#241 Margot Friedländer – Holocaustüberlebende und engagierte Zeitzeugin

·34 min·3 clips

Margot Friedländer confronts a Gestapo agent at her door, moments before discovering her family has been seized.

The episode begins by introducing Margot Friedländer as a Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust and now serves as a witness. It outlines her life in four phases: childhood in Berlin, a truncated youth under Nazi persecution, a postwar life in America, and her return to Germany. Her early life is described, including her family's attempts to flee and their eventual capture. A key moment is when Margot, at age 21, finds a Gestapo agent outside her apartment and learns her mother and brother have been taken to Auschwitz, where they were murdered. She then spends 15 months in hiding, aided by strangers, before being captured and deported to Theresienstadt. After liberation, she marries Adolf Friedländer and moves to New York, where they live a quiet life. In 2003, she returns to Germany for the first time, leading to the publication of her biography. At age 89, she permanently moves back to Berlin, reclaims her German citizenship, and begins visiting schools to share her story. She has received numerous honors, including the Bundesverdienstkreuz and an honorary doctorate. Recently, she appeared on the cover of German Vogue and received a letter from President Biden. The episode concludes with the hosts reflecting on her strength and her message to future generations to prevent such atrocities from recurring.

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