Donald R. Holocaust testimony
Abstract
Videotape testimony of Donald R., who was born in Amsterdam, Holland in 1917 to Polish immigrants. He recalls his father's death in 1918; moving to Berlin in 1920; his mother's remarriage; anti-Jewish laws resulting in his expulsion from school in 1934; working for Ford; expulsion from Germany in 1938 as a Polish citizen; Poland's refusal to admit him and other Jews; smuggling himself to his uncle's farm in Poland; being joined by his mother, stepfather, and brother; living in Krako?w; traveling to Berlin to obtain a United States visa; remaining in Germany beyond the permitted date; traveling to the Danish border; escaping with help from a German railroad worker; a brief stay in Go?teborg; emigrating to the United States; enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1941; some correspondence with his family; interrogating German POWs; transfer to Dutch Harbor, Alaska; friendship with a Russian Jewish officer; returning to mainland United States in 1946; marriage; and reunion with his mother (his brother and stepfather were killed). Mr. R. notes that before the war his family had visas for Palestine and his stepfather refused to leave Germany.
Extent and Medium
2 videocassettes
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
- R., Donald, -- 1917-
Corporate Bodies
- Ford Motor Company.
Subjects
- Holocaust survivors.
- Men.
- Video tapes.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, Jewish.
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Personal narratives.
- Jews -- Migrations.
- Refugees, Jewish.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Participation, American.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Jews -- Rescue.
- Aid by non-Jews.
- Antisemitism -- Prewar.
Places
- Netherlands.
- KrakoĚw (Poland)
- Berlin (Germany)
- GoĚteborg (Sweden)
- Dutch Harbor (Alaska)
- Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Genre
- Oral histories. -- aat