Chat with Marion Deichmann

Marion Deichmann was a hidden child during the Holocaust. Born in Germany, Marion and her mother Alice fled to Luxembourg. When German troops invaded Luxembourg in May 1940, Marion and her mother escaped across the border to Paris, France.

When Marion was 9 years old, her mother was arrested and sent first to Drancy and then to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The French Resistance relocated Marion several times before she was connected with the Parigny family in Normandy.

Marion immigrated to the United States after the war but spent most of her adult life in France. She returned to the United States in 2019 to be closer to her children and now lives in Chicago. Her book, Her Name Shall Remain Unforgotten, is dedicated to her mother and is available in English, French, and German. Marion’s story is featured in the VR film Letters from Drancy, produced by Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center and East City Films.

This interactive interview was developed in collaboration with Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center (IHMEC) and USC Shoah Foundation. Support for this interview is in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity/Illinois Office of Tourism.