Life during
the Holocaust
Adolf Hitler
Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945
He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party. Hitler became chancellor in 1933 and took the title of Füher un Reichskanzler in 1934
The Holocaust started in 1933 and ended in 1945
Between 1941 and 1945, six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust by the Nazi regime and their allies during the Second World War.
Many victims died in concentration camps, and others perished at the hands of mobile death squads and other ghettos.
Sarah's family was a part of the 6 million.
The Impact
Jews killed by country
Concentration Camp uniforms
Around 90% of Jews during The Holocaust came from Poland. This directly impacted Sarah's family.
Most of Sarah's family were deported and exterminated at Auschwitz. However, there is no record or evidence of whether some of the family remained in Auschwitz or were potentially transported to different camps. Sarah's youngest brother, Aaron was initially deported to Auschwitz but continued to four or five other concentration camps throughout the 5 years of the Holocaust. Sarah never saw seven of her other siblings or parents again.
At age 17, she was sent to work, whereas her family was sent to separate concentration camps.
Auschwitz
The largest of the German Nazi concentration camps. Records state over 1.1 million men, women, and children lost their lives here.
Many of the women who worked in the concentration camps where Sarah went developed arthritis.
Liberation
In 1945 Sarah was liberated from the concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. Sarah was in her early twenties when she was liberated.
of her family members survived
After liberation, Sarah returned to Poland to her home to find any surviving relatives. Here she went to records to find anybody. From the records, she learned no one in her family, except for one brother, survived the concentration camps. When she was walking, she found her brother on the streets during a parade in Poland.
After liberation, Sarah moved to a displacement camp in Austria from 1945-1949. During her time in Austria, she began her new life by getting married in 1945 and had her first daughter in 1946.
Many who were found in the displacement camps chose to go to Israel, New York, or Boston. Sarah initially went to Boston by boat.
Sarah chose to move to the United States after the Holocaust and war were over.