Inauguration of the Memorials in honor of the brothers Livschitz


On Aprril 19th, 1943  the train going from the Dossin Kazerne in Mechelen to Auschwitz was stopped by three young resistance fighters. It was the 20th convoy with 1,631 Jews on board who were doomed to be killed. The armed resistance had rejected their plan because they thought it was too dangerous, so they decided to do it themselves and with limited means. They managed to release 17 people before the German guards began firing. Youra “Georges” Livschitz, Jean Franklemon and Robert Maistriau knew each other since their school days in the Uccle Athenaeum and their visits to the student council of the ULB. Youra was born in Kiev in 1917 and obtained via the Central Jury his degree as a doctor in 1942, after the university was closed.

The three friends were arrested. Jean and Robert were deported to Germany, but survived the war. Youra was able to escape from the Gestapo premises on Avenue Louise, but was arrested later by denunciation and after a stay in Breendonk, he was shot on February 17th, 1944.


His older brother Choura “Alexandre” was born in Munich in 1911 and became an engineer after studying at the Ghent University. He was the head of a group of armed resistance. He was hurt during an action and he was denounced as well. Together with his brother he was arrested and transported to Breendonk. He was shot eight days before his brother.


In order to keep the memory of these two heroes alive, two tiles with their names and fate were put in the sidewalk in front of the entrance to the Avenue Brugmann 247 in Uccle on October 23th, 2013. This was their last residence as free men.



livschitz 1   livschitz 2


livschitz 3   livschitz 4

Copyright: Georges Boschloos / Auschwitz Foundation - Remembrance of Auschwitz

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