Barbara and William Farkas photograph collection

Barbara Marton Farkas was born on May 4, 1920, in Beliu, Romania, where her parents owned a grocery store. Her family lived in Beliu until 1937 when they sold their house and store and moved to Oradea, Romania. In 1940, Barbara was refused entrance into the university because of the anti-Jewish laws implemented by the Hungarian government, which then controlled northern Transylvania. Barbara trained in a hospital laboratory and worked there until the German invasion of Hungary in Mar. 1944. She left the hospital, which was occupied by the SS, and started to work at a photo company. Beginning Apr. 1, 1944, she had to wear the Star of David, and in May, the Oradea ghetto was established. She and her family were soon deported to Auschwitz, a concentration camp in Poland, where her parents were killed. Barbara was sent to C Lager, Block 15. After some time, she was taken to B Lager, and after a selection, she was taken to Weisswasser, a subcamp of Gross-Rosen in Germany. First, she worked in a chemistry lab and then, in the Cathode Workshop. She worked there from Oct. 1944 until the end of Feb. 1945. In Mar. 1945, they were transported through many camps to avoid the approaching Soviet Army. She ended up on the German-Danish border at Padberg. The Red Cross assisted the survivors with food and shelter. The next day, she was taken to Malmö, Sweden. After spending some time in a hospital in Landskrona, Sweden, Barbara returned to Romania and studied in Cluj from 1946 to 1951. She graduated as an industrial pharmacist. In 1961, she emigrated to Israel, and, in 1968, she moved to the United States.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

William and Barbara Farkas donated the collection to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1990.