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Paul W. Holocaust testimony (HVT-2811) interviewed by Gabrielle Tyrnauer,

Oral History | Fortunoff Collection ID: HVT-2811

Videotape testimony of Paul W., a Romani, who was born in Duisberg, Germany in 1930, the oldest of five brothers. He recalls moving to Wuppertal due to anti-Romani laws, posing as non-Romanies; receiving a scholarship to study music at a conservatory; his father's friend, a policeman, warning them of deportations in 1943; the friend deleting their family name from the list; moving to Lorraine; his father's work in a war industry; their discovery; his parents' forced sterilization (his mother was subjected to experimentation and only recovered due to efforts of a French doctor); their friend removing the family's files and finding employment for them as circus musicians; contacts with United States servicemen in Speyer; his father's testimony on behalf of the German policeman who helped them (they remained friends for life); passing an exam in Stuttgart to become a bandleader; and the popularity of his family band. Mr. W. notes his wife lost eleven siblings in concentrations camps; her inability to discuss this subject; his ability to share only the "sweet" parts with others, including their children; and his strong belief in Jesus.

Author/Creator
W., Paul, 1930-
Published
Austria : Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies, 1991
Interview Date
July 23, 1991.
Locale
Germany
Duisburg (Germany)
Wuppertal (Germany)
Lorraine (France)
Speyer (Germany)
Language
German
Copies
2 copies: 3/4 in. dub; and 1/2 in. VHS with time coding.
Cite As
Paul W. Holocaust Testimony (HVT-2811). Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies, Yale University Library.
 
View in Yale University Library Catalog: http://hdl.handle.net/10079/bibid/4288835
Record last modified: 2018-05-30 11:44:00
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/hvt4288835