ANONYM | Girl with the headscarf … | 20210416

ANONYM | Girl with the headscarf …
(silent film)

Who is she ?

This frightened, dark-eyed girl with a white headscarf – anonymous icon of the holocaust … a few seconds in the unique Westerbork Film. Raw footage shot by Camp Westerbork inmate Rudolf Breslauer during World War II in Holland.

Early 1990s – 50 years later – little is known about this Westerbork film. Dutch journalist Aad Wagenaar starts searching for the girl’s name. Project ‘Esther’ – his working title.
Key finding together with the Camp Westerbork Memorial Centre researchers Gerard Rossing en Koert Broersma analyzing the film footage, is the inscription on the suitcase of that woman brought on a stretcher to that transport. Close inspection of that suitcase – flipping the image – viewing the film frame by frame – to and fro – revealed her name and birthdate : F.KROON
26.9.82

In this video I also inverted the black–white.
Further , a clearer image is possible now in the still presented here – likewise edited – taken from the higher quality , recently recovered ‘camera-original’ film found on other archived reels by Gerard Nijssen for the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision | NIOD – and published Jan 20, 2020.

That special train car with Settela, car #16, with the 74 pers. mark on the vertical shelves, was also part of that train filmed by camp inmate Rudolf Breslauer leaving Westerbork – with the ‘4’ crossed out and a 5 added – so one person had been added before departure.

On that stretcher was Frouwke Kroon – born 26 September 1882 – deported May 19, 1944 – and murdered on arrival in Auschwitz.
That train left Camp Westerbork on May 19, 1944 with ca 700 people – both Jews and 245 Sinti and Roma – the so-called ‘Gypsy transport’ – dutch: ‘Zigeunertransport’.

The girl with the headscarf got her name back Monday 7th February 1994, when Aad Wagenaar met survivor ‘Gypsy mama’ Theresia Crasa Wagner . She told him, she sat on the floor behind the girl , standing near the door. When they heard the doors being closed , her mother yelled :

‘Settela !
Get away from the door, or your head will get stuck !!’

The Dutch Sinti girl Settela (Anna Maria) Steinbach was born – the traditional way , under the family wagon – on 23 December 1934 in Buchten in the Dutch province of Limburg.

Settela’s family had been arrested 3 days before they were deported. Settela’s hair was shaved off in Camp Westerbork – hence the ‘headscarf’ made by her mother.
Mother Toetela (Emilia) Steinbach with ten children and a grandchild were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The 9-year old Settela was gassed and burned early August 1944.
Settela’s father Moeselman (Heinrich) Steinbach died of grief in 1946 in Holland.

Credits

Filmed by Rudolf Breslauer 19 May 1944 in Camp Westerbork, Netherlands.
Video from Westerbork film montage reel 1 (RVD cat.nr. 02-1167-01) courtesy of NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies (KNAW), and the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision.
Still (edit by Michel van der Burg) from camera-original film published Jan 20, 2020 courtesy of Gerard Nijssen | Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision | NIOD | NOS.

Story based on :
* Settela, het meisje heeft haar naam terug (1995-2007) by Aad Wagenaar ISBN 9789089751898 / English translation by Janna Eliot ‘Settela’ (2005-2016) ISBN 978-0-9933898-2-5 .
* Documentary film Settela, gezicht van het verleden by Cherry Duyns (VPRO, 1994).
* Kamp Westerbork gefilmd by Koert Broersma and Gerard Rossing (editors Dirk Mulder and Ben Prinsen; ISBN 9023232658 .
* Westerbork Film | Full version RVD 1986 | 20190605 | Michel van der Burg | Settela•Com (accessed 2021 Apr 16) URL: https://wp.me/p91enH-1x
* Nieuwe beelden van iconische Westerborkfilm gevonden (by Ronja Hijmans | NIEUWSUUR | NOS (accessed 2020 Jan 20) URL https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2319497-nieuwe-beelden-van-iconische-westerborkfilm-gevonden.html
* Settela en Willy en Het geheim van de Heksenberg (2e druk) by Rob Hendrikx and Marouska Steinbach (Heerlen : Historisch Goud – Rijckheyt, centrum voor regionale geschiedenis en Stichting Historische Kring “Het Land van Herle”, April 2017) ISBN 9789082241686. URL https://www.landvanherle.nl/product/settela-en-willy-en-het-geheim-van-de-heksenberg-2e-druk/
* ‘Sinti en Roma in Den Haag, voor, tijdens en na de Tweede Wereldoorlog (1900-1970)’ by Peter Jorna (Haags Gemeentearchief, 2021) PDF online (accessed 2021 Apr 15) URL https://www.owrs.nl/nieuws/nieuw-boek-sinti-en-roma-in-den-haag
* The Forgotten Genocide – The fate of the Sinti and Roma. Online exhibition by Tweedewereldoorlog.nl . Including a clip of the interview by journalist Aad Wagenaar with Crasa Wagner ; from documentary Settela, gezicht van het verleden, directed by Cherry Duyns (VPRO 1994) (accessed 2021 Apr 15) URL https://romasinti.eu

