Object numberM2009/117:002
DescriptionColour photographs of Margaret Odze, showing her Auschwitz concentration camp number tattooed on her forearm, number 4744.
Margaret Odze (nee Brennerova), was born 10 August 1924 in Cicava, Czechoslovakia. She survived Auschwitz, Malchow and Ravensbrück concentration camps.
Margaret Grew up in village where they were the only Jewish family. They were strictly Orthodox, they kept kosher; she spoke Slovak and Yiddish to her father. Her father had the only shop in the village, they sold everything from eggs to tobacco and liquor. Eventually no one wanted to sell to her father and no one wanted to buy because they were Jewish. We barely had “what to live anymore.” Her father married 3 times, two of his wives died. He married a third time and had five children, Margaret was the middle child, and he brought up 2 small children from his first daughter who died and left two small children. They didn’t realise that the parents were actually their grandparents.
She went to a Russian school in the village. When she was in 3rd year high school the Germans came and separated Jews from the non-Jews. “Eventually we were not even allowed to go to school so I never finished”.
Describing the deportation Margaret recalls, “Everything was prepared for Seder. When they took me on Friday 27 April 1942, on the Thursday was Seder night. Received a letter to say we have to go to Germany for work, take this and this with you (only a few clothing), only unmarried girls. Took us to the train, took us to Poprad, then straight to Auschwitz. Train, you couldn’t sit, no food, no water, a man came and gave us matza to take on the train, 1st May arrived in Auschwitz…The Hlinka Guard organised the transports. Straight away we had to throw out what we brought. We tripped; they gave us lager clothes.”
After liberation, “everyone surprized we are alive”. She went back to her house. Her mother’s sewing machine was left with the priest, he didn’t want to return it. Her Father used to wear a pocket watch which he gave it to a teacher to keep, in case anyone came back; Margaret got the watch back. “In every house you could find something that belonged to Jews”.
Margaret was tattooed with the number 4344, being on the 2nd transport from Slovakia. “My grandson, when he was in 2nd grade, he always said ‘what’s that?’. I joked with him, it’s a telephone number. Later on, he came home from school and said, ‘Nana I know what’s the number.’”
Margaret Odze (nee Brennerova), was born 10 August 1924 in Cicava, Czechoslovakia. She survived Auschwitz, Malchow and Ravensbrück concentration camps.
Margaret Grew up in village where they were the only Jewish family. They were strictly Orthodox, they kept kosher; she spoke Slovak and Yiddish to her father. Her father had the only shop in the village, they sold everything from eggs to tobacco and liquor. Eventually no one wanted to sell to her father and no one wanted to buy because they were Jewish. We barely had “what to live anymore.” Her father married 3 times, two of his wives died. He married a third time and had five children, Margaret was the middle child, and he brought up 2 small children from his first daughter who died and left two small children. They didn’t realise that the parents were actually their grandparents.
She went to a Russian school in the village. When she was in 3rd year high school the Germans came and separated Jews from the non-Jews. “Eventually we were not even allowed to go to school so I never finished”.
Describing the deportation Margaret recalls, “Everything was prepared for Seder. When they took me on Friday 27 April 1942, on the Thursday was Seder night. Received a letter to say we have to go to Germany for work, take this and this with you (only a few clothing), only unmarried girls. Took us to the train, took us to Poprad, then straight to Auschwitz. Train, you couldn’t sit, no food, no water, a man came and gave us matza to take on the train, 1st May arrived in Auschwitz…The Hlinka Guard organised the transports. Straight away we had to throw out what we brought. We tripped; they gave us lager clothes.”
After liberation, “everyone surprized we are alive”. She went back to her house. Her mother’s sewing machine was left with the priest, he didn’t want to return it. Her Father used to wear a pocket watch which he gave it to a teacher to keep, in case anyone came back; Margaret got the watch back. “In every house you could find something that belonged to Jews”.
Margaret was tattooed with the number 4344, being on the 2nd transport from Slovakia. “My grandson, when he was in 2nd grade, he always said ‘what’s that?’. I joked with him, it’s a telephone number. Later on, he came home from school and said, ‘Nana I know what’s the number.’”
Production placeSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Production date 2009-08
Object namephotographs
Techniquephotography
Dimensions
- length: 180.00 mm
width: 130.00 mm
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Margaret Odze