By Ahad Zafar

Early Holocaust education was primarily focused on the well-being and understanding of adult survivors. While there is no comparison possible between those who suffered the great injustice of the Shoah, one group of survivors were not addressed for many decades, the child survivors. A child survivor is any survivor of the Holocaust that was no greater than age 16 in 1945 (“Psychological Reverberations of the Holocaust” 3). The unique experiences of child survivors shaped their lives in stark contrast to the adults, particularly in their relationship with silence. Many child survivors, particularly hidden children, were forced to abandon their survivor identity and their memories, as an attempt by adults to establish normalcy in their children’s lives, and thus their trauma and coping received little attention (Bar-on et al. 321). Despite suppressing their memories of the Holocaust, the vestiges remained (Krell 143). The self-imposed silence during the Holocaust to evade the perpetrators, along with the forced silence following, has forged a relationship that is pervasive, for better or for worse.

At University of British Columbia, Vancouver, we have been in the presence of two very influential researchers of child survivors, who were child survivors themselves, Dr. Robert Krell and Dr. Peter Suedfeld. Their lives during and after the Holocaust demonstrate the tribulations as well as the resilience that child survivors displayed throughout their lives, navigating new cultures, forming new identities, and confronting their past to safeguard the future. 

This paper will look to examine the personal narratives of Krell and Suedfeld, to explore the impact of the Holocaust on their lives, how their research is influenced by their experiences, and the importance of survivors breaking their silence.

During the Holocaust

Dr. Robert Krell was born in The Hague, Netherlands, on the 5th of August, 1940 to parents Leo and Estera ‘Emmy’ Krell. His mother left Poland to escape the rising Antisemitism, while his father was raised in The Hague from the age of one (Krell 293, 311). The Germans had occupied Holland since 1940, however began deporting Jews to Auschwitz and Sobibor in 1942 (“The Netherlands”). Krell’s family received their resettlement order[1] on August 19, 1942, an order they ignored. That event set off the monumental task of finding a place to hide both themselves and their son. Krell was temporarily looked after by Opa Hol and Sjaan Mulder, their neighbours (Krell 1); while Leo and Emmy first hid with the Oversloots, the family of Leo’s business partner. A fateful visit from an acquaintance lead Krell to his Christian family, the Munniks, of whom were ‘Vader’ Albert Munnik, ‘Moeder’ Violette Munnik, and their daughter Nora Munnik who was 10 years senior to Krell (Krell 3-4, 187-188).

Krell was two years old when his hiding began. The major argument against child survivors is they were too young to remember what they experienced. While in normal circumstances, episodic memory develops around age four (Gathercole 13), sufferers of trauma are able to recall memory accurately, from ages as early as 36 months (Terr 103). Krell had vivid recollections, of a time when his father visited and taught Robert to call him ‘Uncle’; of a time when Nora took him out in a buggy to see his mother and were happened upon by a Dutch policeman, Krell covering his face with a blanket to prevent being identified (Krell 7-8; “R. Krell Testimony Tape 1” 46:00-49:00, 58:00-1:00:00).

He was loved in his new family, Vader read to him at night, Moeder who only told the truth, would tell him slight lies out of love, and his sister doted over him, coming home straight after school to play with her new baby brother (Krell 5-6). Although he could not have known the danger he was in, there was always a sense that something was wrong (“R. Krell Testimony Tape 1” 1:25:20-1:27:00). For that reason, Krell was silent, never crying or complaining about sickness, made sure to be the perfect child, and berated himself when he made mistakes, such as breaking the bugle that was to be placed atop the Christmas tree (Krell 6). He never went out, with the Munniks wary of Dutch Nazis across the street. The day of liberation is the first time he cried, when forced to sleep early as the celebrations commenced (Krell 7-8).

Dr. Peter Suedfeld was born in Budapest, Hungary on the 30th of August, 1935 to parents Laszlo and Jolan. Both his parents were employed, his father as a musician who frequently travelled, and his mother as a secretary to a Jewish lawyer (Suedfeld 4-6). Hungary had allied itself with Germany out of self-interest before the war, and began introducing their Antisemitic legislature in 1938, with deportations beginning in 1941. However, assisting in the war against the Soviets, and making an enemy out of the Western powers was no longer ideal for Hungary, and they tried to pull out of their alliance. Hitler did not allow them to, and invaded Hungary in 1944, escalating the violence against Jews and restricting their movement (“The Jews of Hungary during the Holocaust”).  

