Item 28: Holocaust survivors from Hungary ; Erwin Imhof interviewed by Herta Imhof, 1989

MLOH 500/163

item

15/12/1989

Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Oral Histories

997366

Sound Recording : CY MLOH 500/163

1 sound cassette (1 hr.)

Erwin Imhof was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1930. He came from a comfortable family background with traditional Jewish home.

During the war Erwin's father's clothing business was transferred to a non-Jewish manager and his father was taken for forced labour. The Germans arrived in March 1944. Erwin's family was forced to move into the designated Jewish area. Because his family had Swiss documents they were briefly able to move into a safe house. The family subsequently went into hiding when Christian friends organised an empty flat for them to live in.

Erwin and his family were helped by his father's former business partner, but two weeks later another Jew notified the authorities about them and they were picked up by Arrow Cross. Erwin was interrogated and beaten up before being taken into ghetto. Only every second transport went to the ghetto, the others were taken to the Danube where they were shot.

Erwin worked as courier for the Judenrat. In 1945 the Russians took control of the ghetto with heavy house to house fighting. Several weeks later Erwin returned to his own home, which was intact and his father also soon returned.

Erwin finished school and lived in Hungary until 1948, before moving to England where he lived until 1952. From there Erwin went to Israel, and then Austria and finally arrived in Australia in 1955.

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Log of interview available in the Mitchell Library Reading Room -

Original Mitchell Library allocated tape number 86.