Return to flip book view

Message “…I hope my children…will not forget where they came from. I want to leave this legacy to them. I want them to learn from our past.” Renée FirestoneFrom her Testimony - October 1994

Steven, The testimonies in the Visual History Archive inspire us and millions of people around the world. The 770,000 images in the Archive and the history they convey are part of the incredible legacy you have made possible at USC Shoah Foundation. On your birthday, we wanted to share a gift of discovery, a small collection of those images that celebrate the unique diversity that the survivors represent. From the survivors and staff, and from the bottom of our hearts, Happy Birthday! December 18, 20222

Holocaust survivor Ed Mosberg used this camera to photograph the trial of Nazi war criminal Amon Goeth. 3

Star of David made by the mother of Holocaust survivor Michael Cernea. 4

Annual Christmas card from Queen Elizabeth to Holocaust survivor Tessa Seiden. 5

Painting by Holocaust survivor Jack Wengrow that took 5 years to finish,depicts over 6,000 figures and faces representing the Holocaust experience. 6

In her testimony, Maria Altmann shares the portrait of her aunt Adele Bloch-Bauer by Gustav Klimt. ‘Portrait of Adele’ was the focus of the 2015 feature film Woman in Gold.7

Painting of Birkenau by Roma survivor Karl Stojka.8

13 429

567810

Rohingya survivor Haji Oli Ulla’s family picture. Every year, the Immigration Department of Myanmar rounds up families, puts derogatory labels around their necks, and forces them to pose for a picture. The family has to pay for the picture, refusing results in being beaten and arrested. 11

In his testimony, Robert Waisman shares a photograph of himself speaking with Elie Wiesel and well-known Canadian Holocaust survivor Dr. Robert Krell, whose Dimensions in Testimony interview was added to the Visual History Archive in November 2022.12

9131410-1213

Poster of Armenian Genocide survivor Aurora Mardiganian who wrote a book and made a film about her life. The film raised $30 million and helped 60,000 Armenian orphans.14

888151618191715

2021222324262516

Painting by Holocaust survivor Kalman Aron. “I’ve seen some of the mothers and children during the war in the camps, where they were trying to hold on to their children as long as they could. And they wouldn’t let go, no matter what kind of punishment they had to take.”17

Holocaust survivor Paula Lebovics as a child standing at the barbed wire of Auschwitz at liberation. She discovered the picture hanging on the wall at Yad Vashem and recognized herself.18

272628303233323429353119

36383937404120

Holocaust survivor Stella Sonnenschein’s description of her painting, “This is the exact spot I was in, under the weeping willows, when I found out the war was over. People were dancing and celebrating on this bridge, and I was crying under the tree.”21

4343LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS1 ALICE LOK CAHANA Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Alice explains the meaning behind her artwork. Her paintings are heavily layered to emphasize how people want to cover up and forget about the Holocaust.2 KARLIS RUDEVICH Sinti and Roma Survivor Russian Karlis shows his paintings and talks about the difficult path of the gypsies through the centuries. “I use my art,” he says, “to fight stereotypes and introduce the traditions and aspirations of the Roma people.”3 BARBARA SHILO Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Barbara believes her paintings give dignity to those lost in the war. “You are looking at people who are no longer alive,” she says. “None of them had the ability to say goodbye, nobody had a dignified death. We need to recognize their lives and celebrate the fact that they lived.”4 MALKA PISCHANITSKAYA Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Malka describes her painting, “This is the first village we ended up in when we left Romanov. Images are my mother freed by a policeman, the shed we took shelter in, and me begging for food.”5 PRUDENCIA MACHAN AZURDIA Guatemalan Genocide Survivor Spanish Prudencia holds up a sign of all the missing people from her town.6 MARIE CHANTAL KAYISIRE Tutsi SurvivorKinyarwanda A photo of her eldest brother, Innocent Munyemana when he was a child. As a young man, he was discriminated against because he was very tall. A neighbor who was Interahamwe threatened to cut him in two pieces, which is exactly what they did to him during the genocide.7 SARA SOCHEATA POL-LIM Cambodian Genocide Survivor English This is the refugee number issued to individuals leaving camp Khao-I-Dang to come to America. This photo was taken in 1983.8 HARRY EKIZIAN Armenian Genocide Survivor English Harry was abducted as a child by non-Armenians, placed in an orphanage, and sold as a slave to Arabs before escaping to America in 1920. He joined the U.S. Navy and became the World Heavyweight Champion in wrestling, going by the name Ali Baba. 9 JAMES HANNON WWII Liberator EnglishA photo of the medal known as the Special Breast Order of Yun Hui given to James by the President of the Republic of China for his involvement in the Weihsien Internment Camp rescue. 10 BERTA ARENSTEIN Jewish Holocaust Survivor French Letter sent to her by her husband during his incarceration in Buchenwald. Hitler’s photo stamp, as well as Buchenwald and the date, are visible on the envelope.4222

