A notable figure among Holocaust survivors in Germany, Margot Friedlender, passed away on Friday at 103 years old.
At 23, Friedlender was hidden away before being sent to the Teresienstadt concentration camp, where she shared her story. Interestingly, she died on the same day she was honored with Germany’s Cross of Merit, as announced by her foundation.
The exact cause of her death hasn’t been disclosed yet.
German Prime Minister Friedrich Merz described Friedlender as a powerful voice against anti-Semitism and oblivion, emphasizing the need for peaceful coexistence. In a post on X, he mentioned, “She entrusted her story to us. It’s our job and our duty to tell it.” He expressed condolences for her family and friends.
Friedlender, originally Margot Bendheim, was born in Berlin on November 5, 1921. She had aspirations of becoming a dressmaker and fashion designer until her mother and brother were expelled and murdered in Auschwitz. Following these events, she altered her appearance and went into hiding in January 1943.
Her father, a World War I veteran, was killed by the Nazis in 1942.
In April 1944, Friedlender was captured and, two months later, arrived at the Teresienstadt camp in what is now the Czech Republic. There, she witnessed the grim reality of prisoners being forced to march dead from Auschwitz before her liberation.
At the camp, she met Adolf Friedlender, and they married shortly after their release. The couple moved to New York in 1946 and later became American citizens. She worked as a tailor, ran a travel agency, and returned to Germany 64 years later.
Her first visit to Germany was in 2003, six years after she lost her husband, and she returned to Berlin again in 2018. Throughout her life, she opposed the hatred and anti-Semitism she encountered.
German President Frank Walter Steinmeier commended Friedlender for fostering reconciliation despite her traumatic past, saying, “She gave our country a gift of reconciliation despite everything the Germans did to her as a young person.” He added, “I can’t thank you enough for this gift.”
With post wire
