Louis Jean & Éléonore (Meyer)

Louis, Jean Louis, Eléonore Simon and Reizel Holder emigrated from Budapest to France with their twin daughters, Charlotte and Frédérique (b. 1926), in 1929. They settled in Strasbourg, but like many others were expelled from their home with the outbreak of war. They wandered from place to place until January 1940, when they rented a two-bedroom apartment in Périgueux (Dordogne). The girls were first sent to school, but when they were forbidden to attend any longer, they sought a place to work. Through a mutual friend, they arrived at the home of Jean and Eléonore Louis. The Louises were also originally from Strasbourg, and had also been displaced after the German invasion. Jean worked as a carpenter, and Eléonore as a seamstress. Eléonore knew about the girls' true identities from the beginning, but accepted them in as her assistants anyway. She treated them well, and a strong friendship soon developed between the two families. In February 1943, Simon Holder was arrested. After being maltreated, he somehow managed to get back to Périgueux, but now had to go into hiding. Jean Louis, who was also an active member of the “Armée Secrète” resistant network, brought Simon and Reiza food and other necessities as they remained hidden in their apartment, not daring to step out. In addition, the Louises gave Charlotte and Frédérique a room in their home, and procured false identity papers for them. Louis and Eléonore Louis never asked for any compensation for their acts of rescue, and even paid Charlotte and Frédérique a small income for their work. They nourished and cherished the girls with a great deal of affection. On May 10, 1944, the police came to arrest Jean. He was accused of being a “friend of Jews, protecting them [and being] anti-German, pro-British, a dangerous demagogue,” and sent to a labor camp in Germany. Fortunately, he came back after the war and both families returned to live in Strasbourg. Contact between rescuers and survivorsremained strong until Jean and Eléonore passed away. On June 14, 2010, Yad Vashem recognized Jean and Eléonore Louis as Righteous Among the Nations.