Saint Sepulcre Moments • Miracles Docs #8 • 20250918

Moments from a vibrant testimony and jazz by Simon Gronowski at the Saint-Sépulcre school in Liège, Belgium, 19 november 2013.

The Institut Saint-Sépulcre (now S2J School Center) hosted 3 sessions with Simon Gronowski that day for different age groups, including adults in the evening — and, in between, an intimate jazz moment was created in the surreal ambience of the school’s chapel.

Thanks to friends Philippe Renette (co-producer), Simon Gronowski, Koenraad Tinel (Photo Dieter Telemans featured in Die Welt , Saturday 16th Nov 2013 – Feinde wie wir, by Felix Stephan) and Patrick (assisting with sound), staff Marc Belleflamme and André Hérin, and teachers Christine Marchal, Ingrid Lothe, others, and the Saint-Sépulcre students.
Special thanks to the students Hélène, Charline, Tristan, Kimberley, Elodie, Farah, Esther, Estelle, Laetitia, Catherine, Tracy, and Pauline for making possible the unique events that month in 2013 for this Miracles film project.

Filmed by Michel van der Burg at the Station Liège-Guillemins, and Institut Saint-Sépulcre , Liège, Belgium, 19 november 2013.

Saint Sepulcre Moments | Miracles Docs #8 | Miracles•Media | 20250918

Notes

French talks with English subtitles in open captions (OC).

Miracles Docs #8 :

The first French edition was published in 2022 as Simon Stompin’ at the Saint Sépulcre | Miracles•Media | 20221119 | ISAN 0000-0007-329C-0008-C-0000-0001-0 .

The here presented, second, edition is titled ‘Saint Sepulcre Moments’ and has open captions (burned in) showing English subtitles.

Amersfoort Transport • @1MEMO 20250918

Amersfoort, Holland, Sep 2013.

Notes

B-roll en route the 13th internationales literaturfestival berlin (13.ilb) working on a Miracles•Media reportage of the 7 Sep 2013 presentation by Simon Gronowski and Koenraad Tinel (Belgium) ‘Finally Free after 70 years’.

Citation info : Amersfoort Transport • @1MEMO 20250918 • Michel van der Burg • Miracles•Media • TakeNode 91700ee1-9546-43fb-be6c-570d0f99b5b6

Amersfoort Transport • @1MEMO 20250917

Amersfoort, Holland, Sep 2013.

Notes

Citation info : Amersfoort Transport • @1MEMO 20250917 • Michel van der Burg • Miracles•Media • TakeNode 60cbd409-08aa-4edf-b9b6-1a3cf39e9ff6

Westerbork Girl • 20250916

Westerbork Girls – From left to right: Catharina Frank, Hannelore Cahn, Beatrice Lissauer, Ulla Gross, Lotte Heider-Lehmann and Ruth Pagener. (Source : Westerbork Memorial)

The documentary ‘Westerbork Girl’ (2007), directed by Steffie van den Oord, tells the story of Hannelore Cahn (later Eisinger-Cahn), a Jewish woman imprisoned in Camp Westerbork for more than two years during World War II. She performed as a dancer in the camp revue, attracting the attention of many, including camp commander Gemmeker and Jewish camp policeman Hans Eisinger, member of the Jewish Order Service—also known as “the Jewish SS”.

Westerbork Girl (VPRO 2007)

Hannelore had earlier met actor and resistance fighter Rob de Vries, with whom she was close. Rob smuggled her out of Westerbork by disguising himself as a train stoker and taking her to Amsterdam, where she briefly went into hiding. Hans Eisinger manages to track her down and one week after her escape Hannelore voluntarily accompanies him back to the camp…possibly due to loneliness, Rob’s existing relationship, or pressure from the Order Service to prevent others being deported to Auschwitz. Shortly thereafter, Hannelore and Hans get married in Westerbork.

Hannelore survived the war and avoided punishment after her return. The film reconstructs her story through interviews, archival footage, and music, presenting it as one of survival, love, and the difficult choices faced under Nazi persecution.

Hannelore sings and is still intensely sung about by Louis de Wijze, who witnessed her escape and remembered the revue songs from Westerbork: Ich hab es bei Nacht den Sternen erzählt, Ich liebe Dich.

