~the real story behind the photograph that is becoming iconic~
Friday, April 13th, 1945.
Moment of Liberation.
Farsleben, Germany
CREDIT: U.S. Army, Major Clarence Benjamin, 743rd Tank Battalion.
I’ve said it for years, since I was first privately shown it by the American tank commanders whom I interviewed in 2001, that this photo would be destined to become one of the iconic photographs of the twentieth century.
Now it looks as if many people agree with me-since being discovered at my website, it’s now apparently been labeled as one of the 40 Of The Most Powerful Photographs Ever Taken “A moving collection of iconic photographs from the last 100 years that demonstrate the heartbreak of loss, the tremendous power of loyalty, and the triumph of the human spirit.” It’s also been viewed over 15 million times at the Old Photo Archive on Facebook…
And if you are looking for 20 PHOTOS THAT CHANGE THE HOLOCAUST NARRATIVE: LIBERATION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES, look no further for the most dramatic, raw, unscripted liberation photograph known to exist.
Look at it. Think about it. And the thing is, almost NO ONE knows the real backstory. You will, from me, the guy who had it handed to him by the American soldiers who were there; and I can prove that both of the sites above pulled it from my school website [go ahead, follow their source links—they go back to my high school, I’ve since retired, so the school district ‘retired’ my page—they are dead links!]
*****
The short version of this story is that on Friday, April 13th, 1945, in the heart of Nazi Germany, American soldiers saved 2500 helpless human beings from probable death. They ended a horrific episode endured by these people and gave them new life. I personally know two of the three Army officers who were present when this photograph was taken, and a third who transported the victims out of harm’s way the following morning. And as a history teacher, I worked to reunite them with the hundreds of Holocaust survivors who were liberated by them personally on those days. In greater detail, I have the REAL STORY behind what happened in my book.
And an even greater story is unfolding now, across time and space, through tragedy and triumph, with tears and with laughter.
We are tripping the wires of the cosmos.
Can you even imagine what unfolds as they re-meet each other after 65, 70 years? The liberating soldiers uniting with the actual people they saved?
In this blog we tell the stories.
And below you can find the photographs, originally annotated and sent to me with his blessings by George Gross, one of the tank commanders.
BOOK SHOP
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~The George C. Gross photos~
We may have an idea of the identity of the mother and daughter in the photo here, though for now they remain anonymous for privacy reasons and less than 100 percent certainty. But we have found many others still living who do recognize themselves in Dr. Gross’ photos. You see, then Sgt. Gross had a small Kodak Brownie camera that his wife had sent to him in combat. Before I helped the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum acquire them in 2013, they had never been seen outside of family and friends.
What makes these photos so special is that they reveal the moments of liberation. Still, it is important to be clear that most existing photos of the Holocaust, and Jewish prisoners and trains, are the horrifying images of victims being transported or offloaded at death camps to be murdered. So this collection of photos is a rarity, and should not be considered an exemplar of the real horror that unfolded; rather, perhaps it derives its power as a testament to the power of the good, as well as the evil, that men are capable of.
Matthew Rozell
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George C. Gross-ORIGINAL CAPTIONS
l. (Train Saved 1) This marvelous picture was taken by Major Clarence L. Benjamin at the instant a few of the train people saw our tanks and first realized they had been liberated. Many of those close to the train are not yet aware of their liberation. My tank is just behind the camera.
2. (Train 1) This is a view of the train from the rear, showing boxcars like those in picture 1. On the hill to the left are people resting–some forever. Some sixteen died of starvation before food could be brought to the train.
3. (Train 2) This is a closer view of the scene in the previous picture. Note how quickly the starved people have regained their sense of purpose and are scrounging about for berries and other food.
4. (Train 3) This view shows compartment cars. Most of the train was made up of boxcars. It looks as though one man at lower left is praying; others are sitting or lying on the ground.
5 .(Mother and Son) I find this picture very moving: mothers love to show off their youngsters, no matter what the situation. The little fellow was pleased at having his picture taken. Note the thin legs and brave smile.
