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Herbert Traube: The Voice of The Duty of Remembrance

by Milena Radoman
On 17 November, the Devoir de Mémoire association is organising a screening and debate of Clara
Laurent’s film «Herbert Traube, le destin français d’un indésirable» at the Théâtre des Variétés by
the Monegasque association “Pour le Devoir de Mémoire” with the support of the Maison de France
(FGFM). This is a great opportunity to meet someone who is fighting not to be forgotten.

From her first meeting with Herbert Traube,
journalist and author Clara Laurent had no
doubts: "It was clear to me that a documentary
had to be made about this exceptional man.
And it needed to be done quickly. Produced
by Nina productions, with the support of the
Monegasque association "Pour le Devoir de
Mémoire", "Herbert Traube, le destin français
d'un indésirable" (Herbert Traube, the French
destiny of an undesirable) tells the story of © Nina productions
this Shoah survivor, Resistance fighter and
Legionnaire soldier of the Liberation. In 1 Herbert Traube & Clara Laurent
hour 30 minutes, the incredible life of one of
the last living witnesses to this dark period a councillor for Sainte-Agnès - a village in the hatred. As someone who had experienced it
in history is recounted. Alpes-Maritimes. He became deputy mayor first-hand, he tells the story of how "peaceful
Born an Austrian Jew in Vienna in 1924, in 1990. This emigrant, who became a French middle-class people became raging beasts".
witness to the Anschluss, persecuted by citizen "not by blood received but by blood This testimony was crucial, at a time when
the Nazis, Herbert Traube was imprisoned shed" (a Foreign Legion phrase that Herbert the last witnesses are disappearing", explains
in French camps from 1940 to 1942. After likes to quote), served his fellow citizens as Clara Laurent. ‘Herbert Traube, le destin
resisting in Marseille, he escaped from a train an elected official of the French Republic français d'un indésirable’ has been shown in
bound for the death camps. At the age of 18, until 2008... several cities over the past year, including Paris
he joined the Foreign Legion and became The aim of this documentary, selected for at the Holocaust Museum -the Mémorial de la
a Liberation soldier. From 1945 to 1947, the tenth Amnesty International Film festival Shoah - and it will be screened at the Théâtre
ironically, he was obliged to train German "Cinema for Human Rights", is of course des Variétés in Monaco on 17 November. It
prisoners of war - many of them former Nazis to "raise awareness of the poison of anti- will also be shown to schoolchildren in the
or even SS - who had joined the Foreign Legion Semitism and the mechanisms that lead to daytime. The film, which includes animated
and sailed with them to French Indochina... barbarism. It needed Herbert - 99 years old! sequences directed by Thibault Chimier in
Herbert became a French national in 1949 - to testify about the mechanisms behind the addition to interview footage and audiovisual
and moved to the Paris region, where he rise of Nazism in Austria. He bears witness to archives of this period “is suitable for young
started a family. In 1989, he was elected as the slide of a population towards anti-Semitic audiences” Clara Laurent points out.

« Un peuple qui oublie son passé est condamné à le revivre » "A Nation that Forgets its Past is Condemned to Relive it"
« Rendre hommage à ceux qui furent internés, déportés ou "Paying tribute to those who were imprisoned or deported, as
anciens résistants pour leurs activités patriotiques, leurs well as to former members of the Resistance for their patriotic
origines ou leurs opinions », c’est la mission que s’est assigné activities, their origins or their opinions" is the mission of
Devoir de mémoire, créé en 2011. Présidée par Pierre Brière, Devoir de mémoire (Duty of Remembrance) Association, which
l’association monégasque appelle toutes les personnes aimant was set up in 2011. Chaired by Pierre Brière, the Monegasque
l’Histoire, à rejoindre ce collectif uni « sans distinction de association is calling on anyone with a love of history to join
this united group "without distinction of nationality, tendency
nationalité, de tendance, de conception philosophique, politique or philosophical, political or religious bias", in order to take
ou religieuse », afin de participer à cette tâche de devoir de part in the task of remembrance. The association organises a
mémoire. L’association organise différentes actions pour range of events to raise public awareness, including exhibitions,
sensibiliser le public : expositions, conférences et projections. conferences and screenings. Its motto: "A nation that forgets
Son mot d’ordre : « Un peuple qui oublie son passé est condamné its past is condemned to relive it", as Winston Churchill is
à le revivre » comme le rappelait Winston Churchill. quoted as saying.

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