Object numberM2012/043:013
DescriptionLetter written by Olga Rosenberger to her maternal Aunt Irene, Uncle Charles and their children in Palestine, dated 12 November 1945. Irene and her family managed to escape from Bratislava to Palestine before the war. In the letter Olga writes about a visit from Matthew. She had never met him before but he is related to Uncle Charles and served in the Jewish Brigade in Italy during the war.
Olga writes “I would love to come to you, although I’m looked after very well here, I have no intention to stay where I have endured such horrible times, where fate has hurt me so terribly.” She writes about her attempts to reclaim family possessions with little success. "Many of our things were not returned to me such as furs, Persian rugs etc. Only a part of the jewellery was recovered."
Olga writes that she doesn’t have much to wear and will have a winter coat made but that she will make some dresses. She refers to some dresses from Judith (her sister who was murdered in the Holocaust) that would fit the children. At this time she still thinks that she will be going to Palestine.
Olga Horak (nee Rosenberger) was born in August 1926 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia to Hugo and Piroschka Rosenberger. She was 17 when first deported to Sered, then Auschwitz- Birkenau, Kurzbach, Gross Rosen and Bergen-Belsen, where she was liberated. She immigrated to Australia in 1949. Olga received an OAM in 2014 for service to her community.
Olga witnessed the Nazi Regime turn Czechoslovakia into a 'puppet republic'. The government agreed to laws that restricted the lives of Jews. They weren't allowed to go to school, be out after dark, go to the movies or sit on a park bench.
In 1942, Olga's sister Judith was taken in a roundup of 16-year-old Jewish boys and girls to Auschwitz. She never saw her sister again. Out of fear, her parents made plans to escape; they illegally crossed the border into Hungary, but Budapest wasn't easy because they didn't have papers or a home. When bombings began in 1944, Olga and her parents couldn't take refuge in the shelters without being caught. They returned to Bratislava, crossing illegally over the border again.
Back home, Olga's family had false papers. But a cousin was found out and these documents were no longer secure. The family went into hiding with the help of a family friend, but the same friend denounced them two weeks later. The family was taken to a collection camp in Sered before being put in cattle cars to Auschwitz. During the selection process, her father, grandmother, aunts and cousins were taken away and murdered. Olga and her mother were stripped, shaven, registered, and sent to Germany into a camp where they had to carry logs and dig trenches. One morning, the women were evacuated on a Death March, walking through the snow until reaching Gross Rosen. After three days, they marched again until they arrived in Dresden, eventually ending up in Bergen-Belsen. On 15 April 1945, they were liberated by British and Canadian troops. Inmates were registered as survivors, but just as her mother received her card, she collapsed and died. A day that was supposed to be celebratory turned out to be one of the saddest of Olga's life.
Olga was taken to a German hospital where she was left to die. A Catholic Padre from the British Army came to give her last rites. Instead she asked for a Rabbi who arranged for her to be returned back to the sick bay at the camp. She stayed there until late August and was then transported to a hospital in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, weighing 29 kilos. She was placed next to a Catholic woman named Bozena. When Olga was discharged, Bozena took her home with her. Soon, Olga found distant relatives in Bratislava who survived and she lived with them for two years before she met her husband, John Horak, a survivor who had trained as a textile engineer in Brno.
They were determined to leave Czechoslovakia. Eventually they got a tourist visa for Switzerland and then landing permits for Australia. They arrived on the TSS Cyrenia on 16 September 1949 where they established a business manufacturing blouses, Hibodress, within two weeks after arriving.
Olga writes “I would love to come to you, although I’m looked after very well here, I have no intention to stay where I have endured such horrible times, where fate has hurt me so terribly.” She writes about her attempts to reclaim family possessions with little success. "Many of our things were not returned to me such as furs, Persian rugs etc. Only a part of the jewellery was recovered."
Olga writes that she doesn’t have much to wear and will have a winter coat made but that she will make some dresses. She refers to some dresses from Judith (her sister who was murdered in the Holocaust) that would fit the children. At this time she still thinks that she will be going to Palestine.
Olga Horak (nee Rosenberger) was born in August 1926 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia to Hugo and Piroschka Rosenberger. She was 17 when first deported to Sered, then Auschwitz- Birkenau, Kurzbach, Gross Rosen and Bergen-Belsen, where she was liberated. She immigrated to Australia in 1949. Olga received an OAM in 2014 for service to her community.
