Frida Wattenberg finds her half-brothers, Charles and Marie Smietanski
On January 29, 2019, during the photo collection organized every Tuesday afternoon at the Shoah Memorial, Charles Smiétanski came to deposit personal archival documents. Born in 1936, he was hidden during the war with his sister Marie and her cousins. His father Hersh Smietansky was deported to Auschwitz by convoy 46. He never came back. At 83 years old, Charles Smietanski has just found his half-sister, Frida Wattenberg.
About two months ago, Charles Smietansky discovered, thanks to research carried out by his son in Israel, that he would have an older sister. He says: "My son called me, he said 'Dad, you have a sister!' He had done a lot of research and gave me her name: Frida Wattenberg."
Charles, Frida, Marie, and their cousin Cécile
Frida was born twelve years before Charles, in 1924. His father, Hersh Smitansky, a Jew of Polish origin, was expelled from France before Frida’s birth, without being able to recognize her. Upon his return to France, Hersh Smitansky will have another child with Frida’s mother, he will divorce five years later.
From a second marriage with Frajdla Borenstein will be born Charles and Marie Smiétanski. They will escape deportation, hidden in Orsay with their cousins, in the valley of Chevreuse, by a family paid by the Red Cross. Charles and Marie will find their mother after the war.
Frida, for her part, joined a Gaullist cell at the Lycée Victor Hugo (Paris 4)e) in October 1940, at only 16 years old. She was recruited in 1941 by the O.S.E (Organisation de Secours aux Enfants) and will help make false papers for Jewish children and their parents. She will then manage to have her mother released from Drancy thanks to a certificate proving that her mother worked for the German Army. In 1943, she left Paris for Grenoble and joined the Jewish resistance : she leads groups of children to Annecy for their passage through Switzerland. Frida is then transferred to Toulouse where she works with theAJ (Jewish Army). After the Liberation, Frida works at theWork to protect Jewish children (OPEJ) who takes care of the children whose parents have perished in deportation.
The war having dispersed the families and Charles and Marie having no knowledge of their father’s first life, they always ignored that they had a brother and sister, born from their father’s first marriage.
Charles Smiétanski and Frida Wattenberg
About two months ago, they finally met up with Frida Wattenberg, their half-sister, whom they regularly visit, at least once a week. "We found ourselves a family!" says Marie as she takes Frida in her arms. "I am happy to see you around me today, I feel much more alive!" replied his half-sister.
Frida Wattenberg has been a volunteer for over 20 years at the Shoah Memorial and has testified for years for school children. Today a children’s workshop is dedicated to his story at the Memorial.
Frida Wattenberg is a Knight of the Order of Merit, Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honor, Resistance Volunteer card, Veteran card, member of the Association of Jewish Resistance Veterans (ARJF) and "Mémoire juive de Paris" SEE HIS TESTIMONY