6 .(Saved 2) This is a shot of others on the train. The women and children in this and the following picture demonstrate the error in “A View from the Turret’s” statement that the train contained only Finnish men. I am moved still by all those smiles, particularly the one on the thin little girl in front at the left.
7 .(Saved 1) This picture has some moving contrasts. Note the laughing children at the left, and then look up to top center where a living skeleton sits and, I think, waves for the camera.
8 .(Gina) This is Gina Rappaport, who spoke very good English and spent a couple hours telling me her story. I have notes packed away somewhere but have never felt up to trying to make an essay of them. She was in the Warsaw ghetto [ed. note: Krakow Ghetto] under terrible conditions, and then was sent to Bergen-Belsen. She said that the people on the train had been hurriedly jammed into cars and sent on a meandering journey back and forth across central Germany to escape the British, American, and Russian troops. The attempt was evidently to get them to a camp where they could be eliminated before they could be liberated.
9. (Starvation) This one, too, is very moving. My original note says, “The little girl in the middle is so weak from starvation she can hardly stand–yet she has a smile for her ‘liberators.'” One might say exactly the same of the two children on either side.
10. (German Prisoner) This picture of an SS soldier was not taken near the train. I include it to show the type of elite Aryan soldier courageous enough to herd women, children, and starved men onto trains and into death camps. This young man was one of the fighting SS troops who were really fanatic soldiers. I do him a slight wrong, for it was another branch of the SS who handled the death camps. But they were all monsters. [ed. note-inconclusive identification]
11. (George Gross and Red Walsh) This is a picture of two comrades who depended upon each other in the war and still correspond regularly. I am the one on the viewer’s left; on the right is Judge Carrol S. Walsh, who was with me at the train and at most of our memorable experiences in combat.
A Train Near Magdeburg was my second book. It was 10 years in the making. And it nearly killed me. But read some of the reviews;
and if you did read it, PLEASE leave me one!
There is also a documentary in the works.
Teaching History Matters 
Matt, My heart was full of joy, hope and appreciation to you today,listening to you, as the key person who recognized a story which needed to be told, set a path of discovery and fact finding and then “liberated” this important piece of our history. I’m so thrilled to witness today in person the sharing of love between the survivors and their liberators, hearing the stories and memories.
You are right..it brings such hope for a better world.
Thank you.
Patti Jordan
Thanks Patti that means a lot to me. Matt
just to let you know my mother and about 20 of her family where on this train 1/2 of them are still alive we never knew about you we just find out last week
Hello Matt…my name is Fran Becht…I just finished your book regarding the train…it was awesome. I am anxious to read the “Things my father saw”…I am a US Navy veteran abd served in Viet Nam during 1969-1970. My Dad was a MSGT with the 1st Marine Division in Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Cape Gloucester and some other Pacific Islands. Thank you for this very important ministry…Let Us Never Forget!!
Thanks Fran and I like that you refer to it as a ministry-in many ways it truly is. If you like you can leave a review of the book here: http://bit.ly/TNMreview. It helps keep it in the public eye, to educate more. Thanks, Matt Rozell
God bless you and all those who suffer the indignities that man has done to his own kind.
