Moments before she was gassed to death by the Nazis in July 1944, Vilma Grunwald gave a guard a letter for her husband and family who were also in the largest Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz. The guard passed it on to her husband Kurt, but for decades the couple's youngest son, Frank, was unable to read the handwritten note. Here, 75 years after the death camp was liberated, he tells Sky News how it felt to read the letter which is now on display to visitors at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: My father, mother and older brother and I were sent to Auschwitz in December 1943. A transport of around 5,000 inmates had arrived at the camp in September before us and we were part of the second batch of 5,000. We had no idea why we were there. We were kept in a Czech family camp which was a ploy by the Nazis to show the International Red Cross that Czech Jews were being well looked after. At the time, we had no idea why the family camp was even established because most of the time, when children arrived at the Auschwitz railway station, they were almost immediately killed in the gas chambers. The International Red Cross never inspected Auschwitz so the Nazis gassed and killed most of the September transport. This was in the March and April of 1944. Then a few months later, they decided to make a selection from the second group which my family and I were in. We all lined up in front of notorious SS doctor Josef Mengele, nicknamed the Angel of Death, who selected who would live or die. My brother John, who was four years older than me, was handicapped and he was chosen to die. And, because I was less than 12 years old, I was also put on death row. We were both standing in the line when one of the prisoners I had been working for as a messenger came over and quickly moved me into a group of older children. He had saved my life. But when my mother found out that John, who was 16, was going to be gassed, she decided to stay with him. She could not bear the idea of him going into the gas chamber by himself. About five days after the selection, she wrote a letter to my father, who had been moved to a medical camp because he was a physician. She gave it to a guard and - despite the massive size of Auschwitz - he delivered it to my father. There were between 30,000 and 40,000 guards in the camp and many of them were not SS. Some of them were older military people in their 50s and 60s who had not been brainwashed by the Nazi regime.
The Red Cross failed in 1943. Why are we surprised they failed the Jewish people again? How many others have they failed?
The story of Vilma Grunwald's letter is a heart-wrenching reminder of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. The fact that she wrote a letter to her husband and family, knowing she would soon be gassed to death, is a testament to her love and resilience. Frank Grunwald's account of reading the letter 75 years after the liberation of Auschwitz is a powerful reminder of the importance of preserving history and remembering the victims of the Holocaust. It's disturbing to think that despite the overwhelming evidence of the Holocaust, there are still those who deny its occurrence or downplay its significance. The infiltration of hate groups and the spread of misinformation are serious concerns that require our attention and action. We must continue to educate ourselves and others about the dangers of hate and intolerance. We must also support institutions like the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which work tirelessly to preserve the history of the Holocaust and promote tolerance and understanding. Let us stand together against hate and intolerance, and ensure that the memories of Vilma Grunwald and the millions of others who perished during the Holocaust are never forgotten
How? How can anybody today refuse to believe; that the Holocaust was fabricated? Why? Why did we let these haters infiltrate our country? Are we going to stand by and watch evil prevail again?
As an intern at the Jewish Hospital of Philadelphia in the 1980’s, I had the privilege of carrying for many holocaust survivors. To a man and woman, they did not want to talk about the horrific experience of the concentration camps. What allowed this goy to connect with these amazing people was my interest in hearing about life BEFORE the war - thus bringing those long-deceased family members back to life. From here, we strengthened our relationship by their sharing life experiences AFTER the war. My eyes moisten even now at their memory.
Here is the translated text of her letter. Heartbreaking: Dr. Grunwald F Lager Tuesday, 11.7.1944 You, my one and only, my dearest. We are locked in in our block, waiting for the dark. Margetha Braun and I went to Willy's, who did not leave us with a moment of doubt. With Jenda we at first thought of hiding, which we did, but then we dropped the idea on the assumption it would be hopeless. The infamous trucks have arrived and we are waiting for it to begin. I took five bromides, after this exhausting and unnerving day I am somewhat dazed but completely calm. My dear Jenda is also admirable. You, my one and only, my dearest, do not blame yourself in the least; it was our fate. We did what we could do. Remain in good health and remember my words that time heals everything—if not completely, then at least in some measure. Take care of that little golden boy—and don’t spoil him with all your love. May you both remain in very good health, my two dear golden ones. I will be thinking about little Walter—do you remember how I once said his passing would ease our way? And then, I will be thinking only of you and Míša. Live well; we have to get on board. Into eternity, Your Vilma
Thank you for sharing that story.
Where is the letter presented?
Am I the only one who thinks that it is not a positive thing to say that ’I was not a convinced Nazi but I chose to work as a guard in Auschwitz anyway’?
>>>We were kept in a Czech family camp which was a ploy by the Nazis to show the International Red Cross that Czech Jews were being well looked after. The "Czech family camp" was probably Theresienstadt, originally named Terezin in the original Czech language. See the following: https://www.yadvashem.org/holocaust/about/ghettos/theresienstadt.html "In 1941 the Nazis established a ghetto in Theresienstadt (Terezin), a garrison town in Northwestern Czechoslovakia, where they interned the Jews of Bohemia and Moravia, elderly Jews and persons of “special merit” in the Reich, and several thousand Jews from the Netherlands and Denmark. Although in practice the ghetto, run by the SS, served as a transit camp for Jews en route to extermination camps, it was also presented as a “model Jewish settlement” for propaganda purposes."
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2dHistory hurts. God, history awaits, why? Evil is growing again. From Africa to China history is repeating. Let it not be repetitive.