Oral History Interview with Inge Karo

Philip G. Solomon served in the United States Army, in the 101st Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron Mechanized, which liberated the Landsberg concentration camp on April 28, 1945. He describes his unit’s arrival in Germany in February/March 1945, emphasizing their military mission and their lack of knowledge of concentration camps or the scale of mass murder. His first indication of Nazi horrors occurred after crossing the Rhine, heading east, when his unit captured small towns, liberating displaced persons from forced labor camps (mostly Eastern Europeans). His second indication came when liberating several prisoner of war camps. He details the ominous experience of finding sealed railroad cars on a siding filled with dead concentration camp victims. On April 28, 1945, his unit stopped near the city Landsberg, waiting for a bridge to be repaired and unaware of the camp 1000 yards away. A shift in the wind eventually alerted them to the smell, and sight of smoke from the camp where retreating S.S. had just massacred the inmates. The unit found about 20 starving and ill survivors. He details the conditions of the camp and his feelings upon seeing the massive piles of bodies, hangings and other atrocities. The unit had no food or medical supplies and could only radio for help. They were commanded to leave Landsberg after 20 minutes in order to seize and hold a causeway near Munich. He describes in detail the reactions of prisoners to liberation, the response of the young soldiers to the dual experience of witnessing the atrocities in the midst of war, and his own complex and gradually evolving psychological reaction to this experience. He stresses his concern about ongoing genocides since World War II. And he affirms his faith and pride in his Jewish heritage.

This document is a holiday greeting card sent from Ambassador Ron Dermer and Mrs. Rhoda Dermer of the Embassy of Israel. The card, featuring the emblem of Israel, extends "Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season." It was sent to Professor Elie Wiesel at The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, located at 555 Madison Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10022. The postage mark on the envelope indicates it was mailed from Washington, D.C. on December 11, 2013.

Roger Fajnzylberg, General Director of OSE (Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants), writes to Elie Wiesel (via his assistant) to update him on various OSE activities and to invite his participation. The email expresses pride in Elie Wiesel's work and shares news that Nicolas Sarkozy accepted OSE's proposal to elevate many former "Enfants de Buchenwald" living in France to the rank of Knight of the Legion of Honor, with a joint ceremony at the Elysée pending confirmation. Fajnzylberg also reports on the recent inauguration of "Café des psaumes" in Paris, a social and cultural hub for the elderly, attended by the Mayor of Paris and over 600 people. Upcoming events include a private fundraising visit to the Petit Palais for major donors, featuring André Glucksmann as guest of honor. Finally, Fajnzylberg informs Wiesel about the preparations for OSE's centenary celebrations throughout 2012, to be held in Paris, Saint-Petersburg, Warsaw, Berlin, Morocco, Israel, and potentially the United States, and asks about Wiesel's possible involvement and availability to visit Paris.

This is a letter from William J. Clinton to Elie Wiesel, dated April 2, 2008. Clinton congratulates Wiesel on receiving an honorary degree and inaugurating the President's Lecture at the City College of New York. He reflects on Wiesel's impactful life and work, particularly his survival of the Holocaust and the profound influence of his book "Night." Clinton praises Wiesel for his continued dedication to human rights through the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, drawing a parallel to the Passover song "Dayenu." He expresses admiration for Wiesel's chosen lecture topic, "Confronting Fanaticism: Building Moral Unity in a Diverse Society," affirming the importance of shared values, the inherent worth of every individual, and collective effort for a better society.

Joseph Levy was born on August 22, 1911 in Eschweiler, Germany. Despite antisemitic harassment during childhood, he enjoyed his childhood in public and private Jewish schools and in a Jugendbund youth group. On January 31, 1933, his father and older brother—warned by a friendly local Nazi leader—fled before storm troopers ransacked their butcher shop in Siegburg. Some Christian employees helped shelter the family at that time and later delivered a ransom for the father’s release from Dachau. In 1937, Joseph obtained an American visa and joined his siblings in New York City. Their parents followed, aided by the Red Cross and a Jewish organization. They sailed in a fishing boat from Barcelona, with a brief stay in Cuba, before arriving in the United States in December 1941. Most of this interview narrates the stories of his father in hiding and forced labor and his brother in resistance groups in France and Spain (both of whom had already died at the time of this interview).