Matt-
I am truly just speechless, and don’t even know where to begin. I guess I’ll start by saying that I am grateful to you for having the dedication, ambition, and strength to have written this book. You spent years educating others, compiling information, and being the liaison for all of the survivors and soldiers you so diligently helped to reunite. You told their story with dignity, respect, and precision. The soldiers and medics are the saviors of these courageous victims, but you are the true hero for making it all actually come to light, causing them to have a real voice, and allowing them to find closure within their meetings. I have always felt connected to the horrors of the Holocaust, as one who is Jewish, but even more so as a human being who is just appalled by the inhumanity of one man and his mindless followers. I have read so much about it ever since I was a kid, and was introduced to books like Anne Franks diary and Night by Eli Weisel, have always wished to be able to do something about it, yet never knew what I could possibly do as one person, with events of years ago. I thought and desired to somehow help make a difference for all of those who burdened the atrocities of the Nazi’s, or at the very least, make the stories of these resilient people more known and never forgotten. But you did more than think or wish it- you found that way, and you did something, and for that, I find you a hero as well. I feel as though you single handedly have so significantly helped these Holocaust survivors and saviors, while also profoundly making a mark in the huge work of carrying on the memories of this horrific time in history. I am a 40 year old mom of 2, aunt of 5, who will definitely be using your book with my own kids, and you’ve also inspired me to go back to teaching Sunday School again, as I did years ago. My family is not very religious since my grandparents all passed , and my own kids are half Jewish now, but reading your book captured my full attention and again made me realize I have done nothing but educate myself about this subject, and I’m ashamed that I have allowed it to slide. This is how things escape future generations- it starts with the passing of our elders, and only we can keep the stories alive and going. It’s time to be more like you, and ‘do’, not just ‘think’. Kudos Matt, as in this world, especially the one we live in today, it is way too easy to simply regard the Holocaust nightmare as just another historic event we read about in school, while never realizing the enormity of the truth and impact it had on millions of people all over the world. Thank you for all you’ve done and the person you are.
Most Sincerely,
Janessa
Your comment is so meaningful, and insightful. I read it yesterday and it truly made my day, my December, my year. This is why I had to write the book. Thank you, Janessa.
Thank you Matt. Your book tells the truth about the holocaust like none I have read. I wish more could know of the atrocities committed by the Nazi but, unfortunately, many don’t want to be troubled or depressed. There is an old saying, “Those that do not know history are bound to repeat it”. Let’s pray not!
Ron Shipley
I am so grateful to read the first-hand accounts of the warriors and survivors of the war. As a Jew, it is particularly meaningful to read of the atrocities. Your documentation is impeccable and I’m apprecative that you’ve given your lifetime to this project. Wishing you every success possible for remembering the past so we can live the future. May Gd bless you always.
Thank you, your comments mean a lot to me…
My father was a Dutch national that was forced to a slave labor camp and sent to work for Krupp Iron Works. He escaped during a bombing and was aided by the French Underground and by a farm family in Belgium. I knew all of this from the time I can remember, but I wished I had asked more questions. He clearly lived since I am one of four, was a Dutch transfer marine and met my mother in Quantico, West Virginia.
Thank you for writing this. I’m sure it had to be very difficult for you to revisit those memories, but it’s important that you did. It must never be forgotten.
Thank you,
Patricia Hoefnagel Baldwin
Kurt and Rosalee Bronner for almost the last 3 decades (she passed away in 2018) treated me like their son – I’m so honored to know them, that words escape me. Since Kurt’s strokes a few years back, he’s been heartbroken because he was a talker, and was always engaging in conversation with anyone who would listen. They both are hero’s to me and my wife Laura, We are truly blessed for them to include us in their lives, and we’ll never forget celebrating
their remarkable lives that touched so many.
https://teachinghistorymatters.com/2012/11/28/the-golden-book/
All I can say is thank you….. for saving this important record of how a society can spiral out of control and descend to the lowest possible depths of inhumanity….
I wish the lesson could be burn on the hearts of all the leaders of our nation…It can happen again in this generation…here in America….
Matt,
Thank you so very much for following your heart and living this journey to shed so much light on the dark happenings in Europe. I’m certain the survivors have gained a measure of peace also in relating their stories so their history can be told, first person and accurately. The rest of the world needs to know the whole truth. We are all in your debt for the mission you accomplished.
Paula Coleman, in Michigan
Thank you Paula. I think you have summed it up well, and it is still on going. Matthew Rozell
Thank you for your dedication and your service
Waiting for the movie. A teacher at our high school teaches the holocost and I want to get a copy of the movie for her. I gave her a copy of the book.
My grandfather was on this train too. But he died on typhus in Hillersleben one month later, never reaching his home.
I am still reading your book. I am in awe at the survivors. And I am at a loss for words when it comes to their strength and resilence.
I hope you are finding it meaningful. Author
Thank you and all the people who shared their stories.
