Léon Boutbien, France, biography

Summary

Léon Boutbien was born in 1915 in Paris. He became a doctor of medicine; he was arrested in 1943 and in July deported to Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp as a Nacht und Nebel prisoner. He was later evacuated from Erzingen, an external camp of Natzweiler-Struthof, to Allach, an external camp of Dachau, in a brutal forced march in April 1945. Here, Boutbien worked as a doctor until his liberation, as is also clear from the poem reproduced here, which was first printed in a brochure titled “Natzweiler Struthof.” After his liberation Boutbien published several books and, as a socialist, was involved for a time in French politics. He died in Lanloup, France, in 2001.

Léon Boutbien's poem refers toward the end to a very specific incident that occurred the day Dachau concentration camp was liberated, April 29, 1945. The incident is described in another source in the following way: “American shells, which were targeted at German anti-aircraft fire, hit the periphery of the Allach camp and the Jewish camp, wounding and killing some of the prisoners, who were waiting for their liberation. A Jewish doctor who was standing next to Dr. Boutbien during an operation met a tragic end in this way….”

Poème

Nous avons pas à pas descendu les gradins

La plaine est devant nous

Courbés sous notre fardeau

Le ventre creux

l'oeil hagard

le geste tremblant

Nous avons retourné la tête

Une tête vieillie

blanchie

usée

Le champ est couvert de grands nénuphars

de terre ocre et sale

éclaboussée de boue

les bombes

Le canon tonne au loin

la sirène épouvante

Si la mort est là, pour nous maintenant

qu'importe!

La montagne est loin

elle fuit, elle a dépouillé son habit

tué son chien

jeté son sac et son fusil

elle fuit comme un homme

qui a peur

tout simplement

La montagne est derrière nous

je l'aperçois au loin

elle reste toujours neigeuse

insensible

étrange.

Serait-ce ça la montagne!

Le train roule! J'ai froid

je frissonne

j'ai peur

L'air vibre, l'avion passe

il passe

Le train roule! Où allons-nous

je m'inquiète

dans un coin râle

un mort.