In 1931, John Max Finkelstein moved to Jersey in the Channel Islands, not 1925 as previously stated. It has also been corrected that he was in his late 50s, not 48, when Nazis registered him on their rolls of Jewish people. These inaccuracies have been addressed.
During the height of World War II in late June 1940, the Channel Islands, situated in the English Channel, were invaded by the Nazis. Contrary to their infamous concentration camps in Eastern Europe, the invaders constructed concentration camps on British territory. Despite being significantly smaller in scale compared to Auschwitz and Treblinka, these British camps hold enormous historical significance in the broader context of the Holocaust. However, even after eight decades, many unanswered questions remain, particularly concerning the actual number of lives lost in these camps.
Recognizing the need for more comprehensive information, the British government has committed to conducting a thorough investigation into the concentration camps on the Channel Islands in order to establish a more accurate record of the lives lost. Lord Eric Pickles, a U.K. Holocaust issues official, acknowledges the existence of both denial and exaggerated assumptions about the events that took place. He believes that embracing the truth is essential for society’s understanding and growth.
The knowledge available about these camps has largely come from archaeological excavations, but documentation from the occupation is scattered and incomplete. Gilly Carr, a renowned British archaeologist, has endeavored to shed light on the stories of the islanders, including that of John Max Finkelstein. Finkelstein, a Jersey resident and Jewish individual, was among those rounded up and sent to more widely recognized Nazi camps. While it remains unclear from official records whether Finkelstein spent time in the camps on the sparsely populated Channel Islands, his experience is reflective of the horrors endured by the residents.
Finkelstein’s biography reveals that he relocated to the islands in 1931, where the British Crown dependencies of Jersey and Guernsey are located. The Nazis invaded the islands about ten years later and began registering Jews, including Finkelstein. In 1943, when he was in his late 50s, Finkelstein was transported to camps in Nazi-occupied mainland Europe. His imprisonment initially took place in Buchenwald, Germany, as noted in Holocaust survivor records. Eventually, he found himself at the Theresienstadt camp, now in the Czech Republic. Finkelstein’s liberation came in the summer of 1945 when Allied Forces rescued him from Theresienstadt. Witness accounts describe his severely emaciated state, having lost a significant amount of weight during his three years of captivity.
Upon his return, Finkelstein reunited with his home on the island of Jersey, which he hadn’t seen in nearly three years. He will now become a focal point of the new research initiative investigating the two Channel Islands death camps and two labor camps, known for their “death through work” approach. While some researchers argue that there is already sufficient academic research available regarding these camps on British soil, others claim that public awareness remains limited.
In March 2020, a study published in the Antiquity journal highlighted the archaeological research conducted on the former camps, emphasizing the ongoing need to expand historical knowledge. Lord Pickles has taken on the task of leading a review of previously untapped accounts and documents hidden in archives worldwide. However, the retrieval of records relating to Russian prisoners of war may become more challenging due to the war in Ukraine.
Pickles stresses the importance of ensuring the accuracy of the historical record. By avoiding both Holocaust distortion and underestimation, the board overseeing the investigation seeks to honor the memory of the Holocaust through truth. Survivors like John Max Finkelstein played a crucial role in revealing the truth about the Holocaust to the world. After his liberation, Finkelstein was brought to Lyon, France, where he spent several weeks recovering in a hospital before returning to Jersey in January 1946. He applied for naturalization as a British citizen in 1948 and remained settled in Jersey. In the mid-1960s, at the age of 81, Finkelstein successfully secured compensation as a survivor of the Nazis.
[Comment on this story]
[Correct An earlier version of this article misstated the year that John Max Finkelstein moved to Jersey in the Channel Islands. It was 1931, not 1925. The article also misstated Finkelstein’s age when Nazis registered him on their rolls of Jewish people. He was in his late 50s, not 48. This article has been corrected.]
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
