Herbert Herz
Encyclopedia
Herbert Herz (1924-) is a former fighter with the French Résistance
in the FTP-MOI
, a member of the Carmagnole and Liberté squads of the Lyon
region during World War II. His Jewish family emigrated to France in 1934 to escape Nazi persecution. In 1996 he was awarded the Legion d'honneur
. He wrote a memoir in 2007 to publicize the role of the many foreigners, mostly Jewish, in the armed Résistance
against the Nazis in France.
in Bavaria
to Simon and xxx Herz; he had an older brother Emmanuel and a sister. His family spent much of his childhood there. After his father and uncle were arrested and held for three weeks in 1933 from being denounced, they decided to leave Germany quickly to escape more persecution under the rise of Nazism
. They emigrated to Dijon
, France
in 1934 when Herbert was 10. He quickly learned the new language and studied in French schools.
In 1942 the Germans ordered French authorities in the Free Zone to round up all foreign Jews for deportation to concentration camps. Although Herz was captured by the French Gendarmerie with the aid of a professor from his school and avoided internment and deportation.
Going underground at age 18 for a year, Herz rejoined his brother Emmanuel in the South of France, but they went to Grenoble to escape police interest. That area was occupied by the Italians, who did not bother the Jews. In the summer of 1943, they joined the armed Résistance in Grenoble
under the aegis of the FTP-MOI
(Francs-Tireurs et Partisans – Main-d'Œuvre Immigrée). The FTP-MOI was made up mostly of foreigners, many of them Spanish, Jews from Germany and eastern Europe, and Armenians.
The FTP-MOI in many cases was trained by older fighters who had fought in Spain during its civil war and Italy. The FTP_MOI was present in all the big cities in France, taking armed actions against the Nazi occupation of France, for example, bombing the factories working for the nazis, derailing trains carrying Wehrmact and SS troops, bombing the Wehrmacht troops, and killing Nazi officers. The Nazis fought back with investigations, roundups, interrogation under torture of prisoners to try to break down the cells. The Germans tried to classify them as foreigners, criminals, terrorists and outsiders, as with the l'Affiche Rouge in Paris, but many of the population embraced the partisans as freedom fighters.
In 1943 Emmanuel Herz tried to make his way into Switzerland, which was neutral. Herz, his mother and sister planned to join him if he was successful. Detained at the border by the Swiss, Emmanuel was turned over to French authorities, who transported him to the intern camp of Drancy
. From there he was deported to Auschwitz, where he died. After Grenoble was occupied by the Germans, Herz made his way to Lyon, where he fought more with the Resistance.
In 1996 the French government awarded Herbert Herz the decoration of the Legion d'Honneur
for his service.
) (European Council for Nuclear Research) in Geneva
, Switzerland
. Now called Organisation européenne pour la recherche nucléaire, it retains the original acronym. Although he has lived and worked in Switzerland for decades, Herz never became a naturalized Swiss citizen, in memory of the Swiss having turned his brother over to French authorities at the border.
Now retired, Herz lives in Ferney-Voltaire. He works as a delegate of the Yad Vashem Institute
in Jerusalem to find people who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. Such people are candidates for the Institute's award of "Righteous among the Nations
".
In 2007, Herz published a memoir, Mon combat dans la Résistance FTP-MOI, Souvenirs d'un jeune Juif allemand (My combat in the FTP-MOI resistance, memories of a young German Jew). He wants to publicize the participation of the many foreigners in the French resistance, and highlight the armed fighting of Jews in the struggle against the Nazis and other supporters of Adolf Hitler
. He also maintains a blog, where he writes on the Resistance.
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
in the FTP-MOI
FTP-MOI
The Francs-tireurs et partisans – main-d'œuvre immigrée were a sub-group of the Francs-tireurs et partisans organization, a component of the French Resistance. A wing composed mostly of foreigners, the MOI maintained an armed force to oppose the German occupation of France during World War II...
, a member of the Carmagnole and Liberté squads of the Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
region during World War II. His Jewish family emigrated to France in 1934 to escape Nazi persecution. In 1996 he was awarded the Legion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
. He wrote a memoir in 2007 to publicize the role of the many foreigners, mostly Jewish, in the armed Résistance
Resistance
- Physics :* Electrical resistance, a measure of the degree to which an object opposes an electric current through it* Friction, the force that opposes motion** Drag , fluid or gas forces opposing motion and flow...
against the Nazis in France.
