File completed June 12, 2010 following the discovery of new archival documents ...
Trowell, the main character Freedom Tony Gatlif, interpreted by Swiss James Thierree, grand-son of Charlie Chaplin, really existed. Joseph Toloche, his real name, was detained Aug. 2, 1942 in the camp of Montreuil-Bellay.
To see a video on the film by Tony Gatlif and Jacques Sigot:
http://culturebox.france3.fr/all/20038/liberte-de-tony-gatlif-inspire-d_un-livre-de-jacques- Sigot
Genesis Film
It was after several requests for Roma he encountered, his participation in an international conference of Roma in Strasbourg and reading a book by Jacques Sigot Tony Gatlif declared its strong desire to turn a film about these people and tell the story of their deportation. This film is special for the director who is interested in this subject for years and wanted to show this part of history forgotten in history books or textbooks.
Site Preview: http://patwhite.com/node/8141
Tony Gatlif discovered the character in my book Trowell, These Barbs forgotten by history, published in 1994 editions Wallada http://www.wallada.fr/ . Page 204, I transcribed the testimony of one who had Montreuillais rapporté le destin tragique d'un Tsigane, on disait alors nomade , qui avait réussi à se faire libérer.
Un nomade, chef d'une famille, s'appelait Taloche. C'était un Hongrois, mais il se disait Belge, parce que né en Belgique. Il se procura, lui aussi, un domicile à Cersay, dans les deux Sèvres. Mais il ne s'y installa pas, préférant retourner aussitôt dans son pays natal. Là, les Allemands l'attrapèrent et l'enfermèrent dans un camp de concentration où il fut éliminé.
La véritable histoire de Taloche/Toloche
C'était un témoignage et, comme tout témoignage collected long after the facts it contains errors that I can fix today, sixteen years after publishing, because new research allowed me to approach a still elusive truth when it relates to wartime events.
- His name was not Trowell but Toloche Joseph , sometimes written Josef .
Wilhelm Schobel (18 years), Gypsy Swiss photographed in 1852 in the prison of Bern by Carl Durheim.
- Was it Hungarian? The Montreuillais have often reported that they distinguished two populations different in the camp, Z'Hongrois , as they said, we now call Roma originating in Eastern Europe, arrived in Western Europe after the end of slavery in 1855, and Manush, as called Travellers in the Loire Valley, first arrived in France in 1419. A text
Departmental Archives of Maine-et-Loire has just confirmed qqu'il was called "Hungarian" (see below).
- Toloche Joseph is born in Belgium but it is sometimes called French nationality, Gypsies do (again) not too familiar with the boundaries between states ... He lived in Belgium before being arrested.
- Through the notary of the Puy-Notre-Dame, Emile Monnier, although he bought a small house in the Deux-Sevres, about fifteen kilometers from the camp of Montreuil-Bellay, which enabled him being released has become sedentary. The camp administration agreed to release under these circumstances, which allowed him to have fewer mouths to feed.
of the camp of Montreuil-Bellay: http://jacques-sigot.blogspot.com/2008/08/montreuil-bellay-un-camp-de.html
- but unable to live among its new walls he took the road to return to Belgium. He was arrested by the Nazis while crossing the Pas de Calais, with the North, had been integrated into the military government of Brussels far more repressive than France to the nomads. Two other Toloche are listed among the internees of the barracks in Mechelen, Belgium, who were deported to Poland shortly after.
- It was not eliminated in a concentration camp, in this case that the Auschwitz-Birkenau, as was one of the few survivors of the convoy deported from Belgium in December 1943 and January 1944. Here's how
would be written today the story of Joseph Toloche, Trowell said.
Toloche Joseph was born April 15, 1912 in Florenville (Belgium), a small town in the southern province of Luxembourg, on the borders of the Ardennes and Gaume.
During the war we find him in the camp of nomads Montléry Linas (Essonne).
A letter mailed December 6, 1941 of this camp, and written by nine counts of Gypsy families, is addressed to the Belgian Consul General in Paris.
We are sending you this letter to let you know that during the exodus we evacuated and we left a few months and we went back to Belgium when we were taken by French and put into a camp. We are Belgian subjects and we never left Belgium where our children and ourselves we are born ... Have the goodness, sir, to kindly look after us to repatriate as quickly as possible because last year we are locked and we suffer the worst of miseries.
(Letter by Denis Peschanski petition reproduced in its report published in May 1994 by the IHTP, page 127)
De Linas-Montléry, Toloche and his companions were transferred to the camp Mulsanne (Sarthe). On 2 August 1942, they were in the convoy of 714 Gypsies tramps and Nantes who were sent to the big concentration camp Montreuil-Bellay (Maine-et-Loire).
camp Montreuil-Bellay in 1944 (Archives Sigot Jacques and Jean-Claude Leblé)
few days later, he returned to Le Mans, along with 84 other internees, this time to be available to the Renault factory. One of my correspondents has found a card in his name in the departmental archives of the Sarthe. It says he was arrested April 21, 1942 while living in a caravan, he is healthy, vaccinated and illiterate.
On 5 September he returned with his companions in the camp of Montreuil-Bellay, experience not satisfied the Renault factory!
A document Departmental Archives of Maine-et-Loire (303 W 191) evokes damage committed in the camp of Montreuil-Bellay Toloche by Joseph and several of his companions
The January 5, 1943
families belonging to the tribes Hungarians say have engaged in depredations on the barracks. They burn a variety of joinery (Lining, baseboards, escape, cross shutters, etc.)..
Application for stay of release pending cases of various tribal members: V. Joseph Toloche Joseph C. Bolotcha, C. Joseph C. Octave.
From this camp Montreuil-Bellay he was released, however, after buying a small house in the Deux-Sevres. It was probably during the summer, during which there were many releases, they have been removed from mid-September following the arrest by German director and deputy director of camp accused of being part of a network of resistance.
Unable to bear living between walls, Joseph Toloche quickly decided to return to Belgium. He was arrested by the Gestapo in October 1943 in Vimy, Pas-de-Calais, near Lens. Were intercepted at the same time Margareth Toloche him, born February 5, 1933, and Bernard Toloche, born January 25, 1935. Were they his children? Both went away in Poland. The Toloche, and probably other Gypsies were herded into the Dossin barracks in Mechelen (Belgium) where they remained for several weeks with about 350 mobile and 145 nomads called French and 121 Belgians. On 9 December 1943, they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau while most of their companions in misfortune were the January 15, 1944. Joseph was registered No. 9207, No. 9208 Bernard, Margaret, and No. 9913. Joseph, chosen to work in commandos knew then successively camps of Buchenwald, Dora and Bergen-Belsen.
Liberated from the latter camp April 15, 1945, he was among 12 survivors of the 351 Gypsies were deported from Mechelen.
A witness said that he would have a leg amputated.
I met Tony Gatlif in Paris May 29, 2008, and he kindly Cesar ... Links to movie by Tony Gatlif:
http://www.premiere.fr/film/Liberte2
http://www.ugcdistribution.fr/liberte/
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