Kammala jumla mai zuwa: An haifi Lanzmann a ranar 27 ga Nuwamba 1925 a Paris, Faransa, ɗan Paulette () da Armand Lanzmann. Iyalinsa yahudawa ne, kuma sun yi ƙaura zuwa Faransa daga Gabashin Turai. Shi ɗan'uwan marubucin Jacques Lanzmann ne. Lanzmann ya halarci makarantar a Clermont-Ferrand. Yayin da danginsa suka ɓoye asalinsu kuma suka ɓoye a lokacin Yaƙin Duniya na II, ya shiga ƙungiyar adawa ta Faransa yana ɗan shekara 17, tare da mahaifinsa da ɗan'uwansa, kuma suka yi yaƙi a Auvergne. Lanzmann ya yi tsayayya da
Faransa ya yi yaƙi a Algeria kuma ya sanya hannu kan takardar neman takaddama ta 1960 Manifesto na 121.