Sabine Zlatin died on September 21, 1996, in Paris, at the age of 89, remembered as 'the Lady of Izieu.'
Sabine Zlatin died on September 21, 1996, in Paris at the age of 89. Her death marked the passing of one of the last direct witnesses and rescuers connected to the Izieu children's home tragedy, one of the most documented atrocities against Jewish children during the Holocaust in France.
In the decades following World War II, Zlatin had dedicated her life to honoring the memory of the 44 children and their caretakers deported and murdered following the April 1944 Gestapo raid. She testified at the historic 1987 trial of Klaus Barbie, provided crucial documentation and advocacy that helped establish the Izieu memorial museum in 1994, and worked tirelessly to keep the memory of the children alive through public speaking, education, and preservation efforts.
Her death was widely covered in the French press, including a notable obituary in Le Monde titled "Sabine Zlatin, la dame d'Izieu," cementing her enduring legacy under that title. She was buried with honors reflecting her status as a heroine of the French Resistance and a guardian of Holocaust memory.
Zlatin's legacy continues through the Maison d'Izieu memorial, which remains an active site of education and remembrance, ensuring that her mission — to prevent the erasure of the victims' identities and the lessons of the Holocaust — persists for future generations.