Louise Béatrice Reinach (9 July 1894–1945) was a French

socialite A socialite is a person, typically a woman from a wealthy or aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having ...

and a

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

victim.

Biography

Born into the wealthy

Camondo family The Camondo family was a prominent Judaism, Jewish family of financiers and philanthropists who were active in Europe and the Ottoman Empire. History The Camondo family was once part of the Sephardi Jews, Sephardic community in Spain, but the f ...

in the

16th arrondissement of Paris The 16th arrondissement of Paris (; ) is the westernmost of the 20 arrondissements of Paris, the capital city of France. Located on the city's Right Bank, it is adjacent to the 17th and 8th arrondissements to the northeast, as well as to the ...

, she was the daughter of Count

Moïse de Camondo Count Moïse de Camondo (15 March 1860 – 14 November 1935) was an Ottoman Empire-born French banker and art collector. He was a member of the prominent Camondo family. Biography As a child, Camondo moved with his family from their home in Con ...

and Irène Cahen d'Anvers, both of whom were from prominent

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

banking families. One of two children, her older brother Nissim served as a fighter pilot during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and was killed in action in 1917. In 1918, Béatrice de Camondo married composer Léon Reinach (1893–1943), the son of

Théodore Reinach Théodore Reinach (3 July 186028 October 1928) was a French archaeologist, mathematician, lawyer, papyrologist, philologist, epigrapher, historian, numismatist, musicologist, professor, and politician. Academic career Educated at the Lycée Co ...

. They had two children: # Fanny (born 26 July 1920 in Paris, murdered in 1943 at

Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...

) # Bertrand (born 1 July 1923 in Paris, murdered in 1943 at Auschwitz) On her father's death in 1935, Béatrice inherited a large fortune. Her father bequeathed his Parisian home, including its contents and a major collection of art, to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs to be used to create the

Musée Nissim de Camondo The Musée Nissim de Camondo is a historic house museum of French decorative arts located in the Hôtel particulier, Hôtel Moïse de Camondo at 63, rue de Monceau, on the edge of Parc Monceau in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. The neare ...

in his son's honor. She was a member of the Automobile Club féminin de France. A convert to Catholicism, Béatrice felt safe in Paris after the Nazi occupation. Divorced from her Jewish husband Léon Reinach, she believed that her wealth and the influential people she rode horses with in the

Parc Monceau Parc Monceau (; English: Monceau Park) is a public park situated in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, at the junction of the Boulevard de Courcelles, Rue de Prony and Rue Georges Berger. At the main entrance is a rotunda. The park covers ...

would shield her from being taken. In the Musée Nissim de Camondo, on the top floor, there is a letter from her ex-husband telling Béatrice to leave Paris with their son and daughter. However, she disregarded his advice. In 1943, under the

German occupation of France The Military Administration in France (; ) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and western France. This so-called ' was established in June 19 ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Béatrice, her ex-husband and their two children were forcibly removed from Paris and taken to the

Drancy deportation camp Drancy internment camp () was an assembly and detention camp for confining Jews who were later deported to the extermination camps during the German occupation of France during World War II. Originally conceived and built as a modernist urban co ...

north of the city. From there, they were subsequently deported to

Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...

, where they all were murdered. Her Aunt, Elisabeth Cahen d'Anvers (1874–1944), who had also divorced and converted to Catholicism was also imprisoned at

and died at KZ Auschwitz.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reinach, Beatrice 1894 births 1945 deaths Beatrice Socialites from Paris French people who died in Auschwitz concentration camp French civilians killed in World War II Converts to Roman Catholicism from Judaism French Roman Catholics Drancy internment camp prisoners French Jews who died in the Holocaust