Henrike Auerbach

Elissa tells the story of her grandma Henrike Auerbach also known as Henny. Henny was born in Vienna in 1920 to Berta and Pinkas Auerbach. She lived an ordinary life until she was 17 when Hitler took over Austria and anti-Jewish laws were immediately imposed. Using the video testimony that …

Bobby Neumann

Sam Neumann shares the story of his mother, Bobby. Bobby was born in 1929 in a small mountain town called Svalyava in Hungary. The family lived a full Jewish life, observing the Sabbath and Jewish festivals. Even before the start of World War 2 in 1939, Hungary was increasingly implementing …

Helen Lewis MBE

Dan Lewis shares the story of his grandmother, Helen Lewis MBE.   Helen was born in 1916 in Trutnov, which is in the present day Czech Republic. She was born into a Jewish family that was well integrated and heavily involved in Trutnov life.   By the time the Nazis …

Ziggy Landschaft

Leah Burman tells the story her father, of Ziggy Landschaft. Ziggy was born in 1925 in Chorzow, Poland. Chorzow is about an hour’s drive away from Cracow and near the border with Germany. Ziggy had a younger brother, Mayer, and parents, Chaim and Liba. They lived a traditional orthodox Jewish …

Ilse Beres

Martin Hyman tells the story of his mother Ilse Beres. Ilse was born in 1924 in Vienna, where she lived until 1938. llse was the only daughter of Rosa and Max Beres. This story starts much earlier, in 1897 when Rosa and Max, as Jews, fled their home in Ukraine …

Chaim Ferster BEM

Stuart Ferster shares the story of his father, Chaim Ferster. Chaim was born 1922 into a large, orthodox Jewish family and raised in the Polish town of Sosnowiec. He was 17 in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland, starting World War II. At the suggestion of a relative, he learnt to …

Martin Wertheim

Hannah Goldstone tells the story of her grandfather, Martin. Martin and Ernst Wertheim were brothers and the sons of Erich Wertheim and Margarete (nee Schwabe) Wertheim. They were raised in Brackel, Germany where their family had a corn farm and factory. Martin came to the UK on the Kindertransport in …

Fanny Höchstetter

Ernie Hunter tells the story of his mother, Fanny Höchstetter. Fanny was born in September 1902. The story and experience focuses on the ramping up of anti-Jewish actions and legislation from 1933 onwards. Ernie describes how long-standing, friendly, Christian – Jewish relationships in the small market town of Laupheim, Germany …