Olga Horak Testimony
Object numberM2015/028:001
TitleOlga Horak Testimony
DescriptionVideo testimony of Holocaust Survivor Olga Horak. Olga Rosenberger, born in Bratislava, witnessed the Nazi Regime turn her country, Czechoslovakia, into a puppet republic. The government agreed to severe laws that restricted the lives of the Jews. They weren’t allowed to go to school, be out after dark, go to the movies or even sit on a park bench. Jews were made to wear the yellow Star of David that allowed them to be identified and openly persecuted on the streets.
In 1942 Olga’s sister Judith was taken in a round up of 16-year-old Jewish boys and girls to Auschwitz. Olga never saw her sister again. Out of fear, Olga’s father decided they needed to escape the country. They illegally crossed the border through forests and rivers into Hungary. Yet life in Budapest wasn’t easy because the family 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 were often left on the streets, sleeping under roofs or tables. Eventually they returned to Bratislava, c Crossing illegally over the border again.
Back home, Olga’s family had false papers stating they were American. 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 despite this friendly gesture, the same friend denounced them two weeks later and the family was first taken to a collection camp before being put in cattle cars to Auschwitz. There, the family went through selection by Dr. Mengele. Olga never saw her father again after that day, along with her grandmother, aunts and cousins. She was taken with her mother to be stripped and shaven.
After a 2nd selection, Olga and her mother were sent to Germany into a camp where they had to carry logs and dig trenches. Olga recalls the other women singing songs at night and exchanging recipes to cook verbally, creating delicious meals in their minds. It’s amazing how even in the worst of conditions, they kept their spirits up.
One morning the women were evacuated from the camp (Death March). They walked through the snow until reaching Gross Rosen. After a three-day break, they marched again until they arrived in Dresden. Eventually, they ended up in Bergen-Belsen where lice and typhus were rampant. Despite this suffering and her starvation, Olga was supported by her mother. Having someone even in those extreme times helped people survive.
On 15 April 1945, British and Canadian troops accidently marched into Bergen-Belsen the “death camp”. They registered the inmates 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 but she was not looked after and the German doctors left her to die. When a Catholic padre from the British Army came to give her last rites, she said in English, “Thank you very much for your visit, but I am Jewish, and I’m not going to die.” Instead she asked for a Rabbi from the British Army 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 Pilzen, Czechoslovakia.
Olga weighed only 29 kilos when she was placed next to a Catholic woman named Bozena. During their stay, the two became as close as sisters and when she was discharged, Bozena took Olga home with her. Soon, Olga found distant relatives back in Bratislava who survived and she lived with them for two years before she met her husband John.
The two were determined to leave Czechoslovakia and hoped to go to America or Canada. Unfortunately, the waiting lists for visas were up to 6 years. Eventually they got a tourist visa for Switzerland before getting landing permits for Australia.
They arrived on 16 September 1949 where they established a business and had two children. When the children were young, they did not discuss their experiences. Olga wanted to maintain a happy home but as the children got older they began to ask questions about their missing family and Olga explained what had happened. Today telling her story remains important to her and she is a volunteer at the Sydney Jewish Museum since it was established.
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.
In 1942 Olga’s sister Judith was taken in a round up of 16-year-old Jewish boys and girls to Auschwitz. Olga never saw her sister again. Out of fear, Olga’s father decided they needed to escape the country. They illegally crossed the border through forests and rivers into Hungary. Yet life in Budapest wasn’t easy because the family 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 were often left on the streets, sleeping under roofs or tables. Eventually they returned to Bratislava, c Crossing illegally over the border again.
Back home, Olga’s family had false papers stating they were American. 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 despite this friendly gesture, the same friend denounced them two weeks later and the family was first taken to a collection camp before being put in cattle cars to Auschwitz. There, the family went through selection by Dr. Mengele. Olga never saw her father again after that day, along with her grandmother, aunts and cousins. She was taken with her mother to be stripped and shaven.
After a 2nd selection, Olga and her mother were sent to Germany into a camp where they had to carry logs and dig trenches. Olga recalls the other women singing songs at night and exchanging recipes to cook verbally, creating delicious meals in their minds. It’s amazing how even in the worst of conditions, they kept their spirits up.
One morning the women were evacuated from the camp (Death March). They walked through the snow until reaching Gross Rosen. After a three-day break, they marched again until they arrived in Dresden. Eventually, they ended up in Bergen-Belsen where lice and typhus were rampant. Despite this suffering and her starvation, Olga was supported by her mother. Having someone even in those extreme times helped people survive.
On 15 April 1945, British and Canadian troops accidently marched into Bergen-Belsen the “death camp”. They registered the inmates 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 but she was not looked after and the German doctors left her to die. When a Catholic padre from the British Army came to give her last rites, she said in English, “Thank you very much for your visit, but I am Jewish, and I’m not going to die.” Instead she asked for a Rabbi from the British Army 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 Pilzen, Czechoslovakia.
Olga weighed only 29 kilos when she was placed next to a Catholic woman named Bozena. During their stay, the two became as close as sisters and when she was discharged, Bozena took Olga home with her. Soon, Olga found distant relatives back in Bratislava who survived and she lived with them for two years before she met her husband John.
The two were determined to leave Czechoslovakia and hoped to go to America or Canada. Unfortunately, the waiting lists for visas were up to 6 years. Eventually they got a tourist visa for Switzerland before getting landing permits for Australia.
They arrived on 16 September 1949 where they established a business and had two children. When the children were young, they did not discuss their experiences. Olga wanted to maintain a happy home but as the children got older they began to ask questions about their missing family and Olga explained what had happened. Today telling her story remains important to her and she is a volunteer at the Sydney Jewish Museum since it was established.
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 date 2000 - 2000
Subjectsurvivors
Object nametestimonies