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Erich Kulka (18 February 191112 July 1995) was a Czech-Israeli writer, historian and journalist who survived the
Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
. After
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, he made it his life's mission to research the Holocaust and publicize facts about it.


Biography


Early life

Erich Kulka was born as Erich Schön to a Jewish family as the youngest of five children in
Vsetín Vsetín () is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 25,000 inhabitants. Originally a small town, Vsetín has become an important centre of industrial, economic, cultural and sports life during the 20th century. Administr ...
. His parents were Siegbert (Vítězslav) Schön and Malvína Schön. Erich studied at Gymnasium in
Valašské Meziříčí Valašské Meziříčí (; german: Wallachisch Meseritsch) is a town in Vsetín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 22,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban mon ...
. In early 1930s he started to work for a company of Rudolf Deutelbaum. He had a secret relationship with his wife Elly (née Kulka) and fathered a son, Otto (born 1933). Erich and Elly married in 1938.


Concentration camps

In 1939 after the outbreak of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, he was arrested by the
Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one or ...
for anti Nazi activity in Špilberk prison, an old
castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
on the hilltop in Brno, Southern
Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. Th ...
. Later during the war he was transferred and managed to survive throughout five-and-a-half years in other concentration camps:
Dachau , , commandant = List of commandants , known for = , location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany , built by = Germany , operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) , original use = Political prison , construction ...
, Sachsenhausen, Neuengamme, and 28 months in Auschwitz, from 1942 to 1945. In Auschwitz – Birkenau he worked with Ota Kraus and other Jewish prisoners in a workshop. Thanks to his position in the maintenance squad he had access to most of the Birkenau camps, so he could help fellow prisoners, act like a messenger, carry medicines and letters concealed in the hollow handles of his tools and even meet his wife and son in what came to be called the "Czech family camp". They arrived on September 1943 on a transport of 5,007 people from
Theresienstadt Theresienstadt Ghetto was established by the SS during World War II in the fortress town of Terezín, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia ( German-occupied Czechoslovakia). Theresienstadt served as a waystation to the extermination camp ...
. It was different from other transports: there was no selection and gassing, families were allowed to stay together, they were not shaved and they received old civilian clothes and shoes rather than striped prison grabs and wooden clogs and were not sent outside to perform hard
forced labor Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of e ...
. They could write to friends left behind in order to reassure them that conditions at the work camp Birkenau, near Neu-Berun, were bearable. This was the real reason for their lenient treatment which ended after six months by brutal liquidation of the family camp. During the evacuation of Auschwitz in January 1945, Kulka managed to survive a three-day
death march A death march is a forced march of prisoners of war or other captives or deportees in which individuals are left to die along the way. It is distinguished in this way from simple prisoner transport via foot march. Article 19 of the Geneva Conve ...
, and to escape while their train passed in
Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...
together with his twelve-year-old son,
Otto Dov Kulka Otto Dov Kulka (''Ôttô Dov Qûlqā''; 16 January 1933 in Nový Hrozenkov, Czechoslovakia – 29 January 2021 in Jerusalem) was an Israeli historian, professor emeritus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His primary areas of specialization ...
. After a series of risky episodes, in constant fear of betrayal, they ended up sheltering with the Frýdl family in the mountain village of
Liptál Liptál is a municipality and village in Vsetín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,500 inhabitants. Liptál lies approximately south-west of Vsetín, east of Zlín, and east of Prague. Twin towns – sister cit ...
. Erich Kulka's father, Siegbert, had been taken to
Sachsenhausen concentration camp Sachsenhausen () or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a German Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used from 1936 until April 1945, shortly before the defeat of Nazi Germany in May later that year. It mainly held political prisoner ...
as early as 1941, and perished there. Other transports from
Theresienstadt Theresienstadt Ghetto was established by the SS during World War II in the fortress town of Terezín, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia ( German-occupied Czechoslovakia). Theresienstadt served as a waystation to the extermination camp ...
to Auschwitz were selected and gassed in the regular way—thus perished Kulka's mother, Malvína, and two sisters Elisabeth and Josephine; his brothers Otto and Albert survived. His wife, Elly, was transferred to Stutthof and died during an escape attempt. After the war both Erich and Otto changed their surnames to Kulka to honor their wife and mother.


