The sculptor will give a first-hand account of his experiences while his drawings illustrate his speech Shelomo Selinger

The sculptor will give a first-hand account of his experiences while his drawings illustrate his speech Shelomo Selinger

Shelomo Selinger was only 17 years old when he was discovered on a stack of corpses. To the surprise of the military doctor who found him, Selinger was still alive.

The year was 1945: the Red Army had come to liberate the Theresienstadt camp, a place where tens of thousands had perished. The Jewish doctor pulled Selinger out after checking his pulse and realising that the youngster was still alive. 

Although Selinger gained back much of his health at the hospital, he nevertheless suffered from memory loss which was to last seven years. His artwork, particularly sculpture, helped bring back his memory.

Surviving nine camps

Selinger, born in 1928 in Szczakowa, Poland, was deported at the age of 14 and only managed to survive the gas chambers by lying about his age. 

Although he survived nine camps and two death marches, his family was not as fortunate: both his parents and his younger sister were killed by Nazis.

The artist has lived and worked in Paris since 1956, where he has made a name for himself through his artwork. He has some 800 works to his name, some of which are open-air statues dedicated to the Holocaust and the French resistance against the Nazi occupation of France during World War II.

Monument, speech in Luxembourg

On 17 June, Selinger’s “Monument de la Shoah” will be unveiled in Luxembourg on boulevard Roosevelt. 

But on 19 June, members of the public can hear the artist speak at Neimënster about his experiences, and his own drawings will be shown during the event. The talk, which is free of charge, will take place in French; to reserve, email [email protected] or call (+352) 26 20 52-1.