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David Dushman, last surviving liberator of Auschwitz camp, has died

2021-06-07T15:14:27.659Z


David Dushman, who was the last surviving liberator of the Nazi Auschwitz concentration camp and a talented fencer, has died aged ...


David Dushman, who was the last surviving liberator of the Nazi Auschwitz concentration camp and a talented fencer, has died at the age of 98.

This Russian of Jewish faith died in Munich in southern Germany where he had resided for several years, the International Olympic Committee said in a statement on Saturday (June 5th).

To read also: The “miraculous” testimony of the survivor of Auschwitz Raphaël Esrail in front of the German youth

"

The death of David Dushman saddens me deeply

", reacted Thomas Bach, president of the Committee and former German fencer.

When we met in 1970, he immediately offered me his friendship and advice despite his experience of war and Auschwitz,

” he said, “

a deeply human gesture that I will never forget

".

The best fencer in the Soviet Union

Originally from the former Soviet Union, David Dushman was a soldier in World War II and fought the armies of the Third Reich.

He notably participated in the murderous Battle of Stalingrad, lost by Nazi Germany.

At the controls of his tank, he took part on January 27, 1945 in the liberation of the Auschwitz camp located in Poland then occupied by the Nazis, where there were some 7,000 survivors.

He was then 21 years old.

Over a million victims perished in this concentration camp.

Read also: Objects hidden by Auschwitz prisoners discovered

After studying medicine and sport, he became the best fencer in the Soviet Union in 1951, before training the women's fencing team from 1952 to 1988. As such, he was present in Munich during the tournament. hostages from the Munich Olympics in 1972, when members of Israel's Olympic team were taken hostage and murdered by members of the Palestinian organization Black September.

David Dushman often intervened in schools to tell his story. Until the age of 94, he went to his Munich fencing club almost every day to give lessons, says the Olympic committee.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-06-07

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