Arhivisti i zaboravljene kutije

Abstract

"Arhivisti i zaboravljene kutije" je kratka grafička novela koja služi kao uvod u ostale priče iz zbirke "Ester". U ovoj kratkoj i jednostavnoj priči, Holandski ilustrator Gabrijel Kausbruk je kroz nekoliko crteža rađenim njemu svojevrsnim grafičkim jezikom predstavio svoju viziju predratnog Beograda i života Jevreja u Srbiji u to vreme. Ove ilustracije nam dokazuju da je Holokaust jedno opšte, evropsko, univerzalno istorijsko iskustvo, koje je Gabrijel upoznao pre svega kroz priče o stradanjima holandskih Jevreja, kao i kroz iskustva kroz koje je i njegova porodica prošla za vreme Holokausta. Tako je jednom holandskom ilustratoru, koji je u Beogradu bio samo jednom, priča o Holokaustu u Srbiji bila sasvim bliska, poznata i razumljiva, da nije oklevao ni časa da se upusti u njeno ilustrovanje. Očigledno, učeći o Holokaustu u Srbiji, bolje razumemo i stradanja Jevreja i drugih žrtava nacizma i u drugim zemljama u Evropi. S druge strane, kao i druge priče u zbirci "Ester", i ova se oslanja na istinite događaje. Arhivisti Istorijskog arhiva Beograda zaista jesu pronašli "zaboravljene kutije", i inspirisani dokumentacionom građom koju su pronašli - kao da zaista jesu čuli glasove beogradskih Jevreja u depou arhiva kako im pričaju svoje priče nakon, sada već 75 godina - Istorijski arhiv Beograda je započeo obiman posao na povezivanju podataka i dokumenata iz različitih arhivskih fondova u jednu novu, savremenu bazu podataka o jevrejskim žrtvama stradalim u logoru na Sajmištu. Na taj način, zahvaljujući entuzijazmu i inspiraciji arhivista, i zbirka "Ester" je ugledala svetlo dana. Da li se oni stvarno zovu Jeca, Vlada i Tijana (a možda se baš tako zovu?) nije ni važno. Ono što je sigurno je da je rad arhivista i istoričara ne samo izuzetno zanimljiv i uzbudljiv, nego i plemenit i veoma bitan - jer na kraju krajeva, svojim radom oni su poslednji koji se bore da nacistički plan o uništenju svih tragova o postojanju Jevreja nikada ne uspe, i koji čuvaju neku devojčicu, koja se možda zaista zove Ester, od večnog zaborava.

"The Archivists and the Forgotten Boxes" is a short graphic novel which serves as an introduction to other stories from the "Ester" series. Contributing to this short and simple story a Dutch illustrator Gabriel Kousbroek presented his vision of the pre-war Belgrade and life of the Jews in Serbia during that time through illustrations drawn in his own characteristic style. Gabriel’s illustrations represent proof that the Holocaust is a universal, shared European historical experience. Gabriel learned about the Holocaust through the stories about the suffering of the Dutch Jews, as well as the personal experiences of his family. But obviously, a story about the Holocaust in Serbia is so close, familiar and understandable to a Dutch illustrator that, despite the fact that Gabriel has been to Belgrade just once, he didn’t hesitate to embark on illustrating the story. Accordingly, by learning about the Holocaust in Serbia we can achieve a better understanding of the suffering of the Jews and other victims of the Nazi terror in other countries around Europe, too. Just like the other stories in the "Ester" series, this one is based on true events, too. The archivists of the Historical Archives of Belgrade did find the "forgotten boxes", and inspired by the documentary material they found - as if they did hear the voices of the Belgrade Jews echoing in the Archive depot telling their stories for the first time after 75 years now - the Historical Archives of Belgrade started a comprehensive work of linking data and documents from various archival fonds into a unified database about the Jewish victims killed in the concentration camp at Sajmište. One of the outcomes of the enthusiasm and inspiration of the archivists is the "Ester" series, too, as the idea was born during our joint work on the project "Escalating into Holocaust". Are the archivist’s names really Jeca, Vlada and Tijana (maybe these are their names!?) it does not really matter. That what really does matter is the work of archivists and historian experts which is not only interesting and exciting but also noble and essential - for, after all, these are the people at the last line of defence, fighting never to allow the Nazis’ plan of destroying all traces of the existence of the Jews to be materialised, by doing what they can to rescue a memory of a little girl, whose name might really be Ester, from eternal oblivion.