Parisian, Ginette Kolinka was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau in March 1944. She was 19 years old. She remained silent all her life. An interview given at the end of the 1990s served as a trigger for him. Since then, Ginette Kolinka, 98 years old, has traveled across France, recounting hell, marking the memory of a young generation who must not forget.
His words will resonate in the Thionville theater on Friday September 22. A regular at schools, this time she is speaking to a wide audience. She responds to the invitation of a couple of friends from Thionville. “It wasn’t an easy thing to organize, his diary is full like that of a minister,” laughs Stanislas Louvel. He discovered the personality of Ginette Kolinka in the show The Great Bookstore. He is then struck by “her boundless energy, her caustic humor”. A first visit is organized in Metz in 2019. A lunch with the Chief Rabbi continues with a sold-out signing session in the bookstore. Stanislas and his wife Charou have established a sincere friendship with Ginette. The latter will return three years later to bring her testimony to the students of the Louis-Vincent high school in Metz.
“An exceptional personality”
“He’s an exceptional personality,” praises Stanislas Louvel. She is one of the last survivors of the camps to be able to testify. Esther Sonot, 95, also a Parisian, was in Metz on Thursday with high school students from Fabert. A visit that the Thionvillois brought with the president of the Consistory of Moselle and the history professor of the establishment. These strong and flirtatious women impress. “After them, after their testimonies, this dark period of history will only be images, books,” explains Stanislas Louvel.
Ginette Kolinka still lives in the Parisian apartment where she grew up with her parents. On September 22, she will come to Thionville for the first time. She always shares her story with her eyes closed. The only way for her to plunge back into the unbearable. Hitler, the flight to the free zone, his arrest, Drancy, the cattle trains, survival in the camps, illness, the return to Paris. “When she opens them, she returns to the current world. »
Conference at the municipal theater, Friday September 22 at 3 p.m. FREE ENTRANCE.
#Thionville #Auschwitz #survivor #Ginette #Kolinka #recounts