Suedfeld’s father, who was well respected as a soldier before the Germans invaded, had been subjected to forced labour as part of the military service for Hungarian Jews at the time and was sent to The Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria afterwards, while his mother was arrested by the Gestapo and deported to The Auschwitz concentration camp, after the legal office she worked at was raided and her address collected (Suedfeld 10). Suedfeld was taken care of by his aunt briefly, before being taken to the Red Cross orphanage by a kind Christian maid called ‘Àgi’, who had worked for his grandparents. He was taken across the Danube into Buda, and given false papers identifying him as a catholic child, and a new name: Peter Sugàr (Suedfeld 15). Suedfeld believes that Raoul Wallenberg had assisted the Red Cross in gaining the false papers (“P. Suedfeld Testimony 1984” 44:57 – 46:35). He did not know who the other Jews were in the orphanage and was very astute in maintaining his false identity. His posing as a catholic was aided by his appearance, with one German soldier calling him a “nice-looking Aryan boy” (Suedfeld 17-18).

By this point, Budapest was being bombed heavily by the Soviets, and the orphanage was left vulnerable. They would have little food and move between cellars and abandoned buildings to survive. Suedfeld and other boys would scavenge for food in the abandoned houses, with mixed returns (Suedfeld 16-17). One night, Suedfeld along with two other children were out looking for food, and were noticed by a gunman as they climbed over a fence. He opened fire, believing the boys to be enemy intruders, and the boys either side of Suedfeld were struck, while he remained uninjured (Suedfeld 20-21). The circumstances of Suedfeld’s hiding were filled with violence and danger, with intermittent periods of silence and darkness.

His hiding ended in 1945, a soviet soldier announcing to them that the war is over. Another soldier, after finding out that Jews were hidden at the orphanage, revealed his Star of David and provided the orphanage with meat, the first they’d have had in months. The happiest day of his life was when his aunt came to the orphanage to greet him, and later on his father returned from The Mauthausen concentration camp. His mother was killed in Auschwitz (Suedfeld 22-26). His father realised the Soviets entered Budapest as occupiers rather than rescuers and took Peter to Vienna (Suedfeld 28-29).

Despite the differing circumstances of their hiding, the Holocaust impacted all child survivors. The danger they evaded, the silence, self-reliance and mistrust of others were all aspects that each child survivor confronted (“Light After the Ashes” 10, 15-18).

[1] Resettlement order is a euphemism that refers to the deportation of Jews from the various German-Occupied countries to ghettos and concentration camps, mainly in Poland, to control the population.

After the Holocaust

“Liberation was not liberating for Jewish Children” (“R. Krell Testimony Tape 1” 1:52:00-2:00:00). They were confronted with the news of their dead relatives, separated from those who cared for them during the Holocaust, and thrust into new situations they were not prepared for but could not become a burden on their suffering parents. Krell was separated from his Christian family and taken back to live with his Jewish parents, and cried as he endured a second separation. However, liberation did lift restrictions for him. He was able to play outside, start school at a catholic kindergarten, and was reunited with the people stripped away from him, his cousins Milly and Nallie. Despite being close to the Munniks, his friend Franky and his cousins, The Hague was a city of ghosts to Robert, he and his parents left for Vancouver in 1951 (Krell 15-32). Suedfeld relocated to Vienna with his father, and three years later to New York once they received their visas (Suedfeld 28-31). The battle against Antisemitism, the relationship with silence, the resilience and self-reliance they both showed were all aspects that they faced in the quest for normalcy.

Antisemitism

Antisemitism did not stop at Europe, nor did it end with the Holocaust, it has continued into the 21st century (“2021 Survey on Jewish Americans”). Suedfeld encountered Antisemitism at the boarding school he attended in Vienna, fighting daily with the other boys once they learnt he was Jewish. He also worked at hotels that his father performed at in New York, that prohibited membership for Jews (Suedfeld 31,37). Krell also encountered Antisemitism on multiple occasions, once when he tried to save a drowning child at camp and began drowning himself, he heard one of his fellow campmates shout “Let the Jews drown” (Krell 25). An argument could be made for a newer form of Antisemitism that stems from a rejection of Zionism (Wistrich 28).

Silence

“Silence is the language of child survivors” (“R. Krell Testimony Tape 1” 1:42:00-1:47:00). Children would use silence to cope with the uncertain circumstances that hiding created. Krell recounts his experience with a ruptured appendix, not going to the hospital until the pain was unbearable (Krell 199). This mirrors his experience as a hidden child, never complaining about illness (Krell 6). Once their hiding ended, child survivors were confronted with the need to adjust to their new surroundings and were therefore kept silent, so they may forget the horrors of the Holocaust. The survivors whose parents returned to them also encountered the challenges of 2nd generation survivors, mainly in taking care of and provide emotional support for their parents (Bar-On et al. 323-327). Krell did his best to become “the perfect immigrant” (“R. Krell Testimony Tape 2” 1:17:45-1:19:40), providing for himself and removing any burden that his dependence could place on his parents. This silence would also express itself in personality. Krell and Suedfeld have both remained shy throughout their lives, and this could reflect the comfort with silence that child survivors display.

