102-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor Jean Lafaurie Still Teaching Students About Dachau
Jean Lafaurie, a 102-year-old French Resistance fighter who survived Dachau concentration camp, continues visiting schools across France to share his Holocaust story with students. He tells young people about the solidarity among prisoners that helped him survive the Nazi camp during World War II.
At 102 years old, Jean Lafaurie maintains a busy schedule visiting middle schools and high schools across France. The former French Resistance member was deported to Dachau concentration camp during World War II, where he survived what he calls "the hell of the concentration camp."
Lafaurie credits solidarity among prisoners for keeping him alive during his imprisonment at Dachau. He was first held at Eysses prison before being deported to the Dachau-Allach camp.
Now living in Seine-et-Marne, Lafaurie says he feels a responsibility to share his story. "I'm the only person who can do it," he explains, referring to his role as one of the last living witnesses to the Holocaust.
His talks to students focus not just on historical facts, but on current warnings. Lafaurie specifically cautions young people about the rise of hard-right political movements across Europe today.
"When I meet young people, I tell myself there is still hope," Lafaurie says. His testimony comes ahead of France's National Day of Remembrance for Victims and Heroes of the Deportation, which honors those who suffered under Nazi persecution.
As Holocaust survivors become fewer each year, their firsthand accounts become more precious. Lafaurie warns students about the return of far-right politics in Europe, making his testimony especially relevant as extremist movements gain ground across the continent.
Lafaurie plans to continue his school visits as long as his health permits, with France's National Day of Remembrance approaching.
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