Herman Rosenblat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Herman Rosenblat
Born	c. 1929 Poland
Died	February 5, 2015 (aged 85–86) Florida, United States
Spouse(s)	Roma Radzicki ​ (m. 1957)​

Herman A. Rosenblat (born around 1929 – died February 5, 2015) was an American author who was born in Poland. He became known for writing a book called Angel at the Fence. This book was presented as a true story about the Holocaust, a terrible time in history when many Jewish people were persecuted.

Rosenblat claimed that during World War II, a girl passed him food through a fence at a concentration camp. However, it was later found that many parts of his story were not true. Because of this, the book, which was supposed to be published in 2009, was cancelled. Rosenblat later said he made up parts of the story to "bring joy."

Before the truth came out, a company bought the rights to make a movie based on the book. Famous TV host Oprah Winfrey also loved the story. She called it the "greatest love story" she had heard in over 22 years of her show.

A movie is now being made about the real story behind Rosenblat's book. It will explore why he made up the story.

Herman Rosenblat's Early Life

Herman Rosenblat was a Polish Jew who lived in a town called Piotrków Trybunalski before World War II. In 1939, when the Nazis took over Poland, they gathered his family and many other Jewish people. They were forced to live in a special area called the Piotrków Trybunalski Ghetto. Herman's father had already passed away from an illness.

Two years later, when Herman was 12 years old, he was separated from his mother. She was sent on a train to a place called Treblinka extermination camp. Most people from the ghetto were sent to similar camps. Herman later said he lied about his age to the Germans. He claimed that older boys were used for hard work, while younger ones were sent to be killed.

In July 1944, Herman and his three older brothers were sent to Schlieben, a sub-camp of the Buchenwald concentration camp. He stayed there until February 1945. In his book, he claimed that his future wife, Roma, was a nine-year-old Jewish girl hiding nearby. He said she threw him apples and bread over the camp's electric fence every day for seven months.

Life After the War

Just before the war ended, Herman was moved to the Theresienstadt camp. After being freed from the concentration camps, Herman and his brothers went to the United Kingdom. They were part of a group of 730 orphans starting new lives.

Herman said he lived in London for four years. There, he learned how to repair electrical items. In 1950, he moved to the United States. He joined the United States Army in 1951 and served for two years. After that, he moved to New York and opened his own TV repair shop in Brooklyn.

In 1957, he met Roma Radzicki on a blind date. They got married. He later claimed that during their first date, he recognized her as the girl who threw him apples over the fence. He said he proposed to her right away.

The Story That Wasn't True

How the Story Started

In 1992, Herman Rosenblat and his wife faced serious money problems. Their family was robbed, and his son was badly injured. Rosenblat later said he made up the apple story while recovering in the hospital. He claimed his mother's spirit told him to share his story with the world.

In 1996, Rosenblat told his apple story for the first time. He won a contest on Oprah Winfrey's show. Oprah interviewed him twice, in 1996 and 2007. She called his story "the single greatest love story" she had ever shared on her show.

A book publisher, Berkley Books, decided to publish his memoir, Angel at the Fence. A movie producer also planned to make a $25 million movie based on the story.

How the Truth Came Out

Some people, including Jewish professor Deborah Lipstadt, doubted the story. Other Holocaust survivors also said the story seemed unlikely. A blogger named Danny Bloom contacted historians for help.

Holocaust historian Kenneth Waltzer began investigating. He found that prisoners in concentration camps were not allowed near the fences. Guards would shoot anyone who came close. The fences were also electrified. Waltzer also discovered that Roma, Herman's future wife, was never in the town of Schlieben. She lived far away, near a place called Breslau, during that time. Another survivor from the same camp said Rosenblat had never told this story before the mid-1990s.

On December 27, 2008, Herman Rosenblat finally admitted the truth. He told the movie producer and his book agent that the apple-tossing part of his story was made up. He said it was something he only imagined. However, he insisted that the rest of his experiences during the Holocaust were true. Rosenblat did not apologize. He said, "It was my imagination, and in my mind, I believed it. Even now, I believe it." He also claimed he did it to bring happiness and hope to people.

His family knew about the made-up parts of the story. They tried to convince him not to tell it. This caused problems within the family. Other survivors from Buchenwald also knew the story was very unlikely. But they chose not to say anything at first. Over time, more people felt that the truth needed to be shared.

What Happened After the Truth Was Revealed

On the same day Rosenblat confessed, Berkley Group cancelled the book. They said they had received "new information." They also asked for the money back that they had paid him in advance. A children's version of the book, called Angel Girl, had already been released. When its publisher learned the story was false, they stopped selling it and offered refunds.

The movie producer, Harris Salomon, was not aware of the hoax at first. But he still plans to make a movie. He said he always planned a "loose and fictionalised adaptation." He believes the story still has power. The new movie will focus on why a Holocaust survivor might make up such a story. It will explore his reasons, including his love for his wife and the memory of the Holocaust. Salomon asked Rosenblat to donate any money from the film to charities for Holocaust survivors, but Rosenblat refused.

Oprah Winfrey posted a message on her website about the situation. In February 2009, she said she was "disappointed." However, she denied being tricked by Rosenblat.

In July 2009, a video was shared online. It showed Rosenblat acting out his made-up story, including throwing apples over the fence. This happened long after that part of his story was proven false.

In September 2009, a new book called The Apple was published. It tells Rosenblat's life story.

See also

• Martin Grey (Au nom de tous les miens)
• Binjamin Wilkomirski (Fragments: Memories of a Wartime Childhood, 1995)
• Rosemarie Pence (Hannah: From Dachau to the Olympics and Beyond, 2005)
• Enric Marco (Memorias del infierno, 1978)
• Donald J. Watt (Stoker, 1995)
• Denis Avey (The Man who Broke into Auschwitz, 2011)
• James Frey (A Million Little Pieces, 2003)