Key Facts

• The photos document a roundup of foreign Jews in Paris on May 14, 1941, before the more famous Vel' d'Hiv roundup in 1942.
• Photographer Harry Croner, who was half-German and half-Jewish, took the pictures while working for the German army's propaganda unit.
• The images show people being tricked into attending with false promises of identity checks, only to be detained in a sports hall.
• The photos display emotions like sadness, fear, and dignity among the victims and reveal the role of French police cooperating with the Nazis.
• One notable photo shows a farewell kiss between a Jewish man and his partner, symbolizing impending separation and death.
• These images were not used as propaganda during the occupation because they showed the victims’ humanity rather than Nazi power.
• The photographs help to fill a gap in public memory about the 1941 roundup, which is less known than similar events in WWII France.
• The exhibit is curated by Dr. Jean-Marc Dreyfus, a historian and professor who emphasizes their importance to Holocaust history and memory.