W 1980 roku stowarzyszenie otworzyło niewielkie miejsce pamięci w szkole na Bullenhuser Damm i prowadziło je na własną rękę przez prawie 20 lat, kiedy to doszło do jego połączenia z Miejscem Pamięci Obozu Koncentracyjnego Neuengamme. Dziś miejsce to stanowi jeden z najważniejszych ośrodków upamiętnienia Zagłady w Hamburgu.
W 2011 roku w Miejscu Pamięci przy Bullenhuser Damm otwarta została nowa wystawa stała. Ta dwujęzyczna wystawa kierowana jest przede wszystkim do młodych ludzi, a jej misją jest zapewnienie pamięci o życiorysach dzieci – ofiar tej zbrodni. Wystawa łączy biografie dzieci poprzez centralny element projektu, jakim jest zakrzywiona platforma z 20 walizkami ukazującymi życiorysy dzieci i ich rodzin. Fotografie przedstawiające dzieci w czasie trwania eksperymentów przyjmują punkt widzenia zbrodniarzy, traktujących dzieci jak przedmioty. My z kolei na wystawie pokazujemy dzieci na ich rodzinnych fotografiach nie w roli ofiar, ale takimi, jakie były naprawdę: dziećmi.
Historia Waltera
Obok jednej z symbolicznych walizek wchodzących w skład wystawy, oczom odwiedzających ukazuje się klaser ze znaczkami, który należał do Waltera Jungleiba, jednej z ofiar morderstwa przy Bullenhuser Damm. Historia chłopca ujrzała jednak światło dzienne dopiero w 2015 roku, kiedy miejscu pamięci udało się w końcu zlokalizować starszą siostrę Waltera, Grete Hamburg z domu Jungleib. Dopiero wtedy Grete dowiedziała się, jaki los spotkał jej brata i ofiarowała jego klaser na potrzeby wystawy.
Walter urodził się 12 sierpnia 1932 w żydowskiej rodzinie w Hlohovcu na Słowacji. Rodzina posiadała firmę jubilerską. Walter i Grete, starsza od brata o jedynie dwa lata, chodziła do miejscowej szkoły żydowskiej. Walter był zapalonym kolekcjonerem znaczków. Gdy wojna dotarła na Słowację w 1942 roku, żucie rodziny Jungleib zmieniło się z dnia na dzień. Zmuszani do kilku przeprowadzek, Grete i Walter wraz z rodziną zostali ostatecznie aresztowani i deportowani do obozu przejściowego Sered w 1933 roku. Między rokiem 1941 a marcem 1945 z Seredu do Auschwitz przewieziono w transportach 13 500 Żydów.
Once his father and uncle were selected out, Max was taken on a work detail where he was badly beaten by one of the guards. Dragged back to Auschwitz at the end of the day, Max was left at the hospital in Block 21. Max’s injury was severe and his 3-day furlough at the hospital wasn’t enough for his recovery. Therefore, he was on a stretcher destined to be delivered to the gas chamber – this wasn’t, however, to be the end of Max’s journey.
A Polish political prisoner, Dr. Tadeusz Orzeszko – chief surgeon of the surgery ward - pulled Max off of his stretcher and brought him into the prep room of the surgery where he became the cleaner of the surgery department. Max had learned numerous medical procedures and was expert at maintaining a clean and sanitary operating room. Working in the hospital had also kept Max out of the winter elements and given him a small extra portion of food – both of which would provide Max with the strength that he would need to endure the next part of his journey.
Leaving Auschwitz in January of 1945, the Death March took Max through a series of camps in the most extreme winter conditions before being liberated from Ebensee on May 6th, 1945.
While Max’s return to freedom was difficult – regaining his physical and mental health, returning home to find only one surviving cousin from his family, being turned away from the Eisen family homestead by a neighbour who had moved in, escaping communism - he eventually made his way to Canada to start a new life.
However, it wasn’t until Max’s retirement in 1988 that he began to reflect on his life as a Holocaust survivor. And he began to tell his story.
Max has spent the last 31 years fully engaged in Holocaust and human rights education. Not only does he recount his personal story as he travels across Canada speaking to groups, he shares lessons about the consequences of hatred in all of its forms with people of all ages. He has spoken to tens of thousands of students in hundreds of schools starting with the message: “It all started with words.”
“I believe that education is the only way we are going to shift the cycle of hatred and intolerance,” said Dr. Eisen. “Antisemitism and hate of all kinds did not end in 1945. It is alive and well today. The reason I go out and speak every time I am asked is to try to do my part to open people’s eyes up to this hatred and to show them they each have the power to change this cycle.”
In addition to his work with students in schools, Max has travelled with students, adults and high level delegations of police, educators and politicians to sites of the Holocaust, including Auschwitz.
Max’s story also came full circle when he testified against former German SS accountant Oskar Gröning and former German SS guard Reinhold Hanning.
The promise to his father - always in the back of his mind - was formally documented in 2016 when Max published his memoir, “By Chance Alone.” The memoir has been recognized with award nominations. Just last month, Max’s memoir was a finalist – and winner - in the Canada Reads 2019 competition – an annual battle of the books to determine the one book that every Canadian should read.
At 90 years old, Max shows no signs of slowing down. His drive and determination are stronger than ever as he is once again witnessing a surge of hatred and intolerance in Canada and all around the world. “We have a lot of work to do and I don’t intend on stopping. I have a promise to fulfill to my father: telling the story of our collective suffering so it will never be forgotten. My job is not yet done.”
Max speaking in Birkenau, photo credit: Melissa Mikel