Albert Fein - February 19, 2005
Life in Kolomyia
Tell me about Kolomyia. What, what happened when you got there?
In Kolomyia, we was--we came there, next day my mom went--we have to stay someplace so they give us in a dormitory. There was a gymnasium and they had their own dormitory, so they, they sent--write a letter, to give us a room to, to stay.
And now you have papers from--you have...
We had only this one piece of paper. This was a piece of paper like this, all our names on it and a stamp--a German stamp and a Hungarian stamp. That's all was...
And was it your real names?
Not the real name.
So...
The name that we have--"Fein," is a Jewish name. So my mom says we have to do it more, more, Polish or Ukrainish or whatever--put in a "vich." So, she said, "Fayovich. It will be very good." And that's what--on what we stay over, over the whole war...
And...
...world war.
...and your first name...
Yeah.
Your first name was the same?
Yeah.
Your father's name? It must have changed your father's name.
No, you see, Fein was disposed. My father was Shmuel, Solomon. He got Basil.
Basil.
Basil. Albert is, is a uh, non-Jewish name. Avrum Ber. My name was Avrum Ber. Avrum and Ber--Albert. You know, my mom, she was, she a smart woman--a very smart person.
Very fast, too. She thought, she thought on her feet.
Yes, yes.
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