acrylic on paper

Helga Moszkowicz was born on June 24th, 1930 in Essen, Germany. Sadly, at the tender age of 12, she met a tragic end at the hands of the Nazis, as she was murdered in Auschwitz on September 24th, 1942.

In August 1942, the Moszkowicz family, along with other Jewish families from Limburg, were rounded up and taken to the Westerbork transit camp, known as the "Gate to Hell." From there, they were deported to Auschwitz on September 21st, 1942. Upon arrival, Helga, her sister, one of her two brothers and her mother were immediately killed in the gas chambers. Her father was murdered at the end of the war. Helga's brother Max was the only one to survive and went on to become a renowned lawyer and founded his own law firm in Maastricht.

I painted this portrait as part of my Resonance - Never Forget series. For me, each of these portraits is a kind of reflection on the life of the person I am painting. What were Helga's hopes (as a 12-year-old)? What were your dreams? What could have brought Helga to life if her life had not been taken?

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