Anna Oliwek
"I hope that it will never come again what people had to go through in our lifetime. When I was young I saw the suffering that many, many people went through. You never knew when it would come to you. "
Name at birth
Chayka Shlain
Date of birth
12/19/1923
Where were you born?
Where did you grow up?
Radziwillow, Ukraine
Name of father, occupation
Chaim,
Died when I was 7 years old
Maiden name of mother, occupation
Bela Schwarcz,
Small Grocery Store Owner
Immediate family (names, birth order)
Mother and three children: me, Esther and Mendel
How many in entire extended family?
50
Who survived the Holocaust?
Only me and three second cousins
The Russians initially occupied Radziwillow. In 1941 the Germans conquered the area. I worked as a domestic for Germans at the age of 17. I was liked because of my hard work and knowledge of foreign languages. I was given false papers and a passport, and was protected as a pure race Aryan, “Reine Deutsche Rasse (RDR).”
The Germans and local Ukrainians rounded up the Jews to be murdered. The Jews were shot into a mass grave including my mother, sister, brother, and the other members of my extended family.
When the Germans departed, I chose to go with them as I felt protected as I now had false German papers protecting me. I feared for my life if I were to stay behind with the local Ukrainians who had been involved with the Germans in the mass murders.
Name of Ghetto(s)
Where were you in hiding?
In Novomoskovsk, Russia I worked as a German Army Gestapo language interpreter, had a false German passport and a false German identity. My new false name was Anna Prokipovich.
When did you come to the United States?
I came to the United States in 1948 with my husband Steve. My father’s brother lived in Detroit. I worked as a domestic supporting the family as my husband was sickly after the concentration camps. My husband later worked as a plumbing contractor.
Occupation after the war
Domestic
When and where were you married?
My first husband, Moishe Warshawsky was drafted into Polish army in 1939. I learned from his parents that he died in battle. I married my second husband, Steve (Shlomo) Oliwek, in 1946 in Mimenger, Germany.
Spouse
Moishe Warshawsky /Steve (Shlomo) Oliwek
Children
Bella, David, and Doris
Grandchildren
Three
What do you think helped you to survive?
My hope that the war would be over that I would be able to be with my family together. Unfortunately, nobody was alive. I had an intuition about who to trust. A certain German officer helped me get a passport.
What message would you like to leave for future generations?
I hope that it will never come again what people had to go through in our lifetime. When I was young I saw the suffering that many, many people went through. You never knew when it would come to you.
Interviewer:
Charles Silow
Interview date:
04/02/2009
Experiences
Survivor's map
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