Unpublished testimony of Klara Halbreich
Номер объектаM2025/067:001
НазваниеUnpublished testimony of Klara Halbreich
ОписаниеTyped manuscript with accompanying photographic title page for Klara Halbreich (nee Gross).
Klara Halbreich (nee Gross) was born in Krakow, Poland on 10 March 1923 to Sara and Jakob Gross. She grew up with three brothers: Natan, Jozef and later Yoram in a “very traditional” household but weren’t strictly religious. Her parents ran a successful business in Krakow, and Klara attended a Jewish school.
Upon the outbreak of war, Sara and Jakob had already been discussing plans to leave Poland, but stalled due to the family business. Ultimately Jakob and Jozef fled on foot while Natan remained behind to look after Klara, Sara and Yoram. This was the last time Klara saw her father. The Germans seized the family business, stationed soldiers in the home and seized valuable assets. During this time Klara and her brothers would socialise with their friends in secret in the garden of their home which is where she met her future husband, Simon.
In late 1940, the family were forced to leave Krakow, temporarily renting a one-bedroom flat in Wieliczka before they fled to Grebalow. Sara continued to return to Krakow in secret to provide for the family while her brothers worked in a factory to earn money. Eventually the family were forced into the Wieliczka ghetto then relocated to the Krakow ghetto where they had to remain in secret as they were without the necessary permits. After hearing rumours about deportation to the Plaszow concentration camp, Sara arranged false Polish papers, and Klara became known as Janina Birkenfeldovicz. The family escaped the ghetto the same day it was liquidated and moved between several hiding places arranged by Sara through old customers of the family business. Upon escape from Plaszow, Simon joined the family and adopted a false identity.
Klara later went to Warsaw where she contracted hepatitis and was admitted to hospital. After fleeing the hospital when witnessing the murder of a Jewish patient, she is stopped by a Polish policeman who confiscated her papers and blackmailed her for money in exchange for her release.
After this incident, Klara was again able to obtain a false birth certificate from a Priest. The identity was a Polish woman, Janina Szczubial, whose death had not been recorded. Klara uses this document to obtain an identity card which later saves her life when she was required to produce documents on her way out of Warsaw with Simon. They arrived in Krakow unable to find shelter and decided to go to Zakopane, where they lived with an elderly woman and worked under false identities until the end of the war.
After the war, the couple returned to Krakow where Klara was reunited with her mother who had survived Auschwitz and Ravensbrück. Simon and Klara married on 22 June 1945, had two daughters and moved to Israel in 1957 before emigrating to Australia in 1968. Klara feels strongly about raising children and grandchildren with kindness and love and urges listeners not to have prejudice towards any group of people, believing hatred is taught.
Klara Halbreich (nee Gross) was born in Krakow, Poland on 10 March 1923 to Sara and Jakob Gross. She grew up with three brothers: Natan, Jozef and later Yoram in a “very traditional” household but weren’t strictly religious. Her parents ran a successful business in Krakow, and Klara attended a Jewish school.
Upon the outbreak of war, Sara and Jakob had already been discussing plans to leave Poland, but stalled due to the family business. Ultimately Jakob and Jozef fled on foot while Natan remained behind to look after Klara, Sara and Yoram. This was the last time Klara saw her father. The Germans seized the family business, stationed soldiers in the home and seized valuable assets. During this time Klara and her brothers would socialise with their friends in secret in the garden of their home which is where she met her future husband, Simon.
In late 1940, the family were forced to leave Krakow, temporarily renting a one-bedroom flat in Wieliczka before they fled to Grebalow. Sara continued to return to Krakow in secret to provide for the family while her brothers worked in a factory to earn money. Eventually the family were forced into the Wieliczka ghetto then relocated to the Krakow ghetto where they had to remain in secret as they were without the necessary permits. After hearing rumours about deportation to the Plaszow concentration camp, Sara arranged false Polish papers, and Klara became known as Janina Birkenfeldovicz. The family escaped the ghetto the same day it was liquidated and moved between several hiding places arranged by Sara through old customers of the family business. Upon escape from Plaszow, Simon joined the family and adopted a false identity.
Klara later went to Warsaw where she contracted hepatitis and was admitted to hospital. After fleeing the hospital when witnessing the murder of a Jewish patient, she is stopped by a Polish policeman who confiscated her papers and blackmailed her for money in exchange for her release.
After this incident, Klara was again able to obtain a false birth certificate from a Priest. The identity was a Polish woman, Janina Szczubial, whose death had not been recorded. Klara uses this document to obtain an identity card which later saves her life when she was required to produce documents on her way out of Warsaw with Simon. They arrived in Krakow unable to find shelter and decided to go to Zakopane, where they lived with an elderly woman and worked under false identities until the end of the war.
After the war, the couple returned to Krakow where Klara was reunited with her mother who had survived Auschwitz and Ravensbrück. Simon and Klara married on 22 June 1945, had two daughters and moved to Israel in 1957 before emigrating to Australia in 1968. Klara feels strongly about raising children and grandchildren with kindness and love and urges listeners not to have prejudice towards any group of people, believing hatred is taught.
Место изготовленияSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Наименованиеunpublished testimonies
Материалpaper
Кредитная линияSydney Jewish Museum collection, donated by Jadwiga Jarvis.
In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting this archival project.