Strangled Cries: Life & Poetry of Julius Balbin, Holocaust survivor & Esperantist

Strangled Cries: A profile of poet Julius Balbin by Alexander Kharkovsky

This is an interview with Holocaust survivor, Esperantist, and poet Julius Balbin, with samples of his poetry, which he wrote in both English and Esperanto, largely about his experiences in Nazi concentration camps.

I met Balbin at least once, I think it was at an Esperanto meeting in New York City in 1987. I had been forwarned that he was moody, but in fact on this occasion he was quite jovial. At this meeting he recited from some sketch he had written about Esperanto grammar and was quite humorous.

Balbin was invited to participate in a symposium on Esperanto and the Holocaust on December 5, 1995 at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, organized by the Esperanto Society of Washington, but it turned out that he was unable to make it.

References:

Julius Balbin - Vikipedio

Julius Balbin (OLE)

Holokaŭsto Neforgesebla (recenzo de Inter Vivo kaj Morto) de Boris Kolker

The Bitch of Buchenwald by Julius Balbin, English translation by Charlz Rizzuto, reviewed by Don Harlow

ESP 1001: Ni Kantu En Esperanto (Jazz Loft Project Blog)

About ESW and the Holocaust Museum by Timothy James Ryan

Vi parolas Esperanton? (Do you speak Esperanto?) by Beth Burwinkel

La Granda Muro de Julius Balbin

Revido de Julius Balbin

Du poemoj: "La masakro" & "Kie vi estis?" de Julius Balbin

Boule-de-Suif de Julius Balbin

Lament for the Gypsies by Julius Balbin, translated from the Esperanto by Charlz Rizzuto (in Blood to Remember: American Poets on the Holocaust)

Genius / Geniulo by Donald Lev, translated by Julius Balbin

The Secret Malady of Esperanto Poetry (1973) by Dr. Julius Balbin