Alexander Karp - June 22, 1983
Life After the War
Can you tell me about the reunion with your father?
I remember the, the exact happening. And it's--it was in the town where we, where we lived--mainly that Baktalórántháza. Tell you it's--I, I do remember it. I was walking on the street and he was coming from the station and we met on the street and, and he just hollered out, because by that time he knew that my mother was lost--didn't come back and my sister didn't come back. And he just, he just hollered out that they murdered my family. You know, it, it was quite, quite emotional.
Did you expect to see him that day?
Uh, I knew that he was coming back because when they were coming back they had to go to the place where they originally left. And by that time I did have word that he would be coming back.
What, what were you plans then at that point now?
Just to pick the pieces up and make uh, make a new life as much--as well as you can.
You stayed in Budapest until '49?
No, no.
No?
No. We went to Mátészalka.
And how did you make a life for yourself there?
I was with my, with my uncle together and uh, we were both single and uh, we picked up the pieces, as I said, and uh, made a business for ourselves until '49, until the Communists took over. At that time he went to Israel, and I went to Austria a few weeks later--not a few weeks. He left in December of 1948. I left in May of 1949 and I was in Austria until May of 1950.
What were your feelings at that point about separating from your uncle?
It was quite hard. I, I must tell you because uh, even though time-wise I didn't spend that much with him, but he sort of had a obligation, I believe, towards me due to the fact that I was younger--quite a bit younger than he was at the time. And I believe that he told me, that my mother told him--she says, "Take care of my son."
How long did you stay then until--in Austria? Until 1950?
Nineteen-fifty.
© Board of Regents University of Michigan-Dearborn