Loria Family Finding Aids

Wolf Loria was born on January 12, 1912, in Oswiecim, Poland. He immigrated to Belgium as a young man to work as a diamond trader. While in Belgium he met and married Belgium citizen, Margot Loria (née Maisel). The couple had one son, Roger, who was born in Antwerp on April 19, 1940.

After the Third Reich invaded Belgium in 1940, Wolf and Margot decided to flee the country for Dunkirk, France. They were caught while traveling and forced to return to Antwerp. Because Poland was also occupied, Wolf, still a Polish citizen, worried that his now stateless status would put his wife and child at risk. He decided to leave for France on his own with the hopes that Margot and Roger would follow at a later date. Wolf was caught in France and deported to the Drancy camp. From there he was transferred to Auschwitz in September 1942. He survived until a month before the end of the war when he perished during a death march.

In 1942 Margot and Roger made their way to France to find Wolf. The pair was detained in the country with other mothers and children. Margot escaped with Roger after German forces came to deport the detainees, but was caught once again and deported to Rivesaltes.

Margot and Roger managed to escape again and headed towards Switzerland. They were caught at the border by Swiss police and sent to a refugee camp in Switzerland. They remained there until the end of the war when they were repatriated back to Belgium. Margot later moved herself and Roger to Israel in 1949. From Israel, Roger eventually moved to the States to continue his education.

The Loria Family Papers contain biographical materials, copies of photographs, migration documents, claims applications, and articles. Biographical materials include notes from interviews conducted with Roger Loria, and a family tree that notes whether family members survived or perished during the Holocaust. Labeled photographs depict the extended Loria family largely before the war, providing some additional genealogical information.

Migration documents include photocopies of documents Roger received from the Archives d’Etat that detail his and Margot’s movement in Switzerland. Similarly, claims applications help to detail the movement and fate of other family members. Claims applications included were completed by Roger for several immediate and extended family members. Finally, articles largely discuss Roger’s work to memorialize the Holocaust and to share his experiences and story.