Albert Bigielman Plaque

Eleven years old. That’s how old Albert Bigielman was when he faced the horrors of Bergen-Belsen. Right here, at this very spot, marked by the Albert Bigielman Plaque, he lived after surviving the unimaginable. The plaque commemorates a life marked by resilience, a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Albert Bigielman, born in Paris in 1932, became a symbol of survival and remembrance. His story is etched in the heart of Paris, a city that witnessed both his childhood and his return from the abyss. In the early morning hours of February 4, 1944, Albert and his mother were abruptly awakened by French police. They were taken to Drancy, then deported on Convoy 80 to Bergen-Belsen. Albert’s father, a prisoner of war, and his younger brother, hidden from the Nazis, remained unaware of their fate. Albert and his mother endured Bergen-Belsen until its liberation. A harrowing journey on a train eastward followed. Abandoned by their guards near Tröbitz, they were finally liberated by the Soviet Army. Albert, gravely ill with typhus, hovered near death for weeks, his mother tirelessly nursing him back to health. They returned to Paris on July 4, 1945, a date forever etched in their hearts. Reunited with his father and brother, Albert rebuilt his life in the same apartment where his journey to hell had begun. Years later, after a career in the garment industry, Albert dedicated himself to bearing witness to the horrors he endured. He wrote his autobiography, “J’ai eu douze ans à Bergen-Belsen,” and spoke tirelessly in schools, sharing his story with younger generations. He became the president of the Amicale des anciens déportés de Bergen-Belsen, ensuring that the memory of the victims would never be forgotten. Albert Bigielman lived here, at this address, from 2000 until his death in 2011. This plaque, a tangible piece of history, stands as a stark reminder of the dark chapter of the Holocaust and the indomitable spirit of those who survived. His story echoes in the streets of Paris, a city that remembers.