My father was in England on April 28th 1944 waiting to cross the channel for England, that was the day I was born in Tennessee. I learned of the holucost from him in my youth. I see things in this world today that scare the hell out of me that seem so much like the holacost. Ideas are the road to evil I pry the world will read your book and see the cost of hate. ROBERT
I was 10 years old in 1945 and have read many books about the horrific things the Nazis did to not only the Jews but to their own people. We will never know the total number they murdered. I have often wondered how so many people were so evil. I recommend your book to everyone I know so that they will never forget. Thank you so much for this book and for the brave people that survived to tell their story. A must read for all young people.
Thank you!
I just now finished reading your book and what an amazing person you are! To be able to unite all of these liberators and survivors is just awesome!!!! Do you realize how important that was to all of them? I guess you do. We cannot ever forget the evil that was done. It made me so sad to learn that one by one the liberators have left us. God bless you!!!! Marti Fox
M
Thank you Marti. Yes, I miss them. But I suppose they have a special place in heaven. Take Care. Matthew Rozell
Fresh take on this subject. Not enough people are learning the history it’s dangerous. I’ve read quite a few ww11 history’s both battles and holocaust it’s always fascinating to be able see history through the survivors words.
So, My name is Alex Frank and I recently became aware that my dad who died several years ago was on this train. I appreciate the efforts of all the men and women who came to his rescue and liberated him. Laszlo Frank. If it wasn’t for their efforts my family wouldn’t be here today.
my father was with the Pioneer Corps that went into Belsen at its Liberation,because of their building skills,they reconnected the water supplies to the huts so people could wash and start cooking,the dead were stacked in mounds in the open,because dad could drive a Bulldozer he started to dig the mass graves and push the corpses into them,but still many more died as they had not had solids for years,so the medics put together a kind or gruel mixture that was easier on their stomachs,he had a breakdown in the mid 1950,s,we now realise he was suffering from PTSD, but as kids we never knew what he had seen,just once he told me THE STENCH HE COULD STILL SMELL EVERYDAY IN HIS MIND,he later was involved in bringing in the Nazi,s for the war crimes trials, so somehow saw some justice for their terrible crimes.
My Grandfather was with the 742rd tank battalion. I do not know if he was part of this liberation or witnessed the horror, He did not talk much about the war. but was proud of his service, He immigrated from Denmark to the USA when he was eighteen and lived to the ripe old age of 94, My Grandfather’s name was Einar Sorensen from Columbus Nebraska, I think often of him often and miss him dearly,
I just discovered my 2nd cousin Tivador Friedbauer, who I didn’t even know existed until a few days ago was on the train, he was 19 at the time. I will find a copy of your book! Thanks for publishing these photos on the internet!
I am beyond words to express my admiration for what you have done. Your books have brought me laffs,tears(many) and pride. I am currently teaching my 13 yr old grand daughter about ww2 and the holocaust. Her class will be hearing a lecture this week from a survivor. I grew up hearing stories from my uncle who was a 101st paratrooper who liberated a camp. May God bless you and all who were involved. Thank you
Thank you Steve. I appreciate it. I do have a YA version of A Train Near Magdeburg that would be suitable, in fact, survivor testimony form kids who were the same age. I will leave it here. MR https://matthewrozellbooks.com/collections/a-train-near-magdeburg/products/a-train-near-magdeburg-young-adult
I am very glad I used my audible credit on your book this month. I read the reviews beforehand as I have read (listened to) a lot of really poorly written books on the Holocaust. One review mentioned there being too much about you as the author. This encouraged me rather than deterred me from reading it. As I said before I’ve read many books on this subject, I believe my spreadsheet is at 147 currently and I’m always looking for more. Your book was like Band of Brothers, The Liberator and various survivors memoirs I’ve read rolled into one. Your experiences throughout the book make it even more credible. Thank you for that and for all you have done to educate students about the Holocaust. While searching your website i found that you hate TBITSP. It was like icing on the cake for me. Don’t even get me started on a German boy hearing “Out With”. Although, it did make me think I could write a better book. 😁 Perhaps in my retirement years.
Thanks for listening to the book. As far as the other book, perhaps more so for the film, ‘hate’ is a rough word for me. I’ll stick with loathing for now for the reasons I laid out in the blog post.