In, 1995 the French-German culture TV programm arte airedoa conversation between Jorge Semprun and Elie Wiesel named "Entretien entre Elie Wiesel et Jorge Semprun". The show's transcript has been published in German (as "Schweigen is unmöglich" – silence is impossible) and French, but not in English.
Jorge Semprun was born in 1923. Prior to being arrested by the German Gestapo he was involved in the restistance against the Spanis Franco-regime as well as in the French Résistance against the German occupiers. Following his arrest in 1943 he was deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp, where he was involved in camp-intern resistance groups that helped liberating the camp in 1945. He spent most of his life in France, returning to his home country after the demise of Franco, serving as culture minister from 1988 to 1991.
Elie Wiesel was born into a Romanian orthodox jewish family in 1928. In 1944 he was deported to Ausschwitz with his entire family. Later he was deported to Buchenwald Consentration Camp where he was held captive until the camp was liberated by American troops on April 11th 1945.
liberated the camp on the 11. April 1945.
After world war two he went to Strassbourg to learn french. After this he went to Paris to studied at
the Sorbonne. In 1955 he moved to the United States where he lives today. He is the author of a great number of books and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.
Semprun and Wiesel discuss similarities and differences of their expierence as prisoners in the German death camps. Both emphasize importance and difficulty of keeping and sharing the memories the horror they both have endured. Of course, a small book of a mere 40 pages can't serve with a wide or deep view on the matter. Instead it provides a very personal conversation between two men who have endured barbarism and have dedicated their lives to the strive to never let such barbarism happen again.
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