Behind the Scenes: Last Man Standing

A Canadian veteran and his wife stand in the former Westerbork transit camp in the Netherlands, on the tracks that led from there to the concentration and extermination camps of Auschwitz, Sobibor, Bergen-Belsen and Theresienstadt. Today the ending pieces of the rails are loosened from the sleepers and twisted up to symbolize the liberation of the prisoners. Also the veteran had been there in 1945 when Jewish prisoners – who like those before them were due to be deported – were liberated. He had returned to Westerbork on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands by the Allies.

It was a touching occasion, not only for the veteran, but also for Jocelyn Auger, who, together with a Canadian delegation, had come to Europe to take part in memorial events over a number of days. “I play saxophone in a military band and use my Leica to capture special moments. The band had just musically underscored the closing of a moving ceremony in the former transit camp at Westerbork. I knew that I wanted to take a long-time exposure in the Netherlands whilst I was there. That day I had my filters and tripod with me, because I felt like there was something special in the air. When the ceremony was over, I hurried as quickly as I could to the bus, exchanging my saxophone for my camera and tripod, so I would be able to get the picture. I only had five minutes and I used the last two for this long-time exposure. The first attempt didn’t work, because I had chosen too short an exposure; but then I got the right moment.”

In one picture, Auger’s Last Man Standing captures 70 years of memories of a dark period that still impacts all those who lived through it and are still alive today. The photo is a touching contemporary document, that provokes memories in the mind of the viewer, creating a thoughtful mood and reflecting gratitude for the end of the war.