TAGS #girl #Settela #headscarf #anonymous #Sinti #Roma #Jew #1Memo #MiraclesMedia #michelvanderburg #Holland #Westerbork #Porajmos #Holocaust #genocide #identification #Wagenaar #WesterborkFilm

Updates

20220604 – Format changes credit line , references

Meyer Girl by Marcel Hastir 1939 | 20210408

Meyer Girl by Marcel Hastir 1939 | 20210408 | 1-memo•com
Portrait of the little girl Meyer painted by Marcel Hastir (1906-2011, painter, philosopher, resistance fighter) in his Brussels’ atelier in 1939, shortly before she was deported with her parents and destroyed in a crematorium.
Oil painting shown to me by Horst Schroeder April 19, 2013 at the 70th commemoration of Transport XX to Auschwitz in Atelier Marcel Hastir, Brussels, Belgium. Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) 2021.

TAGS #Meyer #MarcelHastir #holocaust #1Memo #MiraclesMedia #michelvanderburg #Belgium #Brussels #atelier #painting #art #resistance #oil #portrait #girl #Jew #shoah #genocide #commemoration #deportation #TransportXX #water #YomHaShoah #attack #rescue #escape

Stella’s Stars in Amsterdam 1932 | 20210307

Little star Liesje Poons, 9 years-old, wins the first prize at the masquerade ball (bal masqué) organised by Stella Fontaine in 1932 at the Bellevue theater in Amsterdam, Holland.
A show with costumed children doing acts like imitating an indian, magician, Russian, and dancer, dancing on dutch and german songs like, ‘In Holland staat een huis’, ‘Waarom zijn de bananen krom’, and ‘Dass ist die Liebe der Matrose’.
Dutch diva Stella Fontaine (Saartje Kanes, 1889-1966) – born in a Jewish Amsterdam family – was a cabaret artist, imitator, actress and singer.
Liesje (Elisabeth Cornelia Poons) born 1 July 1922 in a Jewish Amsterdam family of artists – active in the world of theater and music – became a singer in big bands , performing eg. July 1940 in the Amsterdam Carré theater, and May 1943 in Leiden (newspaper Leidsche Courant May 8, 1943).

TAGS #children #jew #theater #1Memo #MiraclesMedia #michelvanderburg #Holland #Amsterdam #StellaFontaine #LiesjePoons #dance #show #holocaust #cinema #Bellevue #masquerade

Scout Bambi | Simon Gronowski

Behind the scenes iphone shots by Sonja van der Burg of our filming Simon Gronowski for the documentary film project ‘Miracles’.

Simon Gronowski — once a little scout nicknamed “Bambi” (totem name early 1940s) — telling his story in ‘Simon reads his story’ at the public performance of authors during the event ‘Voices in the Museum’, interviewed by Marjan Verplancke, in the holocaust museum Kazerne Dossin in Mechelen, Belgium, December 2017.

Other ‘voices’ filmed that weekend: Nina Landau presenting her short film ‘Lon’ (to which I could gladly contribute a little something), and Esther Naschelski reading from her biography – as shown in the film ‘Esther’s Puzzle’ (link below) .

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NL – Dutch :

‘Achter de schermen’ iphone shots door Sonja van der Burg tijdens onze filmopnames van Simon Gronowski voor het documentaire project ‘Miracles’.

Simon Gronowski – ooit een kleine verkenner met de bijnaam “Bambi” (totem naam begin jaren 40) – die zijn verhaal vertelt in ‘Simon leest zijn verhaal voor’ tijdens het publieke optreden van schrijvers, geïnterviewd door Marjan Verplancke, in het Kazerne Dossin museum op zondag 3 december 2017 , ter gelegenheid van het 5 jarig bestaan van het holocaust museum (als opvolger van het Joods Museum van Deportatie en Verzet) in Mechelen , België.

Andere ‘stemmen’ gefilmd dat publieksweekend: Nina Landau bij de vertoning van haar film ‘Lon’ (waar ik graag een kleinigheid aan kon bijdragen), en Esther Naschelski voorlezend uit haar biografie – zoals te zien in de film ‘Esther’s Puzzle’ (link hieronder).

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Links :

Esther’s Puzzle
https://michelvanderburg.com/2018/01/27/esthers-puzzle/

Lon’s World Premiere
https://michelvanderburg.com/2017/11/25/lons-world-premiere/

Lon’s Puppet Show
https://michelvanderburg.com/2017/07/29/lons-puppet-show/

Scout Bambi ~ Talk : Simon Gronowski at ‘Voices in the Museum’ with Marjan Verplancke | Kazerne Dossin – kazernedossin.eu ~ Film : 20201208 Sonja and Michel van der Burg | Miracles•Media

I am not at war | KONTRARIE

‘I am not at war’ performed by solidarity choir KONTRARIE at the 20th commemoration of Transport XX on 21 April 2013 in Boortmeerbeek, Belgium. Theme this 20th commemoration : “In the track of Transport XX after 70 years”. Dutch: 20e herdenking – “In het spoor van Transport XX na 70 jaar”.

