Date of Birth: 1929 Hella Wartski and her family were arrested by the Hungarian and German soldiers in April of 1944 in her hometown of Uzshorod, Hungary. They were then sent on a terrifying transport to Auschwitz. She describes the dehumanizing process of "being forced into dark boxcars that were locked and overcrowded, without food, without … [Read more...] about Hella Wartski
Heinz Wartski
Date of Birth: 1929 Heinz Wartski grew up in Danzig with his parents and two siblings. In the 1930's, the Nazis gained control of the Danzig government and systematically targeted the Jewish people. "We were a minority in every nation in which we lived, and we were therefore easy targets for any government in need of scapegoats." In 1938, … [Read more...] about Heinz Wartski
Gerda Friedman
Gerda Friedman was born in Muenster, Germany in 1914 to the Waideck family. Her father, a World War I veteran, was a prosperous businessman and patriotic German. Prior to Hitler's rise to power, she experienced no anti-Semitism in her community. In 1933, Hitler set laws that segregated Jews from the rest of the community. Gerda was not allowed … [Read more...] about Gerda Friedman
Fred Flatau
Fred Flatau was born in Berlin in 1931 to an affluent Jewish family. His family was very assimilated and not religious. His father was an entertainment lawyer who fought for Germany in World War I. During Kristallnacht in November of 1938, the Nazis took Fred's father to a concentration camp called Sachsenhausen. Fred's mother used bribery to … [Read more...] about Fred Flatau
Fani Weingarten
Fani was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia. She was the only child of David and Rachel Davidowitz. In 1943, Fani’s family was moved to the ghetto in Brno. She was there for 2 ½ months before her family’s deportation to Auschwitz. Fani’s grandfather told her when they were being transported there that she had to tell the officers that she was 18 years … [Read more...] about Fani Weingarten
Erna Rosner
Erna Rosner was born in 1935 into a conservative Jewish family in Krakow, Poland as Erna Zuckerman. In 1939 the Germans occupied Krakow. Almost immediately, the persecution of the Jews began. For the first time in her life, Erna felt fear. In 1941 the Germans forced Erna’s family and all Jews to move to the ghetto. During her time there, Erna met … [Read more...] about Erna Rosner
Eric Pachner
Eric Pachner was born in 1928 in Vienna, Austria. His, mother Elsa, and father, Robert both lacked a high school education, but they had a comfortable, middle class life. His family was not very religious, and they only attended their Synagogue on high holidays. Eric received his Jewish education from public school. While he enjoyed playing … [Read more...] about Eric Pachner
Elena Rosner
Elena was born in Pisa, Italy in 1924. Elena was from a Jewish family. She had two sisters and a brother. After attending public school in Pisa, Elena and her family moved to Rome when she was 14 years old where she finished her education at home and then went to sewing school. In Rome, she and her sister went on to work at women’s clothing … [Read more...] about Elena Rosner
Dora Priever
Date of Birth: May 12, 1903 Dora Priever resided with her husband Schama, and their two children in Paris, France. As a busy homemaker, Dora worked hard to create a wonderful home life for her family. She kept the house very clean and was a wonderful cook. "She would make the most fantastic dinners," her daughter Rosette recalls, "she had … [Read more...] about Dora Priever
Chrisopher Ballaban
Christopher Marian Ballaban was born in Boryslaw, Poland. Born Marian, he took the name Christopher upon his baptism at the age of 16. Chris grew up in a loving family. His father was very patriotic, and Chris adopted his father’s love of Poland. In October 1939, Chris joined the Polish Resistance. He delivered documents for the Resistance. In … [Read more...] about Chrisopher Ballaban