Kestenberg Archive

LK was born in 1930 in Mannheim. The family later moved to Berlin. She was the sixth child in an orthodox home. At age 2.5 LK had a mastoidectomy and spent a lot of time in hospital. After her release she was sent to a children's home. She does not know why but she did not spend much of her childhood at home. LK has no memory of her parents. Her father was sent to Poland in 1936 and her mother died of tuberculosis in 1938. LK's first memories are from 1938 when she was sent to England via Denmark. LK was supposed to join four of her siblings but was sent to different homes and had trouble finding them. For many years she blamed her siblings for this and felt excluded from the family. LK was sent to a family in Romford, Essex, who tried to baptize her. She was then sent to a deaf old lady who neglected her. LK's school teacher took her in and found her a home with a rich family who treated her very well. LK became spoilt and snobbish. However in 1944 the family sent her to live in the cellar and began to treat her like a maid. She was then moved to a children's home, where she stayed until moving to London in 1946. In 1948 LK arrived in the USA together with some of her siblings. She worked in a millinery shop and later as a clerk. LK married and had two daughters. She divorced her husband because he was more devoted to his parents than to her. LK moved to Ithaca and worked in the same job for 24 years. At age 45 she underwent another mastoidectomy. LK has a very complicated relationship with her daughters, with whom she often fights about money. She feels very lonely and gets depressed. She also has many physical problems. LK is very particular and was a very strict parent. She suffers from nightmares about being chased. Today LK volunteers a lot. She recently visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington for the first time. LK still hopes that maybe her father survived in Poland. LK feels very Jewish.