Anne Hirschle - July 21, 2006
Husband's Story
Yeah, I can imagine.
But um, I don't know if this is of any interest um, my husband, he uh, was actually in a concentration camp and got out very late and uh, his entire family perished.
Do you know which camp he was in? Do you remember?
He was in Buchenwald. And uh, he uh, was picked up Kristallnacht uh, and um, he got out uh, some harrowing details. The, the, the person-the Nazi who was in charge of his case told him, "I'm going on vacation. I'm giving you-I'm letting you out, I'm giving you two weeks. I cannot guarantee that the person who takes my place while I'm on vacation will allow you to stay out um, and I'm not going to change my vacation on account of you..."
Mm-hm.
"...but if you can get out within two weeks, you're going to be okay." And it was a harrowing two weeks and with the help of all kinds of-it would make a James Bond movie. It was all kinds of shenanigans. He, he did get out and he did get to England and from England he had an affi...he waited for his affidavit to come to the States. So, but he, he was-it was so late. It was-he got out in late '38. Yeah, Kristallnacht was '38...
Was '38...
...he got out just after that. He spent, I think, two months in Buchenwald and uh, got out and uh, then went to England, to England, and then by England to the States. And uh, but it was too late uh, in spite of all his efforts while he was in England. Um, he couldn't get-his mother, his grandmother and his two sisters all perished.
Wow.
Yeah.
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