Leon Lewkowicz

"Leon never had a lot of food in his youth. He was physically and mentally strong, a hard worker. There was a toughness, bitterness, and anger in him. He wanted to make sure that they don’t say that it didn’t happen. Leon wanted to testify at the trials. He wanted to live, was strong-willed. Stated, “never forget and never give up.” Leon passed away in March, 1981"

Date of birth

11/12/1904

Where were you born?

Zdunska Wola (Lodz), Poland

Where did you grow up?

Zdunska Wola (Lodz), Poland

Name of father, occupation

Hershel, Milkman

Maiden name of mother, occupation

Hannah Wendel, Homemaker

Immediate family (names, birth order)

My father, me, my sister and my brother (our mother died young)

How many in entire extended family?

I was drafted into the Polish army. I was married and had two children. Germany bombed Poland day and night. And I was taken as a POW. The Polish and Polish-Jewish soldiers were separated and put on a train, I didn’t like it. I looked out and the terrain looked familiar. A German guard was on top of the car; I took a chance and jumped out the window when the train started to move. The guard didn’t see me. I made it back to Lodz. The Germans were bricking in the ghetto and rounding up the men. My cousin and I hid. My cousin convinced me to try to escape and we left for Silesia. There we worked in a coal mine for two and half years. The mine caved in one day. There was blackness, no air. I was pulled out of the mine and my leg was broken. I was sent to medical facility at Auschwitz to recuperate as I was considered a valuable worker. Later I was sent to Buchenwald. There was starvation; I was a walking dead man. I had constant nightmares throughout my life.

Name of Ghetto(s)

Lodz

Name of Concentration / Labor Camp(s)

Auschwitz Birkenau / Buchenwald

Where were you in hiding?

Lodz Ghetto

What DP Camp were you after the war?

Yes

Where did you go after being liberated?

After liberation I went back to Zdunska Wola to see if my wife and two children were still there. No one returned however. I then went to a Displaced Persons (DP) Camp, where I met my future wife, Lili. My son Harry was born there in 1947.

Where did you settle?

When I came to USA, I loved America. I felt safe here. We raised the American flag on all holidays. We had a home in Oak Park. I never dreamed I’d have a home after being in those coal mines.

Occupation after the war

Dodge Main-Assembler and Plumber

When and where were you married?

1946 in DP camp

Spouse

Lili

Children

Harry, pharmacist Phyllis, designer Maurice, sales

Grandchildren

Four

What message would you like to leave for future generations?

Leon never had a lot of food in his youth. He was physically and mentally strong, a hard worker. There was a toughness, bitterness, and anger in him. He wanted to make sure that they don’t say that it didn’t happen. Leon wanted to testify at the trials. He wanted to live, was strong-willed. Stated, “never forget and never give up.” Leon passed away in March, 1981