Post-war

In 1956, he donated photographs to the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. After the war, he wrote with his friend in prison Ota Kraus the book ''
The Death Factory ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', now considered a classic documentary book about Auschwitz. It has been translated into many languages and about a million copies have been sold worldwide. A special chapter in the book is devoted to the history and demise of the "family camp" in Birkenau, describing the murder of thousands of
Czech Jews The history of the Jews in the Czech lands, which include the modern Czech Republic as well as Bohemia, Czech Silesia and Moravia, goes back many centuries. There is evidence that Jews have lived in Moravia and Bohemia since as early as the 1 ...
. The book was published in seven editions in Czech and translated into many other languages. Another book, ''Night and Fog'' (co-authored with Ota Kraus), is a study of the economic system of Nazi concentration camps and
genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the L ...
motives. His book ''Judges, Prosecutors, Advocates'' deals with the Frankfurt Trials of Auschwitz war criminals. In 1964, Erich and his son,
Otto Dov Kulka Otto Dov Kulka (''Ôttô Dov Qûlqā''; 16 January 1933 in Nový Hrozenkov, Czechoslovakia – 29 January 2021 in Jerusalem) was an Israeli historian, professor emeritus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His primary areas of specialization ...
, testified in these trials in
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
. His son Dov became a professor of modern Jewish history, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Other scientific and literary publications from this period covered the trial of Eichmann in
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. The historical novella ''Escape from Auschwitz'', based on the true escape story of a Czech prisoner, from the "family camp" in Birkenau, and his attempts to warn the Jews in Terezin (Theresienstadt)
ghetto A ghetto, often called ''the'' ghetto, is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially as a result of political, social, legal, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished ...
, and the international community about the extermination of Jews by the Nazis.


Migration to Israel

After the Soviet invasion to Czechoslovakia in 1968, Kulka immigrated to Israel. He continued his research activities at the Hebrew University and at the
Yad Vashem Yad Vashem ( he, יָד וַשֵׁם; literally, "a memorial and a name") is Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; honoring Jews who fought against th ...
institute resulting in a first-time-in-history study relating to the significant participation of Jews from the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. Th ...
and
Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...
in World War II for the liberation of Czechoslovakia: "''Jews in Svoboda's army in the Soviet Union''" and "''Jews in the Czechoslovak Army in the West''". In Israel, Kulka was among the most active members of the "Association of Immigrants from Czechoslovakia" and in the "Israel-Czechoslovakia Friendship League". In 1977 he was among the founders of the Museum of Tolerance of the
Simon Wiesenthal Center The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a Jewish human rights organization established in 1977 by Rabbi Marvin Hier. The center is known for Holocaust research and remembrance, hunting Nazi war criminals, combating anti-Semitism, tolerance educa ...
in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
. Other projects included the establishment of the World Association of Auschwitz Survivors and publishing of the journal 'The Voice of Auschwitz Survivors', in English,
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
and
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
. In 1982, he was a contributor for the BBC program, ''The Gathering''.


Post-communist Czech Republic

After the 1989
Velvet Revolution The Velvet Revolution ( cs, Sametová revoluce) or Gentle Revolution ( sk, Nežná revolúcia) was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations agains ...
in Czechoslovakia, Kulka devoted himself to the renewal of Jewish life at the Jewish community in
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
, participation in international conferences and delivering lectures in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia. During this period, he also published new and expanded Czech editions of his previous books and his other publications. A monument in his hometown Vsetín was built on his own initiative, on the site of the synagogue that was burned by the Nazis. Another project he initiated is erecting stone tablets on the wall at the entrance to the Vsetín Jewish cemetery, with engraved names of the holocaust victims from his home town and the surroundings. Until the last year of his life he was actively involved in the rehabilitation of political relations, scientific and cultural relations between Israel and the Czech Republic. In recognition of his life's work Erich Kulka was awarded in 1989 an honorary doctorate by the Spertus College of Judaica in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
. In 1993, he founded at the
Hebrew University The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public university, public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein ...
in Jerusalem a fund that bears his name, which provides scholarships for outstanding doctoral research in the history of Czech Jews and the Holocaust. Most of the awardees are lecturers in Israeli universities, in Harvard and in
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. His scientific library is maintained at Beit Terezin in
Givat Haim Givat Haim ( he, גִּבְעַת חַיִּים, , Haim Hill) was a kibbutz located around five kilometres south of Hadera in Israel. It split along ideological lines in 1952, creating two new kibbutzim, Givat Haim (Meuhad) and Givat Haim (Ihud ...
kibutz and his personal archive is in the central archives of
Yad Vashem Yad Vashem ( he, יָד וַשֵׁם; literally, "a memorial and a name") is Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; honoring Jews who fought against th ...
in Jerusalem. In November 2004 a statue was created in his memory (portrait sculpture by the Czech artist Josef Vajce) in the Theresienstadt Ghetto Museum in the Czech Republic. In 2011, his 100th birthday, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the
Jewish Museum in Prague The Jewish Museum in Prague (Czech: Židovské muzeum v Praze) is a museum of Jewish heritage in the Czech Republic and one of the most visited museums in Prague. Its collection of Judaica is one of the largest in the world, about 40,000 objects ...
, published a file of articles in his memory (Czech, English, and Hebrew) by the name: "Erich Kulka 1911 to 1995, Life as a Mission in Memory of Those Who Did Not Return".


