Helena B.-Sz., "Half-Jewish" concentration camp survivor and artist
Helena B.-Sz. during the interview
Image Credit: Online Archive "Forced Labor 1939-1945" click here to watch the interview
Helena B.-Sz.'s Life Journey
Image Credit: CeDiS / FUB
Helena B.-Sz. from Białystok was deported to Ravensbrück concentration camp in 1944. In the Helmbrechts / Oberfranken subcamp she became friends with other prisoners from Łódź. She lived in Łódź after the war, but emigrated to Berlin (West) in 1968.
Short Biography
- Born in 1928 in Bialystok/Eastern Poland. Father German, mother of Jewish origin
- 1939: German and then Soviet occupation of Poland
- 1941: German re-invasion; her sister is murdered
- 1944: Internment in the Bialystok prison
- Deportation to the Ravensbrück concentration camp
- 1944/45: Slave labor and hunger in the Helmbrechts concentration camp, subcamp of the Flossenbürg concentration camp
- 1945: Death march and liberation
- Spring of 1945: In search of her parents in Bialystok and Łódź
- After 1945: Studies art, career in the fashion industry; her father is murdered
- 1968: Immigrates to Berlin (West), works as a graphic designer
- 21.08.2011 died in Berlin
Interview Information
- Interview za253 »
- Video interview in Polish
- Interviewed on December 18, 2005 by Ewa Czerwiakowski; camera: Stanisław Ścieszko
- Transcript and translation by Ewa Czerwiakowski
- Subset "Poland - BGW Berlin"
A biographical short film (duration 25 minutes) from the interview with Helena B.-Sz. has been produced for the German-language educational material "Video Testimonies for School Education". Together with a biographical map, a glossary and additional documents, it is available in the learning software.