Dr. Inge Auerbacher

Inge Auerbacher was the last Jewish child born in Kippenheim, a village in South-Western Germany close to the borders of France and Switzerland. She was the only child of Berthold and Regina Auerbacher (nee’ Lauchheimer.) Both of her parents came from observant Jewish families who had lived for many generations in Germany.

Auerbacher was only three years old when massive riots against the Jewish community broke out across Germany and Austria from November 9-10, 1938, but her memories of Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) are still vivid. Her father, grandfather, and other Jewish men over the age of sixteen were sent to Dachau concentration camp; every window in their house was broken and they had to hide in their backyard shed to save themselves from the rioting mob; and their beloved synagogue was severely damaged. Miraculously, both men in Auerbacher’s family were released from Dachau after a few weeks, but they had both been treated very badly.

Auerbacher’s family sold their house and moved in with her grandparents in Jebenhausen in 1939, but the Holocaust was in full swing by the end of 1941. Her grandmother and other members of her family were sent to Riga in Latvia, where death by shooting awaited them; others were sent to Poland never to be heard of again. At 7 years old, Auerbacher and her parents were deported in August 1942 to the Terezin (Theresienstadt) concentration camp in Czechoslovakia.

Auerbacher’s life in Terezin was a nightmare. Death, fear, and hunger were her constant companions. She saw most of her friends sent to the gas chamber in Auschwitz, and she spent months in the so-called hospital with serious illnesses. After three long years, liberation came by the Soviet Army on May 8, 1945. Auerbacher was 10 years old at the time.

Miraculously, Auerbacher and both her parents survived. Marlene, her beloved doll, also made it through the terrible times. After a short stay in a Displaced Persons’ camp in Stuttgart, they returned to Jebenhausen. They learned that at least thirteen close relatives were slaughtered by the Nazis as well as many more of her extended family. Auerbacher and her parents immigrated to America in May 1946. She was stricken with a deadly disease caused by years of malnutrition in the concentration camp. She was hospitalized for two years and fought a valiant battle to regain her strength. Although she had lost many years of schooling, she graduated with honors from Bushwick High School in Brooklyn, New York after only three years in 1953. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Queens College in 1958 and continued with post-graduate work in Biochemistry. Auerbacher worked for over 38 years as a chemist with prominent scientists in research and clinical work.

Auerbacher has been a prolific author, writing not only poetry and articles but also books that have reached audiences worldwide. She is the author of six books which have been translated into nine languages: "I Am A Star: Child of the Holocaust," "Beyond the Yellow Star To America," "Running Against the Wind," "Finding Dr. Schatz: The Discovery of Streptomycin And a Life it Saved," "Highway To New York," and "Children of Terror." Her contributions to literature and education have earned her the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Louis E. Yavner Citizen Award, and an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Long Island University.

In addition to her educational efforts, Auerbacher has been an active lecturer on the Holocaust since 1981, speaking to diverse audiences across the USA, Canada, and Germany. Her story has also been the subject of documentary films that have garnered international attention. In 2013, she received further recognition with the Medal of Merit from the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, the Medal of Merit from the city of Goeppingen, and the Federal Cross of Merit given by the President of Germany. Auerbacher continues to inspire with her resilience and dedication as a motivational speaker, sharing her experiences and insights on human rights and survival.