With a roaring special contribution by a helicopter ;)

I am not at war with anyone
I am not at war with anyone
Go away warplanes
You bring fear and shame
I am not at war with anyone

I give my love to Iraq, and to America
I give my love to Israel, and to Palestine
We could live as one
Between the sea and sun
I am not at war with anyone

I don’t need to be friends with everyone
But I’d like to live in peace with everyone
This rush to war is wrong
And so I sing this song
I am not at war with anyone
I am not at war with anyone

I am not at war with anyone
I am not at war with anyone
Go away warplanes
You bring fear and shame
I am not at war with anyone
I am not at war with anyone

I am not at war ~ Performance : April 21, 2013 by Strijdkoor KONTRARIE | kontrarie.be ~ Words and Music: Luka Bloom ~ Music Adaptation: Luc Wynants (conductor KONTRARIE) ~ Film : 20201130 Michel van der Burg | Miracles•Media

Behind-the-scenes Robert Clary Story ~ From Buchenwald to Hollywood

Behind-the-scenes at the premiere of ‘From Buchenwald to Hollywood, The Robert Clary Story’ screening Nov 13th 2018 at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival with filmmakers Karen Lynne, Richard Bloom and Michel van der Burg in Cinema Paradiso , Hollywood, Florida , USA.
Music : LCHA DODI from the album, Light of the River (Or Hanachal) performed by Shai Perelman and Omer Horowitz. More info at Richard Bloom Productions site : richardbloomproductions.com .
Behind-the-scenes Robert Clary Story ~ From Buchenwald to Hollywood | 20201115 | Michel van der Burg | Miracles•Media

Making-of PUSH Opera Virtual Finale

Behind-the-scenes late night video editing work with London (UK) based videographer Shogo Hino ( Shogo Media ) a few days before the premiere online April 19th 2020 of this work, the virtual PUSH Opera – Finale with giant choir – Lockdown 2020 🇧🇪 🇬🇧.

The final film hosted by composer Howard Moody via YouTube is presented on my site in the post : Virtual Opera PUSH Epilogue ~ Ma Vie N’est Que Miracles – Link https://michelvanderburg.com/2020/04/19/virtual-opera-push-epilogue-ma-vie-nest-que-miracles/

More than 150 singers from the UK & Belgium have recorded the finale of PUSH and film editor Shogo Hino has edited the result into a virtual performance uniting the four casts and choruses.

Screening started in the night of the 19th April 2020, exactly 77 years after three Brussels resistance heroes stopped the Nazi train Transport XX, transporting 1600 Jewish deportees to Auschwitz, and more than 200 prisoners escaped from the train before the German border.

Based on Simon Gronowski’s story
Epilogue from the opera PUSH – based on the story of Simon Gronowski – an 11 year old Jewish boy who was pushed from the train – Transport XX – by his mother on the way to Auschwitz. Documented in the film “Transport XX to Auschwitz” presented here – https://michelvanderburg.com/2013/04/19/transport-xx-to-auschwitz/

A virtual performance during the April 2020 Corona virus lockdown by members of the casts from previous productions of PUSH in Battle, Chichester, Salisbury, London and Brussels.

Composer and librettist Howard Moody on piano, Carlos Bruneel on flute, and with the soloists James Newby, Sheva Tehoval, Tereza Gevorgyan, Ivan Ludlow, Lars Thorkildsen, Ciaran o’Donovan and Eleanor Farmer. Soundmix and additional production by Adrian Zolotuhin.

Film editing by Shogo Hino | @shogomedia.

Additional video work from the Miracles project together with Richard & Karen Bloom by Michel van der Burg | Miracles•Media .

With special thanks to Simon Gronowski, and Linda Lovrovic, Sue Kent, Sally Lampitt, Chris Stones, Jill Hoskings, Claire Apel, Jo Nicolai, Philippe Paque, Benoît Giaux, Andrea Frankenthal, and Sarah Ehrlich.

In memory of the three members of the Belgian resistance Jean Franklemon, Robert Maistriau and Youra Livschitz, whose bravery in April 1943 saved the lives of many, as our health workers continue to do today.

News and background is updated in this post : Opera PUSH – online via OperaVision – https://michelvanderburg.com/2020/08/07/opera-push-online-via-operavision/

Howard Moody Website – https://www.howardmoody.co.uk/

Sculpture by Koenraad Tinel

Making-of PUSH Opera Virtual Finale ~ PUSH : Howard Moody and co-workers | howardmoody.co.uk ~ Screen recording : Shogo Hino | @shogomedia ~ Film : 20201114 Michel van der Burg | Miracles•Media