Item 06: Holocaust survivors from Germany ; Ludwig Shonberg interviewed by Gilda Manor, 1989

MLOH 500/117

item

05/07/1989

Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Oral Histories

997095

Sound Recording : CY MLOH 500/117

1 sound cassette (1 hr.)

Ludwig Shonberg, formerly Schoeneberg, was born in Dortmund, Germany in 1924. He lived with his family in the village of Schueren outside Dortmund. Following Kristallnacht, he was imprisoned for one week with his father, and their family business was confiscated. He and his family were unsuccessful in their attempts to emigrate.

Ludwig was put to forced labour building roads and working in mines. In December 1940, along with his parents, he was transported to the ghetto in Riga, Latvia, where he worked in a furniture factory. He was then moved to live in another work camp, where he sorted army equipment. In 1943 he was sent back to the Riga ghetto, and in July 1944, shortly after the assassination attempt on Hitler, there was a big roll call, and this was the last time Ludwig saw his parents. He was moved to Danzig by boat as the Russians approached.

From Danzig, Ludwig was sent to Stutthof concentration camp and then to Stolp labour camp. In February 1945 Ludwig was taken back to Stutthof because the Russians were again approaching. From Stutthof he was taken to Lubeck, where he was held with thousands of Jewish prisoners on a sportsfield, and many died of hunger.

Whilst being loaded onto a boat by the Germans, Ludwig was hit across the head and suffered an injury to his eye. He jumped overboard, and spent about four months in hospital in Lubeck. Following liberation he returned to his home village and resumed his work as a butcher. Ludwig subsequently immigrated to Australia via France, arriving in 1948.

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Log of interview available in the Mitchell Library Reading Room -

Original Mitchell Library allocated tape number 60.