Richard H. Holocaust testimony
Abstract
Videotape testimony of Richard H., who was born in 1911 in Kandel, Germany. He relates his father's World War I German military service; observes that there was no antisemitism in Kandel (they were one of two Jewish families); and discusses anti-Jewish legislation; confiscation of his family's business and car; arrest with his father and brother on Kristallnacht; incarceration in Dachau; hunger, cold and beatings; his father's release after eight weeks due to his German military service; his own release after twelve weeks providing he leave Germany; and living in Karlsruhe with his family. He describes many attempts to get United States visas; emigration in November 1939; meeting with Roosevelt's speech writer who did not believe his accounts of Dachau and instructed him to remain quiet about the fate of European Jews; questioning by government officials; fear of revealing information since his mother and brother remained in Germany; their emigration to the United States from Marseille in 1942; his father's death in Gurs; United States Army induction in 1942; interrogating German POWs; the arrogance of SS officers he encountered; empathy for German prisoners seen on cattle cars prior to learning of the treatment and fate of the Jews; his education; marriage in 1948 to a German refugee; and his career.
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
- H., Richard, -- 1911-
Corporate Bodies
- Dachau (Concentration camp)
Subjects
- Crystal Night, 1938.
- Aid by non-Jews.
- Kristallnacht, 1938.
- Antisemitism -- Prewar.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Participation, American.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Jews -- Rescue -- United States.
- Jews -- Migrations.
- Refugees, Jewish.
- Holocaust survivors.
- Men.
- Video tapes.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, Jewish.
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Personal narratives.
Places
- United States -- Armed Forces -- Europe.
- Kandel (Germany)
- Karlsruhe (Germany)
- Germany.
Genre
- Oral histories. -- ftamc