The Jewish community of Lyon is mounting an extensive exhibition on the Holocaust to coincide with the trial of Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie, the “butcher of Lyon,” which is scheduled to open there on May 11.
According to the organizers, the exhibition is intended to remind the public, the media and the jurors of the Nazi era and to refute denials of the Holocaust which Barbie’s lawyer, Jacques Verges, may resort to in his arguments for the defense.
Mayor Francisque Colomb of Lyon announced Saturday that he would cooperate fully with the organizers. They will be allowed to erect a temporary shelter close to the court. Conferences and seminars will be organized in connection with the exhibition. There will also be recorded testimonies to the Holocaust, including that of Simone Veil, former President of the Parliament of Europe, who is an Auschwitz survivor.
Barbie, who was taken into French custody after his expulsion from Bolivia in February 1983, has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. As Gestapo chief in Lyon during the Nazi occupation, he was responsible for the deportation of French Jews, including children, to death camps and the murder of a French resistance leader.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
