Esther Praw - May 22, 1983
Contents
Esther Praw was born in Opatów, Poland. After a period of time, she and friends fled Opatów for Starachowice, assuming it was their only hope for survival. She worked in an ammunition factory in Starachowice before being transported to Auschwitz, and later, Bergen-Belsen before finally being liberated by English troops. Praw married her first husband in Germany in 1946. The couple moved to the United States in 1947, living in New York before settling in the Detroit. Praw had two daughters before her husband died. At the time of the interview, she was remarried to another survivor.
Link to Portraits of Honor Project
- Introduction
- Life in Opatów Before the War
- Life in Opatów Ghetto
- Fate of Family and Friends
- Life in Starachowice
- Transport to Auschwitz
- Arrival at Auschwitz
- Conditions at Auschwitz
- Arrival at Bergen-Belsen
- Conditions at Bergen-Belsen
- Liberation
- Marriages and Family
- Thoughts on Visiting Opatów and Camps
- Anti-Semitism Before the War
- Remembering Life with Mother and Grandmother
- Becoming Americanized
- Arrival in the U.S.
- Children and Grandchildren
- Talking About Experiences
- Lasting Mental Effects and Anger
- Recollections of Others in Camps
- Conclusion
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