Arno Lustiger facts for kids
Arno Lustiger (born May 7, 1924 – died May 15, 2012) was a German historian and author of Jewish background. He made important contributions by researching and documenting the history of Jewish resistance under Nazi rule.
He was the father of the author Gila Lustiger. He was also a cousin to Jean-Marie Lustiger, who was an archbishop in Paris.
Arno Lustiger's Life Story
Arno Lustiger grew up in Będzin, a town in Poland. His father, David Lustiger, owned a company that made machines for baking bread. In 1939, when the Nazis took over, they seized his father's company. However, his father was allowed to stay and work there.
In early 1943, Jewish people in Będzin were forced into a special area called the Będzin ghetto. The Lustiger family managed to hide in a cellar. In August 1943, the ghetto was closed. Everyone living there was sent to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. A few days later, Arno's family chose to go to a forced labor camp in Annaberg, Silesia. They hoped to stay together as a family.
However, the family was separated. Arno Lustiger was sent to the Ottmuth concentration camp. Later, he was moved to Blechhammer, which was a smaller camp connected to Auschwitz. From January 21, 1945, Lustiger had to join a "death march." This was a forced march during the freezing winter toward the Gross-Rosen concentration camp. The Soviet troops were getting closer, so the Nazis moved prisoners. Only half of the 4,000 prisoners survived this terrible march.
Later, he was sent to Buchenwald concentration camp. From there, he went to the Langenstein-Zwieberge concentration camp near Halberstadt. Life expectancy there was very short, only about three or four weeks.
In April 1945, Lustiger escaped during another death march. This happened when the concentration camp was closed because American troops were approaching. American soldiers rescued him. He then became a uniformed translator for the US Army.
After World War II ended, Arno Lustiger lived in Frankfurt, Germany. He built a successful company that sold ladies' fashion. He also wrote many articles about German-Jewish history. He wrote about the Spanish Civil War, Jewish resistance, and how Joseph Stalin persecuted Jews. From 2004 to 2006, he was a visiting professor at the Fritz-Bauer-Institute in Frankfurt.
On January 27, 2005, Arno Lustiger gave a speech in front of the German Parliament. He spoke alongside Wolf Biermann. On September 10, 2006, he wrote an essay in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. In it, he criticized Günter Grass for how he wrote about his past membership in the Waffen-SS.
Arno Lustiger passed away on May 15, 2012, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He was 88 years old.
Awards and Honors
Arno Lustiger received many awards for his work, including:
- 1984 – Bundesverdienstkreuz (Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany)
- 1994 – Bundesverdienstkreuz Ist class
- 1999 – Moses Mendelssohn award
- 1999 – Goethe Plaque of the City of Frankfurt
- 2000 – International Brücke award of Görlitz
- 2001 – Heinz-Galinski-prize (shared with Wolf Biermann)
- 2003 – Honorary doctorate from the University of Potsdam
- 2007 – Professor of Hessen
- 2009 – Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz (Grand Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany)
Images for kids
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Arno Lustiger.
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Arno Lustiger.