Books & publications

* ''We Dead Accuse!'' (co-authored with Ota Kraus) – (Czech: My mrtví žalujeme!) in Vsetín 1945; * ''The Death Factory'' (co-authored with Ota Kraus) – (Czech: Továrna na smrt) Prague 1946, 1950, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1964; German: Berlin 1957, 1958, 1991; Hungarian: Budapest 1957, 1958; Russian: Moscow 1960 Estonian: Tallinn 1960; Hebrew: Jerusalem 1960; Romanian (Fabrica morții): Bucharest 1959, 1963, 1992; English: Oxford 1966; Greek: Athens 1979; * ''Night and Fog'' (co-authored with Ota Kraus) – (Czech: Noc a mlha) Prague 1958, 1966; Hungarian: Budapest 1961; German: Berlin 1963; * ''The Frankfurt Trial'' – (Czech: Frankfurtský process) Prague 1964; * ''Judges, Prosecutors, Advocates – (Czech: Soudcové, žalobci, obhájci) Prague 1966; Slovak: (Tu sa končia stopy SS…) Bratislava 1965; * ''Escape from Auschwitz'' – (Czech: Útěk z tábora smrti) Prague 1966, 2011; English: Pergamon Press, 1966; South Hadley, USA, 1986; * ''The Kidnapping from San Fernando'' – (Czech: Únos ze San Fernanda, with Věra Trochtová) Prague 1968; * ''Catalog of Testimonies and Documents on the Participation Czechoslovak Jews in the War Against Nazi Germany'' – Jerusalem 1976; * ''The Holocaust Is Being Denied!: The answer of Auschwitz survivors'' – English: Tel Aviv, 1977; German: Jerusalem, 1975, Tel Aviv 1977; * ''Jews in Swoboda's Army in the Soviet Union'' – Czechoslovak Jews fighting the Nazis during the World War II. – (Czech: Židé v československé Svobodově armádě) Toronto 1979, samizdat (Charta 77), Prague 1981, Prague 1990; Hebrew, Jerusalem 1977; English: Jews in Svoboda's army in the Soviet Union, Jerusalem, London, New York 1987; University Press of America, 1979, ; * "Attempts by Jewish Escapees to Stop Mass Extermination", ''Jewish Social Studies'' 47:3/4, Summer/Fall 1985;"Attempts by Jewish Escapees to Stop Mass Extermination"
''Jewish Social Studies'' 47:3/4, Summer/Fall 1985; * ''Jews in the Czechoslovak Army in the West'' – (Czech: Židé v československém vojsku na západě) Prague 1992;


References


External links

*http://www.hagalil.com/czech/dachau/kz-12.htm *http://saalbau.com/auschwitz-prozess/der-auschwitz-prozess/zeugen/zeugen/otto-dov-kulka/ *https://web.archive.org/web/20120426063835/http://www.pruzhanydistrict.com.ar/yzkor_pruzhany/alive_winter.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Kulka, Erich Israeli writers 1911 births 1995 deaths Czech Jews Czech male writers Jewish refugees People from Vsetín Moravian Jews Czechoslovak emigrants to Israel