Item 07: Holocaust survivors from Hungary ; Eva Berger interviewed by Susan Koenig, 1993

MLOH 500/442-443

item

03/01/1993

Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Oral Histories

997147

Sound Recording : CY MLOH 500/442-443

2 sound cassettes (2 hrs.)

Eva Berger was born in Fehergyarmat, Hungary in 1928. The German army arrived in March, 1944. Restrictions were imposed and Jews were ordered to wear the yellow star. In April Eva's family were forced into the ghetto in the neighbouring town of Mateszalka. After six weeks the family were transported to Auschwitz, Poland.

From Auschwitz, Eva and her sister were moved on to Plaszow concentration camp near Cracow. Eva was put to hard labour, digging trenches and working in a stone quarry. As the Russians approached, Eva and her sister were sent back to Auschwitz. Later they were sent to work in a spinning factory at Ober Ramstadt, Germany. The factory closed in December and Eva was assigned to digging trenches again.

Following liberation by the Russians a few months later, Eva and her sister set off for Hungary. They had no money and no food. They were taken by a Russian soldier to a prisoner of war camp near the Russian border, but managed to escape. They arrived back in Hungary in August, 1945.


Eva and her sister reopened their father's timber yard and married two brothers. They left Hungary in April 1949 to go to Israel, but changed their plans while in Austria and arrived in Australia in January, 1951.

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Log of interview available in the Mitchell Library Reading Room -

Original Mitchell Library allocated tape number 65.