Abraham W. Holocaust testimony
Abstract
Videotape testimony of Abraham W., who was born in Drohobych, Ukraine (then Poland), in 1906. Mr. W. describes the roles of Leon Reich and David Herzog in his admission to university in Graz; his association with Nobel laureate Victor Hess; transfer to Charles University in Prague in 1931 due to antisemitism; becoming a pharmacist in Rava-Ru?ska in December 1939; learning of his mother's murder by a Ukrainian; ghettoization; friendship with the Pole selected by the Germans to replace him; and sheltering a woman escapee from a deportation train to nearby Belzec. He recalls a Gestapo operative who befriended him, warned him of round-ups, and sheltered his family members; hiding with his wife in the pharmacy after a December 1942 Aktion; seeking shelter with the Gestapo agent because the suicides of two clandestine radio operators could be linked with the pharmacy; and liberation by Soviet forces in July 1944. He recounts departing for Krako?w, then Prague in 1946; emigration to the United States in 1948, then to Israel for economic reasons soon after; returning to America years later; appearing on a Chicago television talk show; and his testimony in deportation proceedings against a Ukrainian who collaborated with the Germans.
Extent and Medium
2 videocassettes (3/4" u-matic)
Conditions Governing Access
This testimony is open with permission.
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Copyright has been transferred to the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies. Use of this testimony requires permission of the Fortunoff Video Archive.
Rules and Conventions
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Process Info
compiled by Staff of the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies
People
- Reich, Leon, -- 1879-1929.
- Herzog, David, -- 1869-1946.
- W., Abraham, -- 1906-
- Hess, Victor Francis, -- 1883-1964.
Subjects
- Video tapes.
- Holocaust survivors.
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Personal narratives.
- Men.
- Aid by non-Jews.
- Jews -- Poland -- Rawa Ruska.
- Hiding.
- Antisemitism -- Prewar.
- Jewish ghettos.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, Jewish.
- War crime trials -- United States.
- Husband and wife.
Places
- Graz (Austria)
- Prague (Czech Republic)
- Poland.
- Drohobych (Ukraine)
- Rawa Ruska (Poland)
- Rawa Ruska ghetto.
- KrakoĚw (Poland)
- Rava-RusĘška (Ukraine)
Genre
- Oral histories. -- ftamc