11 ELLEN BAER Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Ellen’s notice of deportation to Auschwitz. At the time, she was very ill and the Germans were unable to ship her to the concentration camp. 12 GARY KEINS Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Using false papers that identified him as a Polish citizen, Gary was able to avoid the Jewish roundups and deportations. Under this false identity, he was able to remain in Warsaw, Poland for the entire war and become a member of the underground resistance. 13 KURT MESSERSCHMIDT Jewish Holocaust Survivor EnglishThis is the monument erected in memory of the 64 victims that were killed after their liberation on May 3, 1945 in Surberg, Upper Bavaria.14 PAUL PARKS WWII LIBERATOR English Menorah given to Paul from a survivor of the Dachau Concentration Camp as a thank you for saving his life. The menorah was created in the camp and consists of concrete nails and other found metals. 15 VICTOR BORGE Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Danish-American comedian, conductor, and pianist, Victor Borge achieved great popularity in radio and television in North America and Europe. Known for his comedy skit, “Phonetic Punctuation,” where he reads from a book and adds sound effects for most of the main punctuation marks.16 SILVIA GROHS-MARTIN Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Born in Vienna, Austria in 1919, Silvia was an actress, singer, and dancer who performed throughout Europe, eventually landing in Amsterdam at the world-renowned theatre “Hollandsche Schouwburg” (renamed in 1943 as the “Joodsche Schouwburg”).17 HENRY ROSMARIN Jewish Holocaust Survivor English A picture of Henry (age 14) and his brother Max (age 16). Henry is on the left with the harmonica. The photo is taken in 1940, in Czeladz, Poland during the first year they were in the ghetto.18 LOUIS BANNET Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Considered the “Dutch Louis Armstrong,” Louis played music at Birkenau for more than two years. During this period, many of the 1.3 million who walked toward their deaths in the Birkenau gas chambers heard his music on the way.19 PAVEL ANDREICHENKO Sinti and Roma Survivor Russian A photo of Moldovan folk dancers.20 HANA KRASA Jewish Holocaust Survivor English A picture of Hana, her mother (Rosa Fuchsova), and her brother (Jiri Fuchs) taken in Prague in 1927. Rosa and Jiri were sent to Auschwitz and did not survive the war.21 PAUL HADL HEIMLER Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Paul and his twin brother George were placed into the special hospital section in Auschwitz that was run by Josef Mengele. This Nazi criminal—called the Angel of Death—conducted his pseudo-scientific experiments on sets of twins. 22 CELINA BINIAZ Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Celina and her mother in 1933 on a street in Krakow, Poland. 23 ANDRE DUBROWIN Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Andre and his father Chaca Tcheban. Both his parents were killed during the war. As a child, he was sent to a convent and survived by concealing his Jewish identity.23

