Nathan Lachman

"Life goes on, don’t harbor revenge, educate yourself. Be aware of what is going on in the world. There were good Germans that saved my life as well as the evil ones."

Date of birth

05/08/1924

Where were you born?

Lodz, Poland.

Where did you grow up?

Lodz, Poland.

Name of father, occupation

Abraham, Clothing factory owner.

Maiden name of mother, occupation

Hannah Rachel, Helped in the factory.

Immediate family (names, birth order)

Parents, four sons, and four daughters.

How many in entire extended family?

About 200.

Who survived the Holocaust?

Two uncles, one brother and myself.

Name of Concentration / Labor Camp(s)

Auschwitz Birkenau / Dachau Allach / Kaufering / Landsberg / Tyrkaun

Occupation after the war

Meat Business.

Spouse

Shirley, Homemaker

Children

Three

Grandchildren

Four

What do you think helped you to survive?

I survived because of my age; I was 15 years old when the war broke out. Also because I my strength and my ability to work hard. I worked at many things, on the railroad and cleaning the apartments for the Germans. I was also the “horse” pulling the wagons from place to place. I was given food by a German woman when I worked outside the camp. I hid the food and was able to feed some of the prisoners. Four hours before liberation, I ran away with three other guys by cutting the barbed wires. I was afraid the Germans would come and kill us all. A German farmer hid us and fed us until we realized that the soldiers approaching were Americans. After the war I had typhoid and was in a German hospital for two months. My brother and uncle found me there. My brother and I came to the United States in 1949.

What message would you like to leave for future generations?

Life goes on, don’t harbor revenge, educate yourself. Be aware of what is going on in the world. There were good Germans that saved my life as well as the evil ones.