The US National Archives recently published never-seen-before footage of the liberation of 2,500 Jews from a Nazi death train that was transporting them from Bergen-Belsen to Theresienstadt, Ynet reported on Monday.
The Nazi soldiers on the train had been ordered to blow the train up over the Elbe River if they couldn’t make it to Theresienstadt. However, when the Nazi cowards spotted American tanks on April 13, 1945, they fled and the Jews were liberated by soldiers from the 30th Division of the U.S. Army. A third of the train’s passengers were children.
Ynet quoted George Gross, the commander of the American tank: “Everyone looked like a skeleton, so starved, their faces sick. And there was something else. When they saw us, they began to laugh with joy, if you can call it laughter. It was more like an outburst of pure, almost hysterical relief.”
One of the US soldiers, Abraham Cohen, shouted to the Jews, ‘Ich bin oich a Yid’ and showed them his Magen Dovid necklace.
Many photos of the train’s liberation were published in the past but this is the first time a video was published. The clip was found in the U.S. National Archives during research for a documentary on the train’s liberation by Matthew Rozell, a New York history teacher and author.
“A few days ago, I received a message from Matthew that another miracle connected to the train had occurred,” said Varda Weisskopf, whose father was on the train. “I was in tears when I saw this clip.”
Death train survivor Jacob Barzilai, 90, who was 12 when the train was liberated, found himself, his mother and his sister in the video.
“We arrived at Bergen-Belsen as five people and only three of us returned. I lost my father and my grandfather there,” he said, as quoted by Ynet. “In the clip, I saw my mother, my sister and myself. It was the day of the train liberation on April 13, 1945. I was very emotional to see the footage. I was at a loss for words.”
“Our train was perhaps the most documented in the Holocaust. Its intended destination was to drown us in the Elbe, and the Americans prevented that. For years, I have seen countless photos of this train. But this is the first time I am seeing video footage.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
This video is absolutely fascinating to watch. However, I wonder if the facts are correct in the article. These people are dressed in regular clothing. Although they do look thin and not well, they don’t look as bad as concentration camp inmates. Also, how would there be so many children on a transport from Bergen Belsen? These poor, unfortunate people look like they were on the way to a camp, perhaps from a ghetto. B”H they were saved.
Noticing the date I was wondering if it could be that they hadnt been in Bergen-Belsen but were being sent on to Theresienstadt (or the Elbe to be blown up) as the yemachshimums were trying to finish off as many as possible before the Americans got to them. These people are definitely run down but seem to have possesions which concentration camp victims certainly didnt.
to Lakkewoodbubby.There where three trains for Transportation to Bergen Belsen. )I have the whole list with name of the passengers.There where 2000 adults and 500children.They where transported direct from Hungary to Belsen Belesen and had their normal cloth on. When the Nazis were aware that the American where near
The left the passengers in the trains to received instruction to bring the passengers to Theresienstadt.The 1.Train was supposted to get explod over the elbe but the traindrivers rejected,because they where affraid they also
would die when tthe bridge explodes.The the american came and free them all.They trains where all stopt in Farsleben because ther the american free them.They all where lucky and you know Farsleben in Yidisch is to LIve.I know the whole because my wive was on this train when she was 1year old together with her mother
This was an amazingly moving video to watch. Thank you for posting it.
Thank you Yankele1 for your explanation. That definitely clears up my doubts and makes sense. I’m happy that your wife and all the other passengers on this train were saved. May Hashem say “Dai” to all our Tzaros.
Thanks, Yankele1 for the explanation, this should be more clear in the article, as we do not want to give any excuses to holocaust deniers that the inmates had better treatment than believed.