Resilience

The attribution of luck as the greatest factor for survival is found more so in child survivors, compared to adult survivors who had more agency (“Coping Strategies” 170). The uncertainty of their upbringing instilled a sense of self-reliance and resilience, to fight when necessary. Suedfeld joined the army for that reason, “to never again be alone and defenceless in the face of tyranny, aggression, racism, antisemitism and genocide” (Suedfeld 40). He served for 2 years in the Philippines in the middle of his undergraduate study at Queens University. Krell showed his resilience when his flight to Tel Aviv from Rome was hijacked by the PLO. He attempted to make sure all the Jewish passengers on the flight were accounted for, and to protect the Israeli women from the terrorists (Krell 98-110). In less dangerous circumstances, he says “I’m a marshmallow, until you tell me ‘You can’t do it’” (“R. Krell Testimony Tape 2” 2:01:40-2:05:10).

Work and Research

Suedfeld had returned from his service in the Philippines, with the intention of becoming an officer. To further that goal, he majored in Psychology, which eventually became the centre of his interest. He traded a military career for a scholarly one, attending Princeton for postgraduate studies. There, he came across sensory deprivation (Suedfeld 40-43). He is known as one of the forefront researchers in this field, especially concerning Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST). While he doesn’t credit his past experiences with the Holocaust as a factor leading to his research into sensory deprivation (“P. Suedfeld Testimony 1984” 1:47:39-1:50:26), it can be seen as investigating the positive aspects of the silence and solitude that surround child survivors. He has also researched the psychology of conflict, in a political context. In addition, he has written numerous papers around the Holocaust and its impact on survivors.

Krell completed his undergraduate and MD studies at UBC. He chose one of the toughest internships possible at Philadelphia General Hospital (Krell 75), before developing an interest in child psychiatry and accepting an internship at the Temple University Hospital for psychiatry (Krell 83). His Moeder remarked had hoped he would help children, saying “You are a Jewish boy saved to help other children” (Krell 187). He returned to Vancouver, juggling multiple roles at UBC and the CJC (Canadian Jewish Congress) along with his private practice. Perhaps his greatest achievement was founding the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre (VHEC), which teaches children and young adults about the Holocaust, while also providing a platform for survivors to speak. Adult survivors would bring their children to him for treatment, and some would seek him themselves (Krell 144-152, 180-184).

Speaking about the experiences of the Holocaust is beneficial to survivors, however it also brings painful memories to the surface, which has led to reluctance. To break the silence is a key aspect of treatment for child survivors, especially since they experience more intrusions of trauma in their daily lives (Fohn et al. 48). Child survivors such as Krell and Suedfeld were not even aware that they were Holocaust survivors, as Suedfeld says, “I thought survivors were those who were in the concentration camps” (“P. Suedfeld Testimony 2013” 1:57:17-1:59:34). That is the basis of Krell’s video testimony project at VHEC, where he collected hundreds of testimonies from child survivors, himself included. These testimonies have also been the basis of research into child survivors carried out by both, Krell and Suedfeld. An aspect particularly interesting that has emerged through research of child survivor narratives was that of compartmentalisation, survivors tend to separate themselves into two people, the survivor, and the normal citizen (“Coping Strategies” 172; Krell 225).  

The determination to succeed, pursuit for education, and tireless work ethic that is seen in child survivors could be a mechanism of coping with grief and trauma (“Child Survivors Strategies of Adaptation” 386). It could also be a reaction to seeing the world as unfair and unpredictable. Regardless of the mechanism behind their efforts, Suedfeld and Krell have been quite successful in their careers, both holding the title of Professor Emeritus, and both are also recipients of the Order of Canada, one of Canada’s highest civilian honours.

Conclusion

The survivors of the Holocaust, especially child survivors, were given bleak prognosis, that the weight of the Shoah would be too heavy a burden to shoulder. Child survivors were silenced, forced to stay in hiding, to grow accustomed to and be prepared for the danger that the world presents, with little respite. However, many survivors have taken the influence that their past has had, transformed it to their benefit, and in doing so have lived impactful, meaningful, and most importantly, normal lives.

It is important to acknowledge that the Holocaust was not only experienced in the concentration camps, the survival in Christian homes and orphanages were separately impactful and victims of these experiences deserve to have their stories heard and memories preserved. Silence is the language of child survivors; however, it is also the language of those who did not survive. Their memory is carried on in the narratives of survivors and they too, deserve a voice. Understanding of how to support young victims of trauma can also be learned from the narratives of child survivors, to listen and to trust their memory. ‘Never Again’ is frequently said with regards to the Holocaust, a promise to study the past and prevent future atrocities of that magnitude. Suedfeld says, “The world has already forgotten about ‘never again’. We’ve had a fair number of genocides since 1945, in which the world did not intervene” (“Survivors reflect on Liberation”). The 2003 genocide of Darfur, and the current persecution of Uighur Muslims in China are just two examples of the phrase being forgotten. It is our personal duty to hear the stories of survivors, study the history of the Holocaust, be aware of how small-scale discrimination can quietly grow into large-scale destruction, and speak for the voiceless with disregard for geographical location, background, or race.

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