Steve Oliwek

"Appreciate the contributions that the Jewish people have made to the world."

Name at birth

Shlomo Oliwek

Year of birth

1919

Where were you born?

Lodz, Poland

Where did you grow up?

Lodz, Poland

Name of father, occupation

David, Manufactured materials for women clothes

Maiden name of mother, occupation

Devorah Wajnert, Actress in Yiddish theatre and Homemaker

Immediate family (names, birth order)

Parents and three sons: Henry, Abram and me

How many in entire extended family?

Who survived the Holocaust?

Abram and Shlomo (me)

Henry ran away to Russia when war started, no one wanted to follow him didn’t think it would be so bad. Henry was not heard from again.

Abram was in the Lodz Ghetto, in concentration camps, and hiding in the woods. After the war, he went to Memingen, Bavaria, Germany. I was in the Lodz Ghetto with our parents. Our father was sent to Dachau and survived the war. He died of typhus three days after liberation. Our mother was deported to Auschwitz to her death. I was also deported from the Lodz Ghetto to Auschwitz. I was in twelve different concentration camps and was mechanically skilled.

Name of Ghetto(s)

Lodz

Name of Concentration / Labor Camp(s)

Auschwitz Birkenau / Dachau / Skarzysko Kamienna

Occupation after the war

Plumber

Spouse

Anna Shlaim, Homemaker

Children

Bela, David, and Doris

Grandchildren

Three

What do you think helped you to survive?

Defiance. He wanted to survive and not let evil defeat him. He was going to stand up everyday and take whatever punishment was given out and go on to live one more day.

What message would you like to leave for future generations?

Appreciate the contributions that the Jewish people have made to the world.