Skip to main content

Louis D. Holocaust testimony (HVT-1214) interviewed by Steven Schulz and Harriet Tarnor Wacks,

Oral History | Digitized | Fortunoff Collection ID: HVT-1214

Overview

Summary: Videotape testimony of Louis D., who was born in the United States in 1922 and served in the Third Army's 301st Signal Operation Battalion in World War II. He recalls General Patton's orders that American soldiers view Buchenwald; entering the camp in April 1945, the day after its liberation; a Polish inmate who escorted them; the pervasive stench; emaciated prisoners; crematoria which were still warm; stacks of bodies; mass burial of the dead; the camp commander's residence where he saw lamp shades reputedly made of human skin; and General Patton's order that all local residents visit Buchenwald. He discusses his personal reactions to the camp and his lack of knowledge about the camps prior to entering Buchenwald.
Author/Creator: D., Louis, 1922-
Published: Peabody, Mass. : Holocaust Center of the Jewish Federation of the North Shore, 1988
Interview Date: May 26, 1988.
Cite As: Louis D. Holocaust Testimony (HVT-1214). Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies, Yale University Library.
Other Authors/Editors: Schulz, Steven, interviewer.
Wacks, Harriet Tarnor, interviewer.
Notes: Additional written materials are available in the repository.

Physical Details

Language: English
Copies: 2 copies: 3/4 in. dub; and 1/2 in. VHS with time coding.
Physical Description: 1 videorecording (1 hr., 49 min.) : col

Keywords & Subjects

Subjects: Video tapes. Men. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Personal narratives. World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American. World War, 1939-1945--Participation, American. Oral histories (document genres) D., Louis,--1922- United States.--Army.--Army, 3rd. United States.--Army.--Signal Service Battalion, 3186th. Buchenwald (Concentration camp)

Administrative Notes

Holder of Originals: Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies
Special Collection: Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies

Link to Yale University Library Catalog:: http://hdl.handle.net/10079/bibid/1090369
Record last modified:: 2018-05-30 11:44:00
This page:: http://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/hvt1090369

Additional Resources

Librarian View

Download & Licensing

Terms of Use
This record is digitized but cannot be downloaded online.

In-Person Research

Request Access from Yale University Libraries

Requires Yale University Libraries Permission
Accessing Fortunoff interviews
Log in to Request and View
About the Fortunoff Archive

Once requests are approved, you must be at a Fortunoff Access Site to view the testimony.

Contact Us

Give Feedback

Learn About the Holocaust

These additional online resources from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum will help you learn more about the Holocaust and research your family history.

Holocaust Encyclopedia

The Holocaust Encyclopedia provides an overview of the Holocaust using text, photographs, maps, artifacts, and personal histories.
Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center

Research family history relating to the Holocaust and explore the Museum's collections about individual survivors and victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution.
Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos

Learn about over 1,000 camps and ghettos in Volumes I-III of this encyclopedia, which are available as a free PDF download. This reference provides text, photographs, charts, maps, and extensive indexes.

Further Your Research