Inge Auerbacher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Inge Auerbacher
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| Born | December 31, 1934 |
| Notable works | I am a Star |
Inge Auerbacher was born on December 31, 1934, in Kippenheim, Germany. She is a German-born American chemist. Inge is a survivor of the Holocaust. She has written many books about her experiences during World War II.
Contents
Inge's Early Life
Inge Auerbacher was the last Jewish child born in Kippenheim. This village is in South-Western Germany. It is located near the Black Forest and close to France and Switzerland. Inge was the only child of Berthold and Regina Auerbacher. Her parents came from Jewish families who had lived in Germany for many generations.
Inge's father, Berthold, was a soldier in the German Army. He fought during World War I. He was badly wounded and received the Iron Cross. This award was for his service to his country. Inge's father was a textile merchant. Her family owned a large home in Kippenheim.
Surviving the Holocaust
On November 10, 1938, a terrible event happened. It was called Kristallnacht, or "Night of the Broken Glass." During this time, Inge's father and grandfather were arrested. They were sent to the Dachau concentration camp. Inge, her mother, and her grandmother hid in a shed. They were not harmed. A few weeks later, her father and grandfather came home. Sadly, her grandfather died shortly after in May 1939.
Inge spent part of her childhood in a concentration camp. This was between 1942 and 1945. She was just 7 years old when this happened.
Life in the Camp
Inge and her parents were sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. This camp was in Czechoslovakia. When they arrived, almost everything they had was taken. They only had the clothes they were wearing. Inge also kept her doll, Marlene. Life in the camp was very hard. People were often sick and hungry. Food was extremely scarce. Potatoes were considered as valuable as diamonds.
Inge was often hungry, scared, and sick. Her parents tried their best to help her. For her eighth birthday, they gave her a tiny potato cake. It had a little bit of sugar. For her ninth birthday, they made an outfit for her doll from rags. For her tenth birthday, her mother wrote her a poem.
Freedom and New Beginnings
About 140,000 people were sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Many were later sent to gas chambers in Auschwitz. Others died in Terezin from hunger and sickness. Out of 15,000 children in Terezin, Inge and her parents were among the very few who survived.
The Red Army rescued Inge's family on May 8, 1945. After a short time in Göppingen, Germany, the family moved. They immigrated to New York City in May 1946. Seven years later, Inge became a US citizen. She graduated from Queens College. She then worked as a chemist for 38 years.
Inge's Later Life and Books
In 1986, Inge Auerbacher published her first book. It was called I Am A Star. This book shared her childhood memories. She has written six books in total. Three of these books are memoirs. They tell about her experiences in Terezin and her life after the war. A play called "The Star on My Heart" is also about her story. It first showed in Ohio in November 2015.
Inge shares her life story in three main books:
- "I am a Star - Child of the Holocaust"
- "Beyond the Yellow Star to America"
- "Finding Dr. Schatz"
These books describe her experiences during the Holocaust. In "I am a Star," Inge explains how her life changed. This happened after the Nazis took power. She writes about how all Jewish people had to wear a yellow star. This star was on all their clothes. She also describes what it was like in the Concentration Camps. She explains that it was terrible. People slept on wooden beds all together. The food was awful. Breakfast was cold coffee and bread. Lunch was often just cold soup, or nothing at all. Dinner was bread and cold soup. Many people starved because there was not enough food.
In 2023, Inge worked on a special project. She teamed up with StoryFile and Meta Platforms. They created an interactive AI and VR version of her life at Terezin. People could ask Inge's virtual avatar questions. The avatar would then show illustrations of her experiences. This project was supported by the World Jewish Congress, UNESCO, and Claims Conference.
Inge's Published Works
- Children of Terror
- Highway to New York
- Running Against the Wind
- Beyond the Yellow Star
- I Am a Star
- Ich bin ein Stern
- Finding Dr. Schatz