Olga witnessed the Nazi Regime turn Czechoslovakia into a 'puppet republic'. The government agreed to laws that restricted the lives of Jews. They weren't allowed to go to school, be out after dark, go to the movies or sit on a park bench.
In 1942, Olga's sister Judith was taken in a roundup of 16-year-old Jewish boys and girls to Auschwitz. She never saw her sister again. Out of fear, her parents made plans to escape; they illegally crossed the border into Hungary, but Budapest wasn't easy because they didn't have papers or a home. When bombings began in 1944, Olga and her parents couldn't take refuge in the shelters without being caught. They returned to Bratislava, crossing illegally over the border again.
Back home, Olga's family had false papers. But a cousin was found out and these documents were no longer secure. The family went into hiding with the help of a family friend, but the same friend denounced them two weeks later. The family was taken to a collection camp in Sered before being put in cattle cars to Auschwitz. During the selection process, her father, grandmother, aunts and cousins were taken away and murdered. Olga and her mother were stripped, shaven, registered, and sent to Germany into a camp where they had to carry logs and dig trenches. One morning, the women were evacuated on a Death March, walking through the snow until reaching Gross Rosen. After three days, they marched again until they arrived in Dresden, eventually ending up in Bergen-Belsen. On 15 April 1945, they were liberated by British and Canadian troops. Inmates were registered as survivors, but just as her mother received her card, she collapsed and died. A day that was supposed to be celebratory turned out to be one of the saddest of Olga's life.
Olga was taken to a German hospital where she was left to die. A Catholic Padre from the British Army came to give her last rites. Instead she asked for a Rabbi who arranged for her to be returned back to the sick bay at the camp. She stayed there until late August and was then transported to a hospital in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, weighing 29 kilos. She was placed next to a Catholic woman named Bozena. When Olga was discharged, Bozena took her home with her. Soon, Olga found distant relatives in Bratislava who survived and she lived with them for two years before she met her husband, John Horak, a survivor who had trained as a textile engineer in Brno.
They were determined to leave Czechoslovakia. Eventually they got a tourist visa for Switzerland and then landing permits for Australia. They arrived on the TSS Cyrenia on 16 September 1949 where they established a business manufacturing blouses, Hibodress, within two weeks after arriving.
Production placeBratislava, Slovakia
Production date 1945-11-12
Subjectsurvivors, loved ones' contact, liberation
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- length: 320.00 mm
width: 210.00 mm
Language
- German Bratislava, 12.11.1945
My dear Aunt Irene, Uncle Charles and children,
I was very happy to have received a letter from you. This is only the second letter which I received from you; I was already very impatient. I have written to you many times in great detail and I hope my letters have reached you. In the meantime, Matthew has visited me which was nice. Most probably he will report to you. Thanks to the good Lord I have fully recovered and look acceptable but my hair is still terribly short. Aunt Freda is wonderful and feeds me all the time. Tommy is also here and lives in his villa in Zrinyi Street. Ruti Friedleib lives with the former nurse of her father Leisl and I see her often. She’s a lovely good looking young girl. I would love to see your daughters Mary, Dita and Eve. I hope it won’t be long till we see each other. I would love to come to you, although I’m looked after very well here. I have no intention to stay where I have endured such horrible times, where fate has hurt me so terribly. I tried to get over all this but the sad thoughts return constantly. I have a few friends and now and then we get together. I don’t really think about my family (Olga means the ones in Bratislava) because their behaviour is not nice so I don’t go there at all. I only have contact with Uncle Adolf. Also, Grandma Rosenberger was taken away with us but unfortunately has not returned.
It causes me a great heartache to think that only Tomy and me are alive. I heard that Uncle Lipot and Andrew are already at home. Houses and all other assets cannot be claimed because no new laws have been established. Many of our things weren’t returned to me, like furs, Persian rugs and others. Only a part of the jewellery was recovered. Alexander is probably returning soon. Then I will let you know about everything. I have written to you via Aunt Sidonia. We receive regular mail from her. Also, Eve has written and sent photos of her lovely children. I would be happy to receive photos from you too and letters from the children as well. I have not got enough clothing. I am having a winter coat made and dresses I try to make myself. From my sister Judith there are some dress here which will fit your children. I think I have written to you in detail and I hope to receive such letters from you as well.
Fondly many kisses
Olly
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Mrs Olga Horak