Powerful documentary—this story, with close-ups of this Westerbork Girl, that resonate with me. Beautiful surprise while researching the use of the Westerborkfilm. Review by Michel van der Burg , editor Settela.Com

Citation info : Westerbork Girl • 20250916 | Michel van der Burg | Settela•Com | ISSN 2949-9313 | URL https://settela.com/2025/09/16

News • Miracles Moment #5 • 20250915

Surprise

Tuesday , November 19, 2013, Simon Gronowski arrives at Station Liège-Guillemins on his way to give a series of testimonies all day at the Saint Sépulcre school in Liège, Belgium. When he gets off on the platform, and teacher Philippe Renette and I – while filming – welcome him, Simon surprises us, showing me last Saturday’s news in the German national daily newspaper Die Welt (The World) at the front page of the weekly supplement Die Literarische Welt (The Literary World).

Unlikely Friends • Feinde Wie Wir

In the article ‘Feinde wie wir’ (Enemies like us) in the German newspaper Die Welt of November 16, 2013 (1), cultural journalist Felix Stephan reports on his conversation in Berlin with Simon Gronowski and Koenraad Tinel, which took place after their presentation there at the 13th International Literature Festival Berlin (2) of their book (3,4) ‘Enfin libérés’ / ‘Eindelijk bevrijd’ (Finally liberated) — the story of their history as children of war and the special friendship since their first meeting a year earlier, in 2012 (5).

The lead of the story reads as follows (my translation):

A story of reconciliation: Belgians Simon Gronowski and Koenraad Tinel were children during World War II: one a Jew whose family was murdered, the other the son of a committed Nazi. Decades later, they discover how close their lives were and send an emphatic message to Europe.

French, German, with English subtitles.

Enemies like us • Miracles•Media • 20250915_1 • TakeNode d6238cf6-2521-42fe-9323-a90d521a94f6

Notes

1. Feinde wie wir. Felix Stephan | Die Welt (Germany) Nov 16, 2013. URL https://www.welt.de/print/die_welt/literatur/article121955638/Freunde-wie-Brueder-Feinde-wie-wir.html

2. Finally Free after 70 years. Simon Gronowski and Koenraad Tinel (Belgium). internationales literaturfestival berlin (13.ilb), Sep 7, 2013.

3. Ni victime, ni coupable, enfin libérés. French edition (2013) by Simon Gronowski, Koenraad Tinel, David Van Reybrouck. Renaissance du livres ISBN 978-2507051051

4. Eindelijk bevrijd – geen schuld, geen slachtoffer. Dutch edition (2013) by Simon Gronowski, Koenraad Tinel, David Van Reybrouck. Hannibal ISBN 978-9491376405 . Reissue (2021) 978-9464366204

6. Enemies like us • Miracles•Media • 20250915_1 • TakeNode | Still (frame 340) Simon Gronowski shows Die Literarische Welt at Station Liège-Guillemins, Nov 19, 2013 , with a portrait photo of Simon Gronowski and Koenraad Tinel by Belgian photographer Dieter Telemans – https://www.dietertelemans.com

Villa Verveine Inside Out • Falaise #182 • @1MEMO 20250914

Villa Verveine, the home of artist Caroline Dahyot in Ault, is transformed into a total work of art , of canvases, an artistic diary. Street art on the Picardy chalk cliffs, filmed April 2, 2022.

#Picardy #coast #cliff #chalk #falaise #streetart #VillaVerveine #InsideOut #carolinedahyot

Citation info : Villa Verveine Inside Out • Falaise #182 • Michel van der Burg • Miracles•Media • @1MEMO 20250914 • TakeNode 48eab4a4-cacc-482f-b17a-fe9120a49f41

Scout Saint Sépulcre • @1MEMO 20250913

Scout and test sound recording (Olympus LS10 Line In, on the school system, with Patrick assisting), Institut St-Sépulcre school , Liège, Belgium, Nov 8, 2013.

Citation info : Scout Saint Sépulcre • Michel van der Burg • Miracles•Media • @1MEMO 20250913 • TakeNode 7b2301f7-ca66-4572-8d02-0485d2ebcd5e