be-002157-kd 01038
has or had subject: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/vocabularies/ehri-terms/112
conditions of use: Contact Kazerne Dossin Research Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu
biographical history: Hubert Preiser was born in Havana in 1927 and moved with his family to Brussels in 1929, where they settled in the Saint-Gilles neighborhood. His parents were what he later described as"embarrassed Jews" They distanced themselves from Jewish cultural circles, with little contact with other Jewish families in the area. Hubert's father, a self-taught man with a passion for politics and culture, lacked a critical approach to his views and often kept his family isolated from broader Jewish communities. As the German occupation of Belgium began, the family made the difficult decision to flee. Hubert and his mother embarked on a journey to Calais, where they had arranged to meet his father. However, they failed to meet up, and while his father journeyed toward Spain, Portugal, and eventually the Belgian Congo, Hubert and his mother moved between locations, including Bergues-Plages and De Panne. During this time, Hubert discovered a hidden truth in his mother’s papers: their original name was Preiserowicz, a revelation of their Jewish identity that came as a shock to him. His father, who continued his escape, would remain in Congo for the duration of the war, and Hubert would not see him again until 1946. Upon their return to Brussels, Hubert’s mother arranged for both of them to be baptized by the priest in Saint-Gilles, a step intended to protect them from the growing dangers. Hubert returned to school that September, initially attending an atheneum. However, when a teacher called him"Preiserstei" in front of others, his mother became concerned that his Jewish identity might be exposed. Although it was later revealed that the teacher had been a Freemason and had opposed Nazi policies, Hubert transferred to the Jesuit-run Saint-Jean Berchmans College. In 1942, as the threat of deportation increased with Nazi raids, Hubert's mother sent him to a boarding school in La Louvière. However, he was expelled over a minor disciplinary issue. Deeply concerned, his mother pleaded wi…
location of copies: Kazerne Dossin Research Centre
archival history: After Hubert Preiser was interviewed by historian Herman Vandormael for the book"Verborgen Oorlogsjare" Hubert donated the photo in this collection to Kazerne Dossin, via Vandormael in October 2024.
publication note: Hubert Preiser, “Voor de Nazi's was ik een rat,” in: Herman VANDORMAEL, Verborgen Oorlogsjaren. Ondergedoken Joodse kinderen getuigen, Tielt, 2009.
has record set type: Collection
scope and content: This collection contains one photo of Hubert Preiser while in Edingen during wartime. Hubert Preiser was a Jewish boy born in Havana in 1927 who grew up in Brussels and, during the Nazi occupation of Belgium, was hidden in a Catholic school by Monsignor Pierre Carlier, a priest who risked his life to protect him. Preiser’s early life was marked by isolation from Jewish culture, and he discovered his Jewish heritage only during the war, after finding out his family’s original name, Preiserowicz.
has or had holder: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/institutions/be-002157
results or resulted from: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/be-002157-kd_01038/acquisitions/1
identifier: KD_01038
date: [1942-1945]
accruals: No further accruals are to be expected.
title: Hubert Preiser. Collection
related material: KD_00016 Johannes Blum; nr. 644: interview with Hubert Preiser.
record resource extent: 2 digitised images (1 photo)
type: RecordSet
conditions of access: Contact Kazerne Dossin Research Centre: archives@kazernedossin.eu
location of originals: Kazerne Dossin Research Centre