Joseph Klaiman - May 4, 1982
Contents
Joseph Klaiman was born May 20, 1925 in Łódź, Poland. A month after the Germans invaded Poland, Joseph and his father escaped to Russia but returned to Łódź to bring his mother and two brothers back with them. Before they could escape, they were moved into the Łódź ghetto where both his parents died. In the ghetto, Joseph worked in a factory. In 1941, the Gestapo took away his two brothers and Joseph was transported to Auschwitz. From Auschwitz he was sent to several camps including Gleiwitz I, Buchenwald, Holzen and Blechammer. Just before the war ended, Joseph escaped from a train transport and hid alone in the forest for eight days he was liberated by British soldiers. Joseph stayed in the Buchenwald DP camp where he met his future wife and moved to Detroit in 1949.
- Introduction
- The Start of the War
- Conditions in the Łódź ghetto
- Being Transported to Auschwitz
- A Day in the Ghetto
- Politics and Religion at Home
- Jewish Police
- A Day in the Ghetto II
- Experiences during Holocaust
- Running Away
- Life After Liberation
- Meeting Wife and Starting Family
- Life in Detroit
- Surviving in the Forest
- Physical and Mental Health
- Sharing Experiences
- Missing Family
- Underground Activity
- Reasons for Survival
- Views on Religion
- Attitude Towards Poles
- Attitudes Toward Poles II
- Religion Before the War
- Holidays in Concentrations Camps
- Remembering the Other Jews in Camp
- Conditions in the Camps
- Conditions on Death March
- Childhood Memories
- Returning to Poland
- Israel
- Conclusion
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