TRAGÉDIE vécue par la population des marches de l’Est – “The Tragedy Experienced by the Population of the Eastern Border Regions of France” – documentation of the Nazi atrocities in the Alsace-Lorraine region under German occupation, as witnessed by the author François Goldschmitt. Privately published by François Goldschmitt, RECH (Moselle) C. c., Strasbourg. Booklets 1, 2, 3 – complete set. The booklets are accompanied by numerous photographs of victims murdered by the Nazi beast.
Booklet No. 1: TRAGÉDIE vécue par la population des marches de l’EST HAUT-RHIN BAS-RHIN MOSELLE sous l’occupation nazie. Strasbourg, 1947. A harrowing account of the suffering endured by the local population in the border regions – Alsace and Lorraine – under Nazi rule (1939–1945), with a focus on the systematic violation of fundamental civil rights: prohibition of the French language, deportation of Jews to Auschwitz (including a list of names of deported Jews from Alsace-Lorraine with their hometowns and dates of death), the burning of synagogues and desecration of Jewish cemeteries, arrests, and cultural repression. Also covered are Nazi atrocities at Dachau, silent protest and local resistance, including the arrest and execution of priests and dissidents, rape, and the desecration of the French flag. The booklet further details forced collaboration, compulsory labor in regional camps—most notably the Natzweiler-Struthof camp, the only Nazi concentration camp on French soil, where some 17,000 victims perished between 1941 and 1945, and more. 47, [1] pages.
Booklet No. 2: TRAGÉDIE vécue par la population des marches de l’Est sous l’occupation nazie. Strasbourg, 1947. Extensive documentation of specific events, such as massacres in Alsace. In this volume, Goldschmitt relies heavily on reports sent to him by civilians who personally endured the horrors. Includes name lists of dozens of Jewish and non-Jewish victims arrested by the Nazis and sent to death camps, with detailed accounts of their arrest and deportation. Also included are records of mass arrests and local responses to German violence, press reports based on personal testimonies (e.g., Le Lorrain, Le Lien), and stories of escape. 54 pages . R are. Only one copy listed in the WorldCat global library catalog, at the NIOD Institute in the Netherlands.
Booklet No. 3: TRAGÉDIE vécue par la population des marches de l’Est – L’Antichrist Nazi Alsace-Lorraine. Strasbourg, 1948. A continuation and summary of the events, with emphasis on the Nazi atrocities in French cities. Focus on the forced unification policy known as Gleichschaltung—the aggressive cultural and political assimilation of Alsace-Lorraine into the Reich. Includes the stories of Alsace-Lorraine citizens betrayed by collaborators and handed over to the Nazis, the torture of civilians and plundering of homes in Forbach in November 1944, the heroic efforts of resistance women who saved many lives, the Nazi persecution of the Christian church under Bormann’s regime, and more. 47 pages. R are. Only one copy listed in the WorldCat global library catalog, held by the National Library of Israel, Jerusalem.
The proceeds from the sale of the booklets were dedicated by François Goldschmitt to a special fund established to support war orphans.
The author, François Goldschmitt (1883–1966), was a Lutheran pastor and human rights advocate who operated in the Lorraine region during World War II. Born in the town of Morsbach, Lorraine, France, he served during the German occupation in an official church position (Commissaire épiscopal) and was actively involved in resisting the Nazi regime. He aided prisoners, underground fighters, and refugees, opposed the forced conscription of locals into the German army, and publicly preached against the Nazis.
On September 24, 1942, he was arrested by the Gestapo for “anti-German propaganda” and aiding escapees. He was imprisoned in Saarbrücken and later deported to Dachau concentration camp, where he was held as prisoner no. 41350. He was liberated from the camp on April 29, 1945, by Allied forces. After the war, he served as a key witness in the Dachau Trials. Following his release, he documented the events that took place in Alsace and Lorraine under occupation. He died on October 8, 1966, in the town of Rech, Germany.
Complete set of three booklets. Very good condition.
