Belgian teacher who saved 300 Jewish children during World War II dies at the age of 100

The Belgian resistance fighter Andrée Geulen-Herscovici died on Wednesday 1 June at the age of 100 in a rest home in Ixelles, Brussels. She rescued more than 300 Jewish children from forced deportation during World War II.

"I have the immense sadness to announce the death of our honorary citizen, Andrée Geulen Herscovici, who left in the sweetness of the entourage of her family. Our condolences and tenderness to her direct and extended family to all the children she saved during her life," wrote Ixelles" Mayor Christos Doulkeridis on his Twitter account.

Andrée was a young teacher working in a Brussels school when the Second World War broke out. When a raid was to take place in the boarding school during the Whitsun weekend in 1943, she warned the Jewish families. She then joined the resistance movement Jewish Defense Committee.

She herself brought more than 300 Jewish children to foster homes, where they could stay under a false identity. The Jewish Defense Committee thus succeeded in putting approximately 3,000 Jewish children into hiding.

After the war, Andrée Geulen-Herscovici made every effort to reunite the children with their parents. She was named honorary citizen of Ixelles last March.

(VIV)

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© BELGA PHOTO (BENOIT DOPPAGNE) Queen Paola and King Albert II of Belgium give a badge of honour to Andree Geulen in 2012