Licco Max Haim (1910-2002), an amateur filmmaker, was asked by the military commander of the 4th Construction Company of the 1st (Jewish) Labor Battalion to make a film of their activities and deliver it to him. Licco did so, but managed to hide one 8mm roll (Film ID 4115), shot in the summer of 1941 to build a road in Lakatnik as part of the forced labor battalion. Most of the Jewish men in the unit had resided in Sofia, mostly in the neighborhood of Iuchbunar. After the summer of 1941, Licco was summoned to work on the repair of cars in Sofia, as he was expert as a mechanic. He married Berta on December 18, 1941.
Anny could be the name of Licco's cousin who did the matchmaking between Licco and his wife Berta.
In early March 1941, Bulgaria joined the Axis alliance and, in April 1941, participated in the German-led attack on Yugoslavia and Greece. In return, Bulgaria received German authorization to occupy most of Greek Thrace, Yugoslav Macedonia, and Pirot County in eastern Serbia. Beginning in July 1940, Bulgarian authorities instituted anti-Jewish legislation that excluded Jews from public service, restricted their choice of places of residence, and restricted their participation in many occupations. However, during the war, German-allied Bulgaria did not deport Jews from the core provinces of Bulgaria. All male Bulgarian Jews were sent to forced labor camps in Bulgaria to build roads and bridges. In 1941, the Bulgarian military oversaw the labor camps and under their rule the treatment of Jewish nationals was harsh, but not completely unhuman. Males aged 20-46 were drafted. Later, the security forces took over managing the labor camps, and conditions worsened. Still, most of Bulgaria's Jews survived the war; in fact, the Jewish population remained the same as it was in 1939 (roughly 50,000), though almost 90% left the country by 1950.
AGFA 8 1939. Title,"Herbst 1940" Title in Bulgarian (Cyrillic characters) with 4 August date,"By car near Simeonov" (a village near Sofia in the Vitosha Mountains). Licco Max Haim drives a car up a steep incline. Title with 11 August date,"And in the defile of Iska". Car along the road built by Licco and others in the labor camp. Title with 8-9 September date,"Mussal" (highest mountain peak in the Rila mountains) with Anny, Kete, Pual, Hans, (Licco). [COLOR] Pan of Rila mountain range with a waterfall. Two women at the falls. [B/W] Mountains. A group of five hike the mountain, it is snow-covered at top as they approach the chalet. They hike down Mussala mountain under power lines, and eventually through fields and forests. 01:09:58 Title with 22 September date,"The Chimney" (rocks in the Vitosha mountains. Another group, including child, backpacks -- Anny, Fredy, Anny, Licco, Pepi with his friend's son. Licco with backpack at 01:10:43. Good CUs. One grimaces as she walks through a bush. 01:11:57 Two men climb up the mountain-side. Title with 29 September date,"Liulin Mountai" with Fredy, Anny, Hans, Kete, Paula, Licco, and Anny. A car in a grassy area where a group socializes in the nice weather. Rolling down a hill, juggling, playing on a see-saw. Filming a spinning see-saw. 01:16:12 [VS, slightly damaged]. LS, mountain. Two people hike. AGFA 8 1939 [8 distinguishes the film gauge of 8mm].
Licco Haim and friends hike in Bulgaria