'I am one of few Jewish survivors of World War Two but one of many Jewish people to fight the
Nazi regime. My story illustrates what happened to thousands of Jews and non-Jews alike. I have
recorded the small details that made up our lives the sheer luck that saved some of us and the
atrocities that led to the deaths of so many as a tribute to all those who suffered and
died...' _______________ Selma van de Perre was seventeen when World War Two began. Until
then being Jewish in the Netherlands had been of no consequence. But by 1941 this simple fact
had become a matter of life or death. Several times Selma avoided being rounded up by the
Nazis. Then in an act of defiance she joined the Resistance movement using the pseudonym
Margareta van der Kuit. For two years 'Marga' risked it all. Using a fake ID and passing as
Aryan she travelled around the country delivering newsletters sharing information keeping up
morale - doing as she later explained what 'had to be done'. In July 1944 her luck ran out.
She was transported to Ravensbrück the women's concentration camp as a political prisoner.
Unlike her parents and sister - who she would later discover died in other camps - she
survived by using her alias pretending to be someone else. It was only after the war ended
that she was allowed to reclaim her identity and dared to say once again: My name is Selma.
Now at ninety-nine Selma remains a force of nature. Full of hope and courage this is her
story in her own words.