Early life and education
Herbert Herz was born in AugsburgAugsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
to Simon and xxx Herz; he had an older brother Emmanuel and a sister. His family spent much of his childhood there. After his father and uncle were arrested and held for three weeks in 1933 from being denounced, they decided to leave Germany quickly to escape more persecution under the rise of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. They emigrated to Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, 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...
in 1934 when Herbert was 10. He quickly learned the new language and studied in French schools.
World War II
After the Fall of France in 1940, the Herz family evacuated to Bordeaux, where the children continued in school. His father had died in 1939. After its occupation of France, the Nazis continued their actions against the Jews and required French authorities to carry out their orders.In 1942 the Germans ordered French authorities in the Free Zone to round up all foreign Jews for deportation to concentration camps. Although Herz was captured by the French Gendarmerie with the aid of a professor from his school and avoided internment and deportation.
Going underground at age 18 for a year, Herz rejoined his brother Emmanuel in the South of France, but they went to Grenoble to escape police interest. That area was occupied by the Italians, who did not bother the Jews. In the summer of 1943, they joined the armed Résistance in Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
under the aegis of the FTP-MOI
FTP-MOI
The Francs-tireurs et partisans – main-d'œuvre immigrée were a sub-group of the Francs-tireurs et partisans organization, a component of the French Resistance. A wing composed mostly of foreigners, the MOI maintained an armed force to oppose the German occupation of France during World War II...
(Francs-Tireurs et Partisans – Main-d'Œuvre Immigrée). The FTP-MOI was made up mostly of foreigners, many of them Spanish, Jews from Germany and eastern Europe, and Armenians.
The FTP-MOI in many cases was trained by older fighters who had fought in Spain during its civil war and Italy. The FTP_MOI was present in all the big cities in France, taking armed actions against the Nazi occupation of France, for example, bombing the factories working for the nazis, derailing trains carrying Wehrmact and SS troops, bombing the Wehrmacht troops, and killing Nazi officers. The Nazis fought back with investigations, roundups, interrogation under torture of prisoners to try to break down the cells. The Germans tried to classify them as foreigners, criminals, terrorists and outsiders, as with the l'Affiche Rouge in Paris, but many of the population embraced the partisans as freedom fighters.
In 1943 Emmanuel Herz tried to make his way into Switzerland, which was neutral. Herz, his mother and sister planned to join him if he was successful. Detained at the border by the Swiss, Emmanuel was turned over to French authorities, who transported him to the intern camp of Drancy
Drancy
Drancy is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 10.8 km from the center of Paris.- Toponomy :...
. From there he was deported to Auschwitz, where he died. After Grenoble was occupied by the Germans, Herz made his way to Lyon, where he fought more with the Resistance.
In 1996 the French government awarded Herbert Herz the decoration of the Legion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
for his service.
Career
After the war, Herz completed his studies in engineering. He went on to work for the Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (CERNCERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
) (European Council for Nuclear Research) in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Now called Organisation européenne pour la recherche nucléaire, it retains the original acronym. Although he has lived and worked in Switzerland for decades, Herz never became a naturalized Swiss citizen, in memory of the Swiss having turned his brother over to French authorities at the border.
Now retired, Herz lives in Ferney-Voltaire. He works as a delegate of the Yad Vashem Institute
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....
in Jerusalem to find people who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. Such people are candidates for the Institute's award of "Righteous among the Nations
Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous among the Nations of the world's nations"), also translated as Righteous Gentiles is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis....
".
In 2007, Herz published a memoir, Mon combat dans la Résistance FTP-MOI, Souvenirs d'un jeune Juif allemand (My combat in the FTP-MOI resistance, memories of a young German Jew). He wants to publicize the participation of the many foreigners in the French resistance, and highlight the armed fighting of Jews in the struggle against the Nazis and other supporters of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. He also maintains a blog, where he writes on the Resistance.
External links
- Mon combat dans la Résistance FTP-MOI, Herbert Herz' blog (French)
- Herbert Herz, (French) Anonymes, Justes et persécutés durant la période nazie dans les communes de France (AJPN)