Hollywood star Andrew Garfield sobs at grave of murdered ancestors in heartbreaking Who Do You Think You Are episode
ANDREW Garfield was reduced to tears as he sobbed at the grave of his murdered ancestors in Who Do You Think You Are.
The hit genealogy series has returned to the BBC with a new batch of eager celebrities hoping to learn the truth about their ancestors.
During the episode, Spider-Man star Andrew discovered his Jewish great-grandfather Ludwig Garfinkel had escaped the Holocaust.
However, he then learned that Ludwig’s three sisters did not – and it’s likely they suffered cruel and inhumane deaths.
Andrew, 41, visited the memorial grave site at a former Nazi camp in Treblinka, with headstones marking the towns where victims who died were from.
As he found the grave for Kielce – the small town where his ancestors were from, Andrew became overwhelmed with emotion.
In moving scenes, the actor began to sob as he touched the grave, explaining to viewers: “This is the memorial stone for the Jews from Kielce that met their ultimate fate here in Treblinka.”
He continued: “Which, my great-grandfather’s three sisters, we imagine, had to have been murdered. Szajndla, Dwojra, and Basia.
“That their lives were deemed so valueless and the Nazis attempted to erase even the memory of them. Even their names, even any record of them.
“And they succeeded in a certain way.”
As aerial views showed the vast scale of the site, it was explained to viewers how Nazis had deliberately erased records of every individuals who had come to the camp, as well as the gas chambers.
Before leaving, Andrew said at his ancestors’ memorial: “This journey that we’ve been on has recovered my memory of them and my family’s memory of them. I’m very grateful for that.
“I wish I had known you better. I wish you peace.”
In the same episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, Andrew returned to Los Angeles where he learned his great-uncle had emigrated there from London.
Harry Kupcyks set up a ladies’ tailoring store, which apparently proved very popular with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner are all believed to have been customers.
Who Do You Think You Are? airs Tuesdays at 9pm on BBC One and is available on iPlayer.
BBC's best nature shows
The BBC has a wide range of wildlife shows - and here is a selection of some of the best.
- Springwatch
- Autumnwatch
- Planet Earth
- Animal Park
- The Green Planet
- Dynasties
- Hive Alive