Father Jean Bernard
Encyclopedia
Father Jean Bernard was a Catholic
priest from Luxembourg
who was imprisoned from May 1941 to August 1942 in the Nazi
concentration camp at Dachau. He was released for nine days in February 1942 and allowed to return to Luxembourg, an episode which he later wrote about in his memoirs of the camp and which was turned into a film.
Born in 1907, the sixth of ten children into the family of a Luxembourg businessman, he studied at the university of Louvain
in Belgium
and theology and philosophy at the Catholic seminary in Luxembourg. He was awarded a doctorate in philosophy in 1933. From 1934 he headed the international Catholic film bureau in Brussels
until it was closed down by the Gestapo
in June 1940. He then became involved in helping Luxembourg families who had fled to France
ahead of the German forces to return to their home country.
On 6 January 1941 he was arrested by the German occupation forces as a symbol of Luxembourg Catholic resistance to German occupation and that May sent to Dachau. Apparently intervention by his brother with senior Nazi officials in Paris
secured his release in August 1942.
After the war, Bernard served as the editor of the Luxemburger Wort
, held senior positions in the Catholic Church in Luxembourg, and received many awards. He died on 1 September 1994.
Father Bernard wrote the book "Pfarrerblock 25487" (ISBN 2-87963-286-2) about his experiences in Dachau. "Pfarrerblock 25487" was recently translated into English by Deborah Lucas Schneider. The English-language translation is entitled "Priestblock 25487: A Memoir of Dachau" (ISBN 978-0972598170) and was released in 2007. The movie The Ninth Day
directed by Volker Schlöndorff
is based on a portion of Bernard's diary detailing his nine-day release.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest from Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
who was imprisoned from May 1941 to August 1942 in the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
concentration camp at Dachau. He was released for nine days in February 1942 and allowed to return to Luxembourg, an episode which he later wrote about in his memoirs of the camp and which was turned into a film.
Born in 1907, the sixth of ten children into the family of a Luxembourg businessman, he studied at the university of Louvain
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and theology and philosophy at the Catholic seminary in Luxembourg. He was awarded a doctorate in philosophy in 1933. From 1934 he headed the international Catholic film bureau in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
until it was closed down by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
in June 1940. He then became involved in helping Luxembourg families who had fled 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...
ahead of the German forces to return to their home country.
On 6 January 1941 he was arrested by the German occupation forces as a symbol of Luxembourg Catholic resistance to German occupation and that May sent to Dachau. Apparently intervention by his brother with senior Nazi officials in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
secured his release in August 1942.
After the war, Bernard served as the editor of the Luxemburger Wort
Luxemburger Wort
Luxemburger Wort für Wahrheit und Recht is a Luxembourgian daily newspaper, published by Saint-Paul Luxembourg since 23 March 1848. From 17 March 2005 until 22 March 2008, it was renamed as d'Wort, although its full title remained d'Wort - Luxemburger Wort für Wahrheit und Recht...
, held senior positions in the Catholic Church in Luxembourg, and received many awards. He died on 1 September 1994.
Father Bernard wrote the book "Pfarrerblock 25487" (ISBN 2-87963-286-2) about his experiences in Dachau. "Pfarrerblock 25487" was recently translated into English by Deborah Lucas Schneider. The English-language translation is entitled "Priestblock 25487: A Memoir of Dachau" (ISBN 978-0972598170) and was released in 2007. The movie The Ninth Day
The Ninth Day
The Ninth Day is a German film, made in 2004 and directed by Volker Schlöndorff. It was released by Kino International.The film is about a Catholic priest from Luxembourg who is imprisoned in Dachau concentration camp, but released for nine days. The story is based on a portion of Pfarrerblock...
directed by Volker Schlöndorff
Volker Schlöndorff
Volker Schlöndorff is a Berlin-based German filmmaker who has worked in Germany, France and the United States...
is based on a portion of Bernard's diary detailing his nine-day release.