Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

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Michael Opas - [n.d.]

An interview with Michael Opas, a Holocaust survivor, conducted by Paul H. Draznan. Michael Opas was born in Łódź, Poland in 1910. In his youth, he learned the furrier trade but as an adult he operated his own shoe business. At the start of World War II, Michael, his wife and young son fled to Warsaw where they were imprisoned in the Warsaw ghetto. Michael was sent to Majdanek then to Budzyn, a forced labor camp that repaired airplanes. From there he was sent to various camps like Ostrowiec and Auschwitz-Birkenau before finally being sent to Buchenwald, where he was liberated by the American Army. At liberation Michael was grossly underweight and had to recuperate for two months in a makeshift hospital in Buchenwald until he regained some weight and his health. After that he spent time in the Landsberg DP camp and then moved to the Stuttgart DP camp where he re-married and started a family. Michael, his new wife and one-year-old daughter moved to Detroit in 1949.

1. Introduction
2. Family Life
3. Education
4. Learning to be a Furrier
5. Religion
6. Jewish Community in Łódź
7. Start of War
8. Life in Warsaw Ghetto
9. Work and Religion in the Ghetto
10. Warsaw Judenrat
11. Forced Labor at Budzyn
12. Description of Camp Hospitals and Food
13. Conditions in Camp
14. Daily Routine at Camp
15. Forced Labor at Ostrowiec
16. Arriving in Auschwitz
17. Life in Auschwitz
18. Being Ill
19. Being Transported to Buchenwald
20. Arrival at Buchenwald
21. Work in Buchenwald
22. Resistance in Buchenwald
23. Punishments in Camp
24. Religion in Buchenwald
25. Differences between the Wehrmacht and the SS
26. Civilian Involvement in Camps
27. Finding Brother in Auschwitz
28. State of Health
29. Liberation from Buchenwald
30. Liberation from Buchenwald II
31. Help from Americans
32. Recuperation
33. Dealing with New Appearance
34. Leaving Buchenwald
35. Transport to Landsberg DP Camp
36. Hearing Sister is Alive
37. Going Back to Poland
38. Finding Sister
39. Life of Sister After the War
40. Going Back to Germany
41. Life in Stuttgart
42. Decision to Move to the United States
43. Traveling to United States
44. Arriving in Detroit
45. Assistance from Traveler's Aid
46. Detroit Jewish Family Services
47. Staying in a Shelter House
48. Finding a Place to Live
49. Learning English
50. Finding a Job
51. Opening a Business
52. Finding a job at General Motors
53. Health Problems from Camp Life
54. Going to Israel for Sister's Funeral
55. Difficulty Sharing Experience with Relatives
56. Sharing Story with Strangers
57. Sharing Story with Daughter
58. Reflection on Experience
59. Conclusion