne, in the Seine-et-Marne département...
to return to Paris.
On 21 October 1943 Goldberg, Boczov, Maurice Fingercwajg
Maurice Fingercwajg
Maurice Fingercwajg also Mojsze, Fingercweig , was one of the resistance fighters shot at the Fort Mont Valérien, a volunteer soldier in the French liberation army FTP-MOI and a member of the group of Missak Manouchian.- Biography :Fingercwajg was born on 25 December 1923 in Warsaw, Poland...
, Jonas Geduldig (called "Martiniuk"), Thomas Elek
Thomas Elek
Thomas Elek, also known as Támas Elek and KERPAL was one of the members of the French resistance executed at the fort of Mont Valérien as a member of the Manouchian Group, a volunteer of the French liberation army FTP-MOI...
and a sixth resistance fighter, all from the MOI, left on a mission to stop a German convoy on the Paris-Troyes
Troyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
line at Grandpuits
Grandpuits-Bailly-Carrois
Grandpuits-Bailly-Carrois is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
near Mormant
Mormant
Mormant is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne departement in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * * *...
. During the night they attacked a train with 51 wagons. 27 wagons were destroyed, blocking the two rails and destroying wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, assorted packages and aircraft engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
s. The guards were killed and the train driver was lightly injured. However, the fighters had been observed by the BS2. Three of the participants were killed or taken prisoner, and the other three escaped but were identified.
Goldberg was arrested at Mormant
Mormant
Mormant is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne departement in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * * *...
, and shot at the fort Mont Valérien on 21 February 1944 with the other members of the Affiche rouge
Affiche Rouge
The Affiche Rouge is a famous propaganda poster, distributed by Vichy French and German authorities in the spring of 1944 in occupied Paris, to discredit 23 French Resistance fighters, members of the Manouchian Group...
.
See also
- Francs-tireurs et partisans - Main-d'œuvre immigrée
- Affiche rougeAffiche RougeThe Affiche Rouge is a famous propaganda poster, distributed by Vichy French and German authorities in the spring of 1944 in occupied Paris, to discredit 23 French Resistance fighters, members of the Manouchian Group...
- French ResistanceFrench ResistanceThe 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...
- Brigades Spéciales
- Geheime Feld Polizei