24 JUDITH BERG Jewish Holocaust Survivor Norwegian A photo of Judith (age 4) taken at ballet school in Debrecen, Hungary.25 HESSY TAFT Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Baby picture taken when she was 6 months old, published on the cover of a Nazi magazine dated January 24, 1935. Hessy’s picture was selected by the Nazi Propaganda department to be the “Poster Baby” representing the perfect Aryan baby.26 RENÉE FIRESTONE Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Renée with her daughter Klara (11 months old). The picture shows Renée’s arrival in the U.S.A., October 31, 1948, at LaGuardia Airport, NY. 27 GIUSEPPE CONE Jewish Holocaust Survivor Ladino Prewar photo of Giuseppe who worked as a gymnast at a local circus. He lost his wife and children in the Holocaust.28 FAYE SCHULMAN Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Jewish partisan fighter and photographer Faye Schulman practices with her new automatic rifle.29 ABRAHAM SLUCKI Jewish Holocaust Survivor Yiddish Picture of Abraham baking a cake in Brooklyn, NY for the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy. He worked for the Jewish Bakery Union and the cake was sized to feed 24,000 people. It was delivered to Washington where it was assembled.30 MANELA SIWEK Jewish Holocaust Survivor Portuguese and Spanish Photo taken in 1916, in Lask, Poland, then Russia, of the Jewish population gathering in the town square. In the forefront, a large group of children pose.31 RENEE SCOTT Rescuer and Aid Provider (Holocaust) English Renee’s best friend, Lillian Freter, was a Lieutenant parachutist for the International Underground. When she landed in Ravensbrück, Germany, she was shot by the Gestapo in the back, but was saved by local farmers. Before she was rescued, she killed the German who injured her.32 RANDOLPH BRAHAM Jewish Holocaust Survivor English Forced labor of Jewish males clearing roads, trenches, parks, and drainage in Dej, Romania.33 ROSE BORENSTEIN Holocaust Genocide Survivor English Photo of her brother, Moshe Malcmacher, during the war wearing the Star of David on his sleeve that Rose sewed. She sewed the Star of David on the clothing of her whole family and for neighbors. It was mandatory for Jews to wear the Star of David when out and about. They could and would be shot if caught not wearing this Jewish symbol.34 SIGI HART Jewish Holocaust SurvivorEnglish A photo of Sigi wearing the uniform he was forced to wear in the concentration camps in France, 1945.35 MARIA SOLCKA Jewish Holocaust SurvivorPortuguese Photo of Telephone Central Operation in the Łódź Ghetto, Poland, where Maria was assigned to work. She is the operator on the right in the photo.36 DARIO GABBAI Jewish Holocaust SurvivorEnglish Holocaust survivor Dario Gabbai views a stone monument at Treblinka Concentration Camp that says in multiple languages, “Never Again.”37 EDA KOPEC Jewish Holocaust SurvivorSpanish Great Synagogue in Kowel (Wolyn, Poland); it also became the Deportation Center site for the Jewish population during the Holocaust. 24

442 JOHN HAENOSH Jewish Holocaust SurvivorEnglish Painting of John Haenosh’s cousin Gertie. The painting survived the occupation, German confiscation, and a fire that destroyed an entire museum. Gertie died in Auschwitz. 3 PEARL AMSEL Jewish Holocaust SurvivorEnglish Sculpture by Pearl Amsel titled, “Parting,” depicts the forceful parting of a man and woman in Auschwitz.4 JOSEPH STEINER Jewish Holocaust SurvivorEnglish Sculpture by Joseph Steiner titled, “Remember the Holocaust.” Six human beings and a baby, each person represents 1 million victims. They are standing on top of the world, while the world looks the other way. The world sits on top of a chimney.5 AZRIEL AWRET Jewish Holocaust SurvivorEnglish Sculpture by Azriel Awret depicts the concept of protecting people without protection, inspired by a legend about a Rabbi who extended his coat over all the Jews in town and protected all of them.6 SARA ALDOUBY Jewish Holocaust SurvivorEnglish Holocaust survivor Sara Aldouby’s sculpture/monument in Budapest in memory of the victims of the town Hajdúnánás, Hungary, northeast of Budapest.38 HERMAN COHN Jewish Holocaust SurvivorEnglish A synagogue the night after Kristallnacht in 1938, Essen (Rhineland, Prussia, Germany). The building is Byzantine style and is currently a museum.39 ANNA HEILMAN Jewish Holocaust SurvivorEnglish A plaque honoring four women resistance fighters who smuggled materials for the resistance at Auschwitz and were publicly hanged.40 AGNES HOCHMANN Jewish Holocaust SurvivorFrench Photo of the entry gate to the Mukacevo Ghetto, Czechoslovakia, in 1944.41 ISABELLA MICHAELLI Jewish Holocaust SurvivorYiddishMordechai Anielewicz Monument in the former Warsaw Ghetto being shown by Isabella to the wife of the Mayor of Warsaw. 42 SIDONIA LAX Jewish Holocaust SurvivorEnglish Multiple generations of Sidonia’s family celebrate Hanukkah. Sidonia says, “Due to my young age during the Holocaust period, I was able to survive, look forward, build a nice family, and be completely normal.”43 LOLA BLADY Jewish Holocaust SurvivorEnglish Holocaust survivor Lola Blady is interviewed while film character “ET” looks on. LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS ON BACK COVER1 ZSUZSANNA KOPSTEIN Jewish Holocaust SurvivorEnglish Taken in Budapest, the photo is of a 1928 Harley Davidson, owned by Zsuzsanna’s family. They repaired veterans’ motorcycles and this is how they advertised it in the papers. 4325