The last child to leave the Izieu house safe and sound before the roundup of April 6, 1944, Samuel Pintel, 87 years old, still hears the laughter of his little comrades when he returns to the old colony, transformed 30 years ago in a memorial museum.
The emotion is strong when he rediscovers the letters, drawings, photos shown to the nearly 40,000 tourists and schoolchildren who come all year round to do their duty of remembrance here in Bugey, between Lyon and Chambéry. 80 years ago this year, 44 Jewish children and seven adults were arrested, deported and killed.
Celebrations in the presence of Emmanuel Macron
Through the rooms of this large mansion, visitors enter the refectory, the classroom, the children’s dormitory. Samuel was one of them. Sunday, for the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the roundup, there were seven former residents who made the trip, in the presence of Emmanuel Macron.
As a preview, they were able to discover a 52-minute event documentary film “Sabine Zlatin or the impossible oblivion”, portrait of the founder of the house of Izieu, which will be unveiled on April 18 on the France platform TV and the regional antennas of France 3.
Samuel Pintel, who has just published his first book “C’est l’enfant d’Izieu”, at Harper Collins, still wonders today about his incredible destiny, he who was 6 years old when he was placed in Izieu. “I was incredibly lucky!” My father was taken prisoner of war, my mother deported. Why these children and not me? »