A World War II hidden child shares their story

Eighty-five year old Regina Sluszny is a Holocaust survivor. On Saturday 25 January, two days before the date that marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, she will be at the House of European History in Brussels to share her story.

Regina Sluszny is a WWII ‘hidden child’ who managed to avoid persecution in German-occupied Belgium. In 1991, with the founding of the First International Gathering of Children Hidden During World War II (New York, United States), the forgotten children of the time attained a voice and a face, and a public forum that allowed the traumas to begin to be processed. Since then, Regina continues to testify about the Holocaust and children who went into hiding. She warns against intolerance, discrimination, racism and antisemitism.

The event, part of the series “Through the lens of”, will take place in French and Dutch on the museum’s 6th floor. Regina Sluszny will share her story for 45 minutes, illustrated by a selection of images, followed by a 30 minute Q&A.

• Registration is required.
• 14h00 - Dutch - register
• 16h00 - French - register
• Entrance to the museum and participation in the event are free of charge
• Suitable for adults and young people as from 12 
• This event will take place on the 6th floor 
• A book of Regina and her husband’s life story will be available for purchase in the museum shop.

About Regina Sluszny

Regina Sluszny was born in 1939. Her parents came to Belgium from Poland in the early 1930s, where they had worked on market stalls. During the German occupation of Belgium, Regina went into hiding with her parents and her brothers. When the whereabouts were betrayed, the family had to flee. However, Regina stayed with neighbours Charel and Anna, where she was safe. Meanwhile, other family members stayed at 15 different hiding addresses, but they survived the war. 

Regina later married Georges Suchowolski, who lost much of his family in the Holocaust and in war violence. Together they had two children. She has had an active career ranging from working in the diamond industry and starting the first kosher Chinese restaurant in Antwerp. 

Over the years, her commitment to testifying about the Holocaust and about children in hiding grew. She brings her story to schools and associations, as well as at official ceremonies. Regina is vice-president of the non-profit organisation “The Child in Hiding” and president of the Forum of Jewish Organisations. In 2022, she was appointed ‘Baroness’ by King Phillippe of Belgium.