What is left of a family when war takes everything away? This question takes center stage in the temporary display case over the coming months. Esther Pschetiska lost her four sons during the Second World War. She was left behind with only a few tangible traces of her boys.
About the Helfgott family
In 1930, Esther Pschetiska became a widow at the age of 36. She raised her four children on her own: Abraham (°1913), Jacques (°1916), Léon (°1919), and Simon (°1920). All four sons worked in the diamond sector.
During the Second World War, Esther lost her four boys. Abraham and Léon were deported and murdered. Jacques drowned when the Germans torpedoed the ship on which he was serving. Simon was shot dead during a resistance action.
Esther was left behind with the objects that bear witness to the lives of her deceased sons. The items were passed down to Esther’s only granddaughter, Helena, and later to her great-granddaughter, Tania. She donated the objects to Kazerne Dossin so that the story of her grandfather and his brothers can live on.
About the objects
- Harmonicas belonging to brothers Léon and Simon Helfgott.
- Esther and her sons. From left to right: Abraham, Jacques, Esther, Simon (in a Belgian army uniform), and Léon.
View these and more of the Helfgott family’s objects in the museum’s temporary display case over the coming months.
