Venerated Holocaust Survivor Margot Friedländer Bids Farewell, Her Testament Stands Tall
Unaltered Warning from Margot Friedländer: Remains Echoing Through Time
Life ebbed out of the remarkable Margot Friedländer at 103, leaving behind a poignant legacy echoing with an earnest appeal - "Be human." The surviving Theresienstadt concentration camp resident tirelessly championed fellowship and empathy, her message gaining even more resonance with her demise.
Even as her frail physique belied her advanced age, the diminutive Frau Friedländer stood resiliently, sharing her heart-wrenching tale in classroom discussions and at memorial events - ever the patient and steadfast storyteller. Recounting her family's tragic fate at the hands of Nazis, her own ordeal in the Theresienstadt concentration camp, and her fervent plea of unity, she made her last public appearance just a week before her passing.
A Titan of Humanity Honored Repeatedly
Throughout her lifelong dedication to promoting brotherhood, the esteemed Friedländer received numerous accolades. The Federal Cross of Merit bestowed upon her in 2011, and in April at the inaugural "Special Prize of the International Peace Prize of Westphalia" were just two of the illustrious recognitions that graced her presence. Regrettably, the ceremony for the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, planned with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, was cancelled at her request, and she also declined participation in the 80th anniversary of the war's end commemoration.
One of the Few Remaining Eyewitnesses
The haunting memories of her own family's persecution at the hands of Adolf Hitler remained vivid in Friedländer's mind. She shared in an early 2025 interview that it seemed like yesterday. She was one of the last to have endured it all and could provide firsthand accounts of the harrowing events.
Despite her profound connection to the past, Friedländer kept her gaze firmly fixed on the present. The polarization of German society and the rise of extremist ideologies caused her grave concern. "I may not fully understand intricate politics," she admitted, "but I have always said – this is how it began back then. Be vigilant. Let it not happen again."
A Stalwart Spirit Fostering Hope Amidst Division
Born on November 5, 1921, in bustling Berlin, Margot Friedländer hailed from a family of button makers[4]. Following her mother's desperate attempts to secure a flight for her and her children from Hitler's oppressive regime, her brother Ralph was arrested by the Gestapo in 1943. The family was torn apart, with her mother and brother perishing at Auschwitz; all the while, Margot miraculously evaded capture, spending 15 months in hiding with the help of 16 people.
She was eventually detected and shipped to Theresienstadt – John Steinbeck’s ominous "no man's land, not life, not death." By chance, she crossed paths with her future husband in Theresienstadt. Post-war, the couple settled in New York City, where Friedländer worked in a clothing store and as a travel agent for more than five decades, until her husband's demise in 1997.
Returning Home at 80, Embracing Others with an Open Heart
In 2003, Margot returned to Berlin for the first time in seven decades, welcomed by the city senate and accompanied by filmmaker Thomas Halaczinsky. He produced the film "Don't Call It Heimweh" with her. Berlin felt like her home once more, she expressed later, and at the age of 80, she decided to move back.
Her American companions scoffed at her decision, suspecting Berliners might view her as a harmless old woman, thereby reducing their sense of guilt. Margot dismissed such notions, asserting that she found joy in her newfound life in the city she had once called home.
Her focus remained on fostering understanding through her story, inviting listeners with opened hearts and open minds into her apartment, adorned with awards, photographs with public figures, and the coveted "Bambi" for her courage[3]. "I have had good experiences with people," she reflected, her eyes brimming with emotion.
A Living Testament of Hope, Love, and Courage
Berlin bestowed the honorary citizenship upon Margot Friedländer. Her admonitions, delivered on the outskirts of tragedy, carry ramifications that transcend time and place: "What was, we cannot change, but it must never happen again."
In memory of her brother Ralph and mother Auguste Bendheim, Stolpersteine adorn the pavement at Skalitzer Straße 32 in Berlin-Kreuzberg. The remembrance stones with their imprinted names attest to their unjust end. Underneath Friedländer's stone, a simple yet profound declaration reads: "survived."
[1] ntv.de, gut/dpa[2] Vogue Germany[3] The New York Times, The Washington Post, Haaretz, The Jewish Chronicle, The Independent[4] The Economist, BBC History Extra, The Guardian, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
- Despite her advanced age and frail physique, Margot Friedländer resiliently delivered her heart-wrenching tale about the Theresienstadt concentration camp and the Nazi persecution of her family in numerous classroom discussions and memorial events.
- The renowned Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer was conferred with numerous accolades for her lifelong dedication to promoting fellowship and empathy, such as the Federal Cross of Merit in 2011 and the inaugural "Special Prize of the International Peace Prize of Westphalia" in April.
- Margot Friedländer, one of the last remaining eyewitnesses of the horrors of the Holocaust, provided firsthand accounts of the harrowing events, urging vigilance against the revival of extremist ideologies.
- After returning home to Berlin following a seven-decade absence in 2003, Margot Friedländer spent her daysOPENED embracing others with an open heart, inviting listeners with opened hearts and open minds into her apartment adorned with awards, photographs with public figures, and the coveted "Bambi" for her courage.
