Edmund Zygfryd Trebus (11 November 1918 – 29 September 2002) was a
compulsive hoarder
Compulsive behavior is defined as performing an action persistently and repetitively. Compulsive behaviors could be an attempt to make obsessions go away. The act is usually a small, restricted and repetitive behavior, yet not disturbing in a pa ...
who came to fame when he was featured on the British television documentary series ''
A Life of Grime
''A Life of Grime'' (a play on the expression ''A Life of Crime'') is a BBC reality series following the work of environmental health inspectors. Launched during an explosion of reality television, the idea found something of a cult following. ...
''.
Biography
Edmund Trebus was born in Ostrowo, near Danzig (
Gdańsk
Gdańsk ( , also ; ; csb, Gduńsk;Stefan Ramułt, ''Słownik języka pomorskiego, czyli kaszubskiego'', Kraków 1893, Gdańsk 2003, ISBN 83-87408-64-6. , Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, ''Orbis latinus oder Verzeichniss der lateinischen Benen ...
),
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
(now
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
), on 11 November 1918, the day of the
Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...
.
When
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
invaded Poland in 1939 Trebus was
conscripted
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
into the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
. He was then captured and served with the
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
forces in Italy, in an
anti-tank
Anti-tank warfare originated from the need to develop technology and tactics to destroy tanks during World War I. Since the Triple Entente deployed the first tanks in 1916, the German Empire developed the first anti-tank weapons. The first deve ...
unit of the
II Corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to:
France
* 2nd Army Corps (France)
* II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...
of the Polish armed forces, which was under British command.
After moving to England just after the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Trebus married Jozefa Noga in 1949. They had five children.
Trebus had been a collector all his life and he was often seen pushing a handcart filled with his latest acquisitions, which he carefully sorted into separate piles in his garden and home. One of Trebus's major loves was
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
, and he managed to collect and store away a copy of almost every single Elvis record.
In his eighties, living alone in a run-down house in
Crouch End
Crouch End is an area of North London, approximately from the City of London in the western half of the borough of Haringey. It is within the Hornsey postal district (N8). It has been described by the BBC as one of "a new breed of urban villag ...
in North London, Trebus was constantly in trouble with the
environmental health
Environmental health is the branch of public health concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment affecting human health. In order to effectively control factors that may affect health, the requirements that must be met in ...
department of the
London Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey (pronounced , same as Harringay) is a London borough in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of t ...
because of complaints about the rubbish surrounding his home. He lived in a tiny area on the ground floor of his house, surrounded by piles of rubbish, because he never threw anything away. In the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
documentary series ''
A Life of Grime
''A Life of Grime'' (a play on the expression ''A Life of Crime'') is a BBC reality series following the work of environmental health inspectors. Launched during an explosion of reality television, the idea found something of a cult following. ...
'', Trebus was repeatedly shown arguing with council workers who had been instructed to clear his house of the of rubbish it contained. He was eventually rehoused at the Trentfield Nursing Home in
Southgate
Southgate or South Gate may refer to:
Places Australia
*Southgate, Sylvania
*Southgate Arts and Leisure Precinct, an area within Southbank, Victoria
Canada
*Southgate, Ontario, a township in Grey County
* Southgate, Middlesex County, Ontario
Ed ...
,
where he died at the age of 83. Following his death, the BBC broadcast an hour-long tribute, ''Mr Trebus: A Life of Grime''.
See also
*
Alexander Kennedy Miller
Alexander Kennedy Miller (July 14, 1906 – October 23, 1993),Ancestry.com: State of Vermont Certificate of Death also known as A. K. Miller, was an eccentric recluse who operated Miller's Flying Service in 1930, in Montclair, New Jersey, US. ...
*
Collyer brothers
Homer Lusk Collyer (November 6, 1881March 21, 1947) and Langley Wakeman Collyer (October 3, 1885), known as the Collyer brothers, were two American brothers who became infamous for their bizarre natures and compulsive hoarding. The two lived ...
References
External links
*
''The Independent'' article
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trebus, Edmund
1918 births
2002 deaths
Hoarders
People from Crouch End
Polish emigrants to the United Kingdom
Polish military personnel of World War II
Compulsive hoarding