1. Appr. 550,000 Hungarian Jews were killed in the Holocaust, most were transported to Auschwitz over a 2 month period (May-July 1944), 1000s of others were killed in the last days of the War by Hungarian paramilitary as Soviet troops battled Axis troops in the City of Budapest. Laszlo Balazs’ father, stepmother, brother, all aunts->killed, Eva Rado’s father, mother killed. They married in Montreal, Canada in 1953 and had 3 children, Edward, Stephen and Thomas

3. Budapest- Belle Epoque

4. Budapest and the Jewish Population 1900 –20% Budapest Population – Jewish (only 5% of the total population of Hungary)- –By 1910 ½ of all doctors and lawyers,1/3 rd of all engineers, ¼ artists and writers in Budapest->Jewish –1912 Jewish Mayor 1940- Approx. 500k Population in Budapest, Approx 825k Hungary

5. Joseph II->emancipated, 1848- last name Breslauer, 1922->Balazs

6. 1914-1940 WWI- –Habsburg Empire Brief Communist Interlude –133 days of Communism- Bela Kun (jewish) Fascism –Resentment Treaty of Trianon –1 st Fascist State- Admiral Horthy Becoming Hungarian Land claims- Romania, Slovakia, Croatia (Greater Hungary) 9/1/39- Germans invade Poland- beginning WWI

7. 1941-1945 Axis- The War- 1941 Hungary joins Germany 1942 Hungary conscripts Jews labor March 1944- Nazi Occupy July 1944 – Horthy stops deportations October 1944- Arrow Cross December 1944- Russian Siege- Budapest Liberated Jan. 1945 Raoul Wallenberg- Swedish Diplomat saved 1000s including Laszlo Balazs and Eva Rado

8. Forced labor camps

9. 2002 Budapest Hungary

10. Jewish Couple Budapest

11. Arrow cross-Hungarian Nazis

12. Jewish victims of the Arrow Cross

13. Hero- Raoul Wallenberg

14. Victims of Jewish Ghetto

15. Arrivals

16. 437,402 Jews from fifty-five Hungarian localities were deported to Auschwitz in 147 trains. Most were gassed at Birkenau soon after they arrived.

17. Christmas and life at Auschwitz for the personnel

19. The railroad system was stretched to its limits to keep up with the demand of the camp, where as many as 12,000 people a day were being gassed

20. - Auschwitz->350k+ Hungarians killed, 500k deported -More Hungarians killed at Auschwitz than any other Nationality -Last Days 1000s killed daily- crematoriums no longer viable -Mass trench executionsTotal deaths→Approx. 500k of 800k Hungarian Jews

21. Deportation

22. Child Tattooed at Auschwitz

23. Barracks->Auschwitz

24. Evidence Room-Auschwitz

25. Some people later claimed the Holocaust is overstated because the crematorium couldn’t handle 12,000 a day—they’re right—the crematoriums weren’t used—the bodies were thrown in to pits and burned as a pyre Killing Fields-Auschwitz

26. Crematoriums-Auschwitz

27. Hall of lost families-Auschwitz

29. Prague Synagogue-memorial.

30. Auschwitz survivor, her two children and husband didn’t.

31. Survived 2+ years in a Soviet POW camp— upon arriving home, found out that his 2 yr old child and wife were killed at Auschwitz- he hadn’t known they were even deported

32. The stay in the Home and Dormitory where short-lived - a few days. Shortly after Christmas, the Russians had Budapest surrounded and the siege began in earnest.There was continuous cannon fire and aerial bombardment. We were all ordered to go to the basement. The basement was well constructed, with vaulted ceilings, but a dirt floor. We brought down the old ladies from the Nursing Home and all of us had to sleep on the dirt floor. The old ladies were not severely disabled when the siege started, but about half of them died while living in the cellar. There was no heat and many of them got diarrhea for which of course there was no treatment. I am trying to remember where we did go to the bathroom. We probably went up tothe the main floor, but of course there was no running water and I don’t remember how the waste was disposed of. I know water was a big problem - it had to be brought from a well. Fortunately, I was never selected for water duty, as a couple of young women who went to fetch water were killed in the crossfire. My task was very simple.I had to bring food from the kitchen for the old ladies and sometime for the staff. The kitchen was underground, so this task was not dangerous. I was lucky, because we always had food, although the food was monotonous. We had sourkraut with little bits of meat and beans, practically no bread. N ot the best food for people with diarrhea. I had it too, but being young I got over it. However, I remember the first morning I woke up in the basement and one of the ladies lying beside me was dead. I did not know her at all, so I was not dead and I considered it an experience to see the first dead person. There were injured people brought to the basement too and I saw a couple of operations from a distance. It was very tempting to go upstairs for a little fresh air, but we rarely dared to do it. On one occasion a couple of the maids went upstairs and someone found some meat from a dead horse (horses were still used in battle) and we cooked it, it was tough and tasteless, but a change. A young German soldier stopped by and I considered myself brave to talk to him. He was sad and not sure he will ever make it home. Sometimes, the shooting and bombardment became really heavy and I remember a time when all the nuns were kneeling and praying.

33. I was not really scared. I was convinced if I had made it that far, I shall make it to the end. Being young, the experience was an adventure of sorts. On one occasion, a middle-aged and apparently well dressed woman approached me at night She siad she had converted to Cathoilicism at an early age and aksed me what my religion was.”Catholic” - I said, of course.She asked me some question about a religious custom, to which I did not know the correct answer. She smiled and did not say any more. She did not give me away. I later heard there were about 50 Jews hidden in the place, but we did not know each other and did not communicate. We could never change our clothes or get washed and living in a damp cellar must have made us smell awful, but I never gave it a thought. Everybody must have smelled the same, so there was no shame involved. Actually, I did not even think of the lack of fresh clothing and bathing as a hardship -this only occurred to me since I live the luxurious life in America, One day we woke up and there was a curious silence. We were told Pest was taken and the bridges were blown up by the Germans. I think once I went up to the surface to see it. Pest was taken by the Russians on January 13 th, 1945 and Buda was taken on February 12 th, 1945 - a whole month later. The last day before the Russians came, the Germans left. A nun told me they left a lot of their gear in an abandoned building and I could go and pick up a coat or shoes, which I did. There was a curious silence - we still waited in the basement. Then someone announced: “The Russians have arrived!” We all ran upstairs and saw some Russian soldiers - they did not enter the building. This was a good thing, as I later heard, because many private houses were robbed and the women raped, but they did not hurt us in any way, probably they only talked to the Administration. When I heard the news, I was happy, but also insecure. Did I hear right? Is it really over? It took a while for the news to sink in. I was given my life back. Did I think of it that time? I don’t think I was given to philosophy, I was just thinking of what to do next. In later years, I said to people; “God has saved me.” Some asked; ”Why did he save you?Were you better than anyone else?” No, I certainly was not “better” than other people, although, certainly, I was not a bad person and have not harmed anyone, but neither did those who did not make it. I was young, and did not have much chance for good deeds or bad. So why was I saved? Accident, maybe. But I still think there was a purpose - God wanted our family to live and go on and carry on for those who are no more.

34. Legacy-Holocaust Anti-Semitism was prevalent throughout Europe –Perpetrators were not only German –Far more perpetrators than rescuers –Average people commited horrendous acts