Helen and Sol Krawitz Holocaust Memorial Education Center

Despite their best efforts, the Nazi party failed in its quest to eliminate the Jewish population from the earth. Their atrocities were terrible and millions lost their lives due to their evil, while many millions more lost family members and suffered tremendous mental, emotional, and physical anguish. But the survivors were able to move on, to heal somewhat and return to their lives.

There are many notable Holocaust survivors who have become very famous for one reason or another. Some have gone on to write or to create movies, others became notable religious or political leaders, and some even entered the military. A look at just some of the survivors from the Holocaust reveals that some of the most well-known people in history lived through the horrors of the Nazi party.

·         Roman Polanski – Polanski is widely considered one of the best directors in film. He directed Chinatown, called one of the best films ever made, as well as the famous Rosemary’s Baby. He also directed The Pianist, about musician Wladyslaw Szpilman’s survival of the Holocaust.

·         Eric Vogel – Vogel escaped the Nazis during his transfer to the Dachau concentration camp. He’s a well-known jazz trumpeter who made a name for himself before the war.

·         Gerhard Beck – Nicknamed “Gad”, Beck was a well-known activist and author and was noted for being the last known Holocaust survivor who was openly gay. He lost his lover to the Nazis and worked during the war to help hide escaping Jews.

·         Roman Frister – Frister was interred in Cracow, Mauthausen, Auschwitz, and Starachowice. He watched his family die in the camps and became a famous writer and editor. He’s written several well-received books.

·         Rose Warfman – Rose Warfman worked as part of the French Resistance and helped in various ways before being captured and transferred to Auschwitz, where Josef Mengele operated on her without anesthesia. She went on to receive numerous honors for her efforts.

·         Ruth Kluger – Author Ruth Kluger has written various books after her survival of the Holocaust. She survived several concentration camps including Auschwitz and is now a Professor Emeritus at The University of California.

This is just a small list of the many notable Holocaust survivors. While their contributions to the world are impressive, one can only help but wonder what the millions of others who died in Hitler’s camps would have been capable of doing had they been given the change of living their lives.