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During this time, Nazi soldiers invaded highly populated Jewish areas. They began to take away rights such as having a business. They closed local family-owned shops and forced families to go without. -
During this time, the nazis banned Jewish citizens from owning land. This is after the banning of business ownership, and close to the time that Jewish children were pulled from schools. -
Hitler was already chancellor, however, he was then democratically elected to be president of Germany. A promise was made that Hitler would not be given much power in the first place and the power would lay in the hands of the non-nazis. This was then overruled when Hitler was elected and took power. -
Elizabeth quotes that "the first sign of danger was when the Hungarians came". She talked about feeling unequal and how they were purging anyone who was a Jew. -
In late April, nazis began to force Jewish citizens to register their goods and wealth. Shortly after they began to register the remaining Jewish businesses. -
During this time, Hitler began to invade Poland with troops and take over. Their goal was to regain lost territory that was in Poland. -
The first transport of Jews from Vienna arrived in Auschwitz in early December. Shortly upon arrival many prisoners were taken and doctors preformed experimental surgeries on them. -
The nazis moved in and began to take away normal life for the Jews in the area. They took away businesses and schools, and there was a curfew set for everyone -
During the summer of 1944, Auschwitz recorded its highest number of deaths in a day. 9,000 Jews were killed in one day, this exceeded the capacity of their crematories, so nazis cremated bodies in large pits. -
During this time, Russian soldiers began to invade Poland and create panic among many Jews. They were not informed about anything that was happening and there was little communication between surrounding areas. However, they did know that something was off. -
Two prisoners from the death camps escaped and make their way toward the Czech. From there they sent a letter for help and informed others what was happening. This letter was received in late June. -
Her family moved from their home in early April. They were allowed one suitcase and told to pack their essential items. The nazis moved 400,000 Jews in less than 4 months. They were moved to open ghettos before they were moved to the camps. -
Elizabeth and her family were forced from their home by the Germans. Her brother Lou was not with the family at the time, he was in Budapest for research. When he heard of his families capture, he went underground.
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42,500 camps and ghettos were created, 980 being major camps with small subcamps. Jews were crammed into cattle cars. These cars were 28ft long, 7-8 feet wide, standing only, with no food or water, and no air circulation. They were expected to travel like this for days until they got to the camps. -
Elizabeth and her family arrived at Auschwitz in late April. Upon arrival, she was separated from her parents and never saw them again. She was later told that they had been killed upon arrival. She was taken to a station where she was marked with the number A-5805 on her left forearm. -
The prisoners at the camp Elizabeth was at were forced to move. The war was at an end and the nazis were hoping that they could dispose of any evidence of the heinous crimes they committed. It was a miracle that she lived, but she was multi-lingual and she was taken late in the war. -
Forces moved in to liberate the Jews from the death camps towards the end of January. Auschwitz was liberated on January 27, however, Elizabeth was already out of Auschwitz and was placed on a death march. She was abandoned by the nazi soldiers and was forced to hide under an old barn until the surrounding area was safe enough for her to move on. -
President Eisenhower arrived at a death camp in April of 1945. He was not prepared for what he would see, however. Eisenhower made troops and other individuals walk the camps to see the destruction and to ensure that these horrific actions would never happen again. -
On this day, 40,000 prisoners were liberated from Bergen-Belsen by the British. Witness accounts stated that the state of the camp and the wellness of the prisoners were horrific and the living conditions were awful. -
Elizabeth arrived in NYC and was 66 lbs upon arrival. Upon interviews, she talks about how for months and years after, she became physically and mentally sick when she would try to talk about the events that occurred.