Serge Klarsfeld

Serge Klarsfeld, born 17 September 1935 in Bucharest, Romania, is a French‑Romanian activist whose lifelong mission has been to document the Holocaust and bring Nazi war criminals to justice. After his father was arrested by the SS in Nice and perished in Auschwitz, young Serge was placed in a home for Jewish children run by the Œuvre de secours aux enfants, an experience that forged his determination to remember the victims and pursue accountability. In the early 1960s, together with his wife Beate Klarsfeld, he founded the Association des fils et filles des déportés juifs de France (FFDJF), which compiled the names of more than 80 000 French deportees and campaigned relentlessly for the prosecution of figures such as Klaus Barbie, René Bousquet, Jean Leguay, Maurice Papon and Paul Touvier. Their daring actions, ranging from attempts to kidnap former Gestapo chief Kurt Lischka to public protests against German Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger, earned both admiration and controversy, especially after revelations of their contacts with the East German Stasi in the 1960s.

The Klarsfelds’ influence extended beyond Nazi hunting; they championed the memory of the Holocaust through memorials in Israel, the planting of a forest of remembrance, and the promotion of Holocaust education worldwide. Serge has authored pivotal works such as Mémorial de la Déportation des Juifs de France, a meticulously compiled register of victims that became an essential resource for scholars and families. Recognized with France’s Legion of Honour (Grand‑Cross in 2024) and Germany’s Federal Cross of Merit, he continues to speak out on contemporary human‑rights issues, including opposition to anti‑Zionism and support for Israel, while controversially navigating the shifting landscape of French politics. His enduring dedication makes him a central figure in the collective effort to preserve memory, seek justice, and defend human dignity.