Overview
- Description
- Consists of one memoir, 30 pages, "Peter's Story: Surviving Auschwitz and a Death March," by Dr. Peter Ornstein, originally of Vienna, Austria. In his memoir, he describes wartime Vienna, being entrusted to neighbors as his mother and future stepfather had immigrated to China (with the intention that Peter and his two sisters would follow), and in 1939, to a convent when it became too dangerous. In 1942, they were relocated to a building used to collect potential deportees, but were released because their paternity (and thus degree of Jewishness) was questioned. In February 1944, Peter was arrested and deported to Auschwitz. He describes his life in Auschwitz, his work in a nearby labor camp, and his memories of the Sonderkommando uprising. He describes his death march from Auschwitz in great detail, as he was able to feign death and escape from the march. Peter was liberated by the Red Army near Gleiwitz (Gliwice, Poland). After the war ended, he returned to Vienna on foot and was reunited with his sisters, both of whom also survived Auschwitz. Also includes an appendix that includes important events in Dr. Ornstein's life.
- Date
-
publication/distribution:
2009
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Peter Ornstein
- Collection Creator
- Peter Ornstein
Physical Details
- Language
- English
- Genre/Form
- Memoirs. Personal Narratives. Personal Narratives.
- Extent
-
1 folder
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- There are no known restrictions on access to this material.
- Conditions on Use
- The donor, source institution, or a third party has asserted copyright over some or all of these material(s). The Museum does not own the copyright for the material and does not have authority to authorize use. For permission, please contact the rights holder(s).
- Copyright Holder
- Dr. Peter Ornstein
Keywords & Subjects
- Topical Term
- Jews--Austria--Vienna--Biography. Jews--China--Shanghai--History--20th century. World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Austrian.
- Geographic Name
- Gliwice (Poland)
- Personal Name
- Ornstein, Peter.
- Corporate Name
- Auschwitz (Concentration camp)
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- Peter Ornstein donated a copy of his memoir to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on 28 August 2009.
- Record last modified:
- 2023-12-26 14:54:34
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn37885
Additional Resources
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- In Copyright
- Terms of Use
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-
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