Nadine Schatz A young girl who tragically lost her life during the Holocaust.

Her beginning She was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, which is on the outskirts of Paris and famous for its automobile factories. Ludmilla Schatz, her mother, gave birth to Nadine on September 10,1930.

Growing Up… She attended elementary school in Paris. She lived with her grandmother, and her mother. She was fluent in Russian and French. When Germany declared war on France in September 1939, she and her mother fled to a small village called Saint-Marc-sur-Mer, on the Brittany coast. She continued her schooling there. When the Nazi’s invaded Saint-Marc-sur-Mer, they fled to Nantes.

Her Death French police officers arrested Nadine and her mother in Nantes. Nadine and her mother were separated, but both went to Auschwitz. She was gassed upon arrival on September 23, 1942. Nadine was twelve years old.

Rosalia Wourgaft Schatz Rosalia was Nadine’s grandmother. She was raised by Jewish parents in Ukraine. When her husband, Aaron Schatz, was killed during Russia’s civil war, she settled in Bagneux, France. The Nazi’s didn’t take any drastic action for about six months, so she thought nothing would happen to her. On September 28, 1942 she was deported to Auschwitz. She was gassed upon her arrival; she was 67.

Ludmilla Schatz Ludmilla is the mother of Nadine and the daughter of Rosalia. She is one of four children born to a Jewish family. She grew up in Odessa, but left to Paris, with her mother when her father was killed in the Russian civil war. She worked as a piano teacher. After Germany declared war on France, they moved to a small village on the Brittany coast. When the Nazi’s invaded the small village, they fled to the city of Nantes. French police officers arrested her and she was deported to Auschwitz, where she subsequently perished. Ludmilla was 45 years old.

Auschwitz Auschwitz 1 (one of three main camps making up Auschwitz), served as the administrative center for the camp. Auschwitz I was also the original concentration camp. Auschwitz II was the extermination camp and was the site for, at least, 960,000 Jews, 75,000 Poles, and 19,000 Roma. It was the largest extermination camp of all the Nazi’s camps. Auschwitz III served as a labor camp for the BunaWerke factory of the IG Farben concern. In November 2008, blueprints were discovered that suggested that the Nazi’s were going to expand.

Gassing There was a large room adjacent to the four chambers that was specifically for killing purposes. There are exhaust vents on the ceiling, and exhaust chimney. There were fake shower heads, a sign that read “Shower Room”, and finish simulating tiles, to make the victims believe they were going to take a shower.

My Reactions I was really surprised about how young Nadine was when she died. It was really sad, because she was younger than I am when she died. I couldn’t even imagine going through what her family went through. It made me think about how much hate the Nazi’s had to have to be able to kill kids, especially young ones. Nadine’s story, like millions of others, are tragic.

Essential Question Answer: The Holocaust was a systematic set of regulations that is is responsible for the death of millions of people. It was a regime powered by hatred. People survived the Holocaust by luck, because if the Nazi’s chose to kill you, you would die. Also, imagination helped you survive. If you could get your mind off of reality, then you had a better change of survival. EQ: What happened during the Holocaust and how did Jewish people survive the experience with courage and dignity?