Routledge Jewish Rescue across the Pyrenees during the Holocaust (Routledge Studies in Second World War History)

Jewish Rescue Across the Pyrenees during the Holocaust examines the largely unknown story in English of the crossing of thousands of Jewish refugees from Vichy France into neutral Spain during the Holocaust. How did people of goodwill confront the murderous dark that was the Holocaust? It might be impossible to generalize, but this book shows how rescue served as a form of resistance, and that the saving of lives was as much a priority for some people as the defeat of the German occupiers and their collaborators. The book looks closely at the region of southwestern France focusing on the Pyrenees mountains, traversing the border with Spain across its length. Not only does it examine the complicated situation in that region―where rescuers had to deal with brutal cold and perilous mountain conditions as well as German Nazis, Vichy police, and Spanish Fascists―it also gives those who were rescued a voice, providing readers with an insight into how the survivors have recalled the intense (and often traumatic) period of their rescue. The book also shows the heroic fate of the rescuers. This is a largely unknown story that demands to be told in a world searching for courageous role models. Highlighting the work of the resistance networks and rescue organisations that assisted the hazardous rescue efforts, this will captivate anyone with an interest in the innate goodness of human beings confronted with the darkest expressions of depravity.