Margot Friedlander, Renowned Holocaust Survivor and Witness to Nazi Persecution, Dies at Age 103

Margot Friedlander, a German Jew who survived the Theresienstadt concentration camp, passed away at 103. Her death was announced by the Margot Friedlander Foundation in Berlin. The exact details of her passing, including the time and place, remain undisclosed. The foundation did not respond to requests for further information. Her death coincided with the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany's surrender in World War II.

Friedlander spent much of her life in the United States before returning to Berlin in her 80s. She was honoured with Germany's highest decoration and a statue at Berlin's City Hall. "What I do gives me my strength and probably also my energy, because I speak for those who can no longer speak," she said at an event at Berlin's Jewish Museum in 2018.

Life During Nazi Persecution

Born Margot Bendheim on November 5, 1921, she was raised in Berlin where her father, Artur Bendheim, owned a shop. He had served and been decorated in World War I. Initially, he believed that the Nazis' rise to power wouldn't affect them, saying, "they don't mean us; we're Germans." However, the reality became apparent too late.

In January 1943, as her family planned to flee Berlin, Friedlander returned home to find her brother Ralph taken by the Gestapo. Her mother chose to join him, leaving a final message: "Try to make your life." This message later became the title of Friedlander's autobiography.

Survival and Hiding

Friedlander went into hiding after removing the yellow star Jews were forced to wear. She dyed her hair red, thinking it would help her blend in as "people think Jews don't have red hair." Sixteen people helped conceal her for 15 months until April 1944 when she was caught during an identity check after an air raid.

She decided to reveal her Jewish identity when apprehended by police. "The running and hiding was over," she said. She felt guilty for not knowing what happened to her family, believing she might have shared their fate if she had stayed with them.

Theresienstadt Camp Experience

In June 1944, Friedlander arrived at Theresienstadt camp. By spring 1945, she witnessed skeletal prisoners arriving from Auschwitz on death marches. It was then she realised she would never see her mother and brother again; both were killed at Auschwitz.

Her father fled to Belgium in 1939 and later moved to France before being deported to Auschwitz in 1942 where he also perished. Shortly after Theresienstadt's liberation, Margot married Adolf Friedlander, whom she knew from Berlin and met again at the camp.

A New Life in America

The couple moved to New York in 1946 after spending months in a displaced persons camp. They became US citizens; Margot worked as a tailor and later ran a travel agency. Adolf passed away in 1997 at age 87.

Margot returned to Germany for the first time in 2003 and settled back permanently in 2010. She shared her story with students and received numerous honours including Germany's Order of Merit and being named a citizen of honour of Berlin.

A Legacy of Remembrance

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed condolences, acknowledging Friedlander's gift of reconciliation despite her suffering. He stated that Germany cannot be grateful enough for this gift. A recent report highlighted that over 200,000 Jewish survivors are still alive but predicted that 70% will pass within the next decade.

Friedlander urged others to continue sharing stories of Holocaust survivors: "I would like you to be the witnesses we can't be for much longer." Her legacy continues through those who heard her story firsthand.

With inputs from PTI