‘A Boy in Terezin’ – True Diary of a 12 Year Old Holocaust Survivor
My close friend Karen Weiner lives in New York City, and when I had lived there, too, her late father Pavel (Paul) would graciously invite me and her other friends out to dinner. He never mentioned his boyhood days spent in the Terezin Nazi camp during World War II, perhaps because he had moved on from those dark days.
Pavel came upon his diary in 1979, and as he saw his own mortality near and lost friends and fellow Holocaust survivors, he began to realize the importance of his childhood work. Over the years he translated his Terezin diary into English. It wasn’t until his passing that Karen took over and edited the diary. It was published shortly afterward.
The Façade of Terezin
Uprooted from a comfortable upbringing in Prague, the diary details 12 year old Pavel’s last year (one of three total) in Terezin from 1944-1945. Terezin, located north of Prague, was a “holding” or transit camp before deporting Jews to extermination camps. However, Terezin residents were not aware of this as outside news was controlled by the Nazis.
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| Photographs of Pavel Weiner as a child. Photo: Maria Adcock |
The Nazis created an image of Terezin as a “regular” town – there were sports practice, meals, and concerts. However under the facade of normalcy laid a warped reality of scarce resources, impoverished living conditions, imprisonment, and deportations.
Terezin was the only camp the Nazis allowed the outside world to visit, but only after going to great lengths to cover the real reason the town existed. The International Red Cross visited Terezin in 1944, and as part of the beautification process, the Nazis made a propaganda film “Hitler Gives the Jews a Town.”
Pavel accidentally documented the sham through his diary. On June 16, 1944, he wrote, “Today the Red Cross Commission is expected. Everything is in tiptop shape. We are told to ride the carousel and go on the swings [play equipment erected for the beautification campaign].”
The Red Cross Commission left and returned a few days later led by Karl Rahm, a SS commandant in the Nazi Party. Pavel wrote, “The children must scream ‘Onkel Rahm, schon wieder sardinen? [Uncle Rahm, again sardines?]’ as he passes by.”* But there were no sardines — a luxury during war time. The deception worked in terms of appeasing the international community into inaction, as the Red Cross Commission took everything at face value.
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| Copied pages from Pavel Weiner’s diary. Photo: Maria Adcock |
“A Boy in Terezin” stated that about 141,000 Jews were sent to Terezin; approximately 33,000 died from disease or the terrible conditions, and an estimated 88,000 were deported to concentration camps.
Pavel lost many family members who were sent to labor camps, including his father Ludwig, older brother Hanus, maternal grandparents (Hermine and Zikmund Stein), paternal aunt and uncle (Olga and Otto Susicky) and maternal aunt (Trude Stein). Many more distant relatives were also lost.
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| Pavel Weiner with his brother Hanus and father Ludwig. Handwritten notes by daughter Karen. Photo: Maria Adcock |
A 12 Year Old’s Day to Day Survival
Pavel lived in Room 7 in Building L417 which held 40 boys. It was a transient room because as boys were deported out, new boys came in. Only about 10 of them survived.
Like all children, Pavel and the boys in his room needed a regimen in order to create a sense of normalcy. The Jewish administration in the camp and the adults called madrichim, or counselors, went to great lengths to provide this life. Unbeknownst to the Nazis, they educated their young in makeshift schools hidden in attics and other concealed locations. They also provided the children with more and slightly better quality food in an effort to sustain their health as much as possible.
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| Pavel Weiner lived in Building L417 with many of the other boys in Terezin. Photo: Maria Adcock |
Pavel mentioned food a lot, perhaps because he knew meals were limited. Like any 12 year old boy, he fought with friends and family. He lashed out at his mother, and felt bad about it afterward. His frustration over his situation and normal childhood angst drove him to hurt those closest to him. But in the end, he knew he needed his mother, and he loved her deeply.
Pavel’s diary documented the constant fear of transports to unknown destinations and the never-ending loss of family and friends moved out of the camp. The deportation of his father and older brother were especially devastating.
At the end of the diary, the transports started to come back with emaciated bodies of people who had been through atrocious experiences at other Nazi camps. He saw a relative who was in a deteriorated condition. It opened his and the other residents’ eyes to the truth.
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| Photos of Karen Weiner with her late father and mother. Photo: Maria Adcock |
“A Boy in Terezin” Today
Though Pavel was never able to see his diary in print, he left a legacy for his daughter, Karen and future generations. His diary is an imprint in history, and now resides in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC.
Pavel’s diary recorded a dark and painful time in history. It is such a human story, perhaps initially one of tragedy, but later one of triumph. Pavel persevered to lead a productive and happy life in America despite the hardships he suffered as a child, and this in itself is an incredible testament to the human spirit.
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| Karen Weiner reading passages from her father’s diary at the book launch celebration. Photo: Maria Adcock |
For More Information
Karen Weiner visited Duke University to discuss “A Boy in Terezin.” View the interview here: http://www.faithandleadership.com/qa/karen-weiner-testament-the-human-spirit
“A Boy in Terezin” was published by Northwestern University Press with an introduction by historian Deborah Dwork and edited by Pavel and Karen Weiner. Find it at major book retailers such as Amazon.
Karen Weiner is based in New York City and is a middle school social studies teacher.
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| Karen Weiner and I, celebrating the release of ‘A Boy in Terezin’ and the life of her father. Photo: Maria Adcock |
* A Terezin survivor younger than Pavel Weiner disputes that the sardine scenario took place. Whether or not it is a myth, it remains historically significant as it shows how much those interned in Terezin, even the children, knew the beautification process was a sham for the Red Cross.