Romain Luksberg Identified
June 21, 2011
Romain Luksberg’s daughter-in-law found his picture on the Remember Me? Website. Romain could not believe that this picture still existed and surmised that it must have been taken just after liberation. Viewing the photograph lead him to wonder how it was possible he survived, but his father did not. He recounted that World War II was a long time ago, but that certain memories are still fresh in his mind.
Romain was born in Warsaw, Poland. He was just a baby when he and his family immigrated to Belgium. After the war broke out, the Luksbergs (including Romain’s younger sister) went into hiding. While in hiding, they were turned over to the Gestapo. Romain’s younger sister was able to remain in hiding, but Romain and his parents were arrested and taken to the Malines prison. All three were deported from Malines on the 23rd transport to Auschwitz on January 15, 1944.
Romain and his father, Mordka, stayed together through their internment in several concentration camps. Upon arrival at Auschwitz they were put to work at the IG Farben factory in the subcamp Monowitz (also called Buna). Romain remembers that he had a welding job and that one of the guards there liked him. He credits this for his survival at Auschwitz.
In early 1945, Romain and Mordka were transferred from Auschwitz to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany. They were there a short time before being transferred to Flossenbürg. They arrived in Flossenbürg on February 6, 1945. Romain and his father were separated a few weeks before liberation. Romain remained in Flossenbürg and was liberated there. His father was transferred from Flossenbürg to Bergen-Belsen on March 8, 1945. Romain’s father did not survive.
Romain returned to Belgium after liberation, where he was reunited with his mother and younger sister. Romain met and married his wife, Augusta (also a child survivor), in Belgium. Their son, Marc, was born in Belgium. In 1956, the family immigrated to the United States. They first lived in the Bronx while Romain ran a successful handbag manufacturing business. The Luksbergs currently reside in upstate New York and have two grandchildren and one great-grandson. They are very impressed with the Remember Me? project.