Kestenberg Archive

EH was born in September 1934, in Paks, Hungary. Both of her parents worked in business. EH was an only child, but had many cousins and friends that she played with. She went to the Jewish school. The family had a Catholic Hungarian maid. EH recalls a lot of antisemitism from the Hungarians, and states that she never had any non-Jewish friends. One of her first memories is of being called a “dirty Jew”. EH's father was Orthodox, and whilst her mother was not, they kept a kosher home. EH states that from 1940 onwards, her father was taken away for forced labor for six months or so every year, sometimes in Russia. They used to listen to British radio, and EH remembers hearing a Hungarian broadcast on the BBC in 1943 which talked about gas chambers, but they did not believe it. In April/May 1944, they were forced to move into the ghetto in Paks. The family moved into EH's aunt's apartment, which EH describes as fun as she played with her cousins. At one point, EH was taken with her mother to work in a nearby farm, where there were better conditions, but they returned to the ghetto after ten days. After a few weeks in the ghetto, they were all rounded up into the school building for three days and then were taken to the trains. ; EH recalls how the local Hungarians came to watch the Jews being herded off, with obvious joy. The train journey to Auschwitz took three days in very harsh conditions. They arrived in Auschwitz 8th June 1944. EH's mother told Josef Mengele the truth about EH's age, and despite being only nine he allowed her to live. EH still feels guilty that she and her mother were chosen to live, whilst her grandma, aunt and cousin were sent to the gas chambers that day. EH was separated from her mother and sent to Block 12, the barrack for children and pregnant women. The Slovak Blockalteste and her sisters took EH under their wing and protected her. EH remembers births taking place in her block. Dr Perl saved her life a few times. EH's mother worked in the kitchen, enabling her to give EH better food and providing a hiding place for EH from selections. EH states she went swimming in a pool in Lager C. When the camp was being closed down, they were closing the kitchen and wanted to transport the workers out. EH's mother was concerned not to be separated from EH, and Irma Grese helped her to find EH. They were both taken to the Czech camp in October. From there, EH was separated again from her mother and taken to the Frau and Kinder Lager (FKL), while her mother was taken by train to Bergen-Belsen. After a few days, EH found twin sisters from her hometown and joined them in their block, pretending that she was also a twin but her twin died. They received better food there. In that block, one woman had triplets, only one was left and the mother died. EH took care of the young child, who was under two at the time. When the camp was fully liquidated, EH hid in the latrine. Later on the SS returned and marched them from Birkenau to Auschwitz. On that march EH became very sick with pleurisy. ; EH was taken to Russian hospital and it took about six to seven weeks for her to recover. She does not remember liberation as she was so ill at the time. EH states that by liberation she was a wild animal, no longer a human being. Somehow she found the baby she had been caring for in Auschwitz after she recovered, and looked after her again. The child was from Transylvania and EH pretended she was from Rumania so that they could be taken back there together. In Novgorod when EH met someone who told her that her father was alive in their hometown. EH travelled back to Hungary, leaving the child there. It was a long journey to Budapest, with different people helping her along the way. EH finally arrived at her aunt's home, who did not recognise her at first. They told her it was not true that her father survived. In May 1945 EH returned to Paks with her relatives, and her mother returned in October 1945. EH was very wild and her mother did not know what to do with her. For a while EH attended a convent school, and then went to a boarding school. She states there was constant antisemitism even after the war. Her mother remarried in 1947, which was hard for EH as she was in denial that her father had died. EH had a complex relationship with her mother, as if she took all her anger out on her. In 1956, EH escaped to Munich and travelled to America from there. Her mother and step-father joined her later. EH admits that her mother was great, and that she herself caused many of the problems. EH married a Hungarian survivor in America, and they have one son. She has a strong Jewish secular identity. It was hard for her when her mother died in 1977.