Holocaust survivor relays trials, tribulations at camp

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Thomas Trower
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  He was born in a time of tension and uncertainty, but because his parents believed that ignorance is bliss, this little boy didn't learn how his family's religious views made him a target for Nazi ridicule until he was 4 years old.

Rudi Oppenheimer, a German-born Jew, relayed the story of his raising from his birth through his family relocation to the Netherlands and his eventual detention in a German concentration camp at a presentation as part of a Holocaust Remembrance event here April 7.

The 78-year-old speaker was born to parents Hans and Rita in 1931. His brother, Paul, was born three years earlier. The family moved to Berlin soon after Rudi's birth when his father accepted a job at the Mendelssohn Bank. At the time, many Jewish families wanted to leave Germany, but most other countries would not accept these refugees, said Mr. Oppenheimer. Soon, his father acquired a transfer to a branch in Amsterdam, Holland, and Rudi, his mother and brother went to visit a family member in London. At the time, Rudi was under the pretense that they were on holiday, but soon his mother sat him down and broke the news that the family would not be returning to Germany and at the age of 4 Rudi learned of the hate and disgust that Nazi's held for Jewish families.

"I instantly resented the entire country and all of the people of Germany," said Mr. Oppenheimer. "I didn't want any of the English boys or girls to know where I was from, which was very difficult because I did not speak a word of English."

Within three months of arriving in London, Rudi's younger sister, Eve, was born. At the time, nobody in the Oppenheimer family realized the significance of this little girl's birth and how it possibly saved the life of Rudi and Paul. The family remained in London for only three more months before deciding to join their father in Holland. It was now 1936 and young Mr. Oppenheimer was forced to learn yet another language.

Rudi's parents were counting on the idea that if Germany were to declare war on another country, the Netherlands would remain neutral. Everything was going according to plan until Germany invaded Holland May 10, 1940, and fully occupied the country in four days.

"Laws were being passed every day to restrict our social lives in any way possible," said Mr. Oppenheimer, who had only been thinking about his next game of marbles one day and now had to give up his bike, radio, tv and shop in segregated grocers. "One night they cordoned off part of the city and began going door to door finding Jewish families and loading them onto trains destined for Westerbork."

Westerbork was a transit camp in the northeast of Holland near the German border used as a pit stop before sending deportees to the extermination camps of Auschwitz and Sobibor. This is where Eve's British citizenship was beneficial. The Oppenheimers were exempt from deportation to the extermination camps because of Eve's nationality. They were classified as "exchange Jews," or people the Nazis wanted to exchange for Germans held by the Allies.

Most families only stayed at Westerbork for a week, which was luxurious compared to others, Mr. Oppenheimer said. With a hospital of advanced medicine run by Jewish doctors, a primary school and entertainment areas, the Oppenheimers were fortunate enough to stay there for seven months before eventually being sent in February 1944 to Bergen-Belsen, Germany. Paul, Rudi and Eve were now 15, 12 and 7.

"Our names were finally called to board the night train to Bergen-Belsen," said Mr. Oppenheimer. "But, it was not the same cattle train that shipped off all of the other prisoners every night. It was a passenger train that took us. When we arrived, we were greeted by [Schutzstaffel] soldiers shouting and growling dogs."

The family had just arrived at a heavily guarded concentration camp. SS soldiers, barbed wire, bloodhounds and electric fences stood between Mr. Oppenheimer and freedom.

"Everything was forbidden except for work," he said. "The camp was overcrowded and full of disease. There were about 600 deaths per day."

After fighting through the lack of food and minimal shelter in January 1945, Mr. Oppenheimer's mother became ill. The family visited her every day in the dilapidated hospital that had no medical personnel but had to return to their barracks at night during curfew. One evening they came and someone else was in their mother's bed.

"It was just before her 43rd birthday," said Mr. Oppenheimer. "Now, Eve was all by herself in the female barracks."

A typhus epidemic spread across the camp through lice in the barracks, beds and clothing. In March 1945, only a few months after the passing of their mother, Hans Oppenheimer became ill and entered the hospital, but would never leave alive.

"We all had to stick together to survive the next month," said Mr. Oppenheimer. "We boarded another train on April 10, 1945, to move to a new camp for exchange Jews."

Five days later, Bergen-Belsen was liberated by British forces. As these Allies proceeded to liberate more cities, Mr. Oppenheimer's train stayed just out of freedom's reach. The train was subjected to numerous attacks because German forces had posted military equipment on the back of the train.

"We finally reached another camp where we were liberated a short time later," said Mr. Oppenheimer. "We told them we were from the Netherlands so that is where they sent us. We waited there until our uncle in London could get us visas to live with him."

Mr. Oppenheimer spent the next part of his life attending school and eventually a university. After earning an electrical engineering degree, he took a job with a fuel company teaching computer operation to business executives.

"I went back to Germany in 1953 but still hated them," said Mr. Oppenheimer. "Now, I realize that most people were born after the war so I can't blame them for what happened. I don't hate them anymore, although my sister won't go there."

Col. Chad Manske, 100th ARW commander, closed the remembrance event by recognizing Mr. Oppenheimer's strength to tell his story.

"Your story of humanity, courage and survival in the face of the Holocaust speaks to all of us," said the colonel.

A standing ovation thundered through the auditorium as Mr. Oppenheimer concluded one of the more than 1,100 speaking engagements he has contributed to. Many of these events are coordinated by the London Jewish Cultural Center.

"I started telling my story at [age] 59, after retiring and finishing my consulting work," said Mr. Oppenheimer. "I joined my brother as a speaker to help tell the story and history."

"I like to tell people this in the hope that young people will stop picking on people. There are still parts of the world that are picked on for being 'different' and that just isn't acceptable."

"As a person with no connection with the Holocaust, it was a great way to learn the history of it all," said 2nd Lt. Sara Crocoll, Holocaust Committee lead. "Anyone who's interested in more information should consult the London Jewish Cultural Center or Equal Opportunity office."

Editor's note: No federal endorsement intended.