Interview with Harry Joseph Feldinger,

Interview Summary

Harry Feldinger discusses the anti-Semitic attitudes that existed in Europe, including his home country Czechoslovakia, during World War II. He shares about his difficulty coping with these attitudes and about the creation of the Jewish ghettos. He explains how men in the Jewish communities were taken to labor camps. He describes what living in the Jewish ghettos in Czechoslovakia was like and how difficult it was to obtain basic necessities. Feldinger highlights his family's journey to Auschwitz and talks about the conditions on the cattle cars they were on. Feldinger describes what occurred when he first arrived at Auschwitz and how they separated him from his family. He highlights the cleansing process that took place before he entered Auschwitz. Feldinger describes the liberation of himself and his fellow prisoners by Allied soldiers. He explains how many of the concentration camp survivors died after liberation and the cause of their deaths. He speaks about his first experience with freedom since his imprisonment. He discusses meeting others from his hometown in Czechoslovakia and their attempt to return home.

Interview Keyword

Allied forces Anti-Semitism Auschwitz (Concentration camp) Death march survivors Extermination camps Genocide German soldiers Ghettos Hungarian soldiers Jewish families Labor camps Mauthausen (Concentration camp) Medical care Torture World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives

Interview LC Subject

World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps

Interview Rights

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Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.