Kurt Epstein (January 29, 1904 – February 1, 1975) was a Czechoslovakian Olympic water polo player and survivor of Nazi concentration camps.

Early life

Epstein was Jewish, and born to Maximilian and Helena Epstein. He grew up in

Roudnice nad Labem Roudnice nad Labem (; ) is a town in Litoměřice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. A steel road br ...

on the bank of the

Elbe River The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...

, 22 miles north of

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 ...

, in what was then the

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

province of

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

. He lived in a house built by his father in 1900, on the site on which his grandfather built the first ever house owned by a Jew outside the Jewish quarter of Prague in 1830. While in high school, he became a competitive rower and swimmer, and also a swimming coach. In 1924, he joined the

Czechoslovak Army The Czechoslovak Army (Czech and Slovak: Československá armáda) was the name of the armed forces of Czechoslovakia. It was established in 1918 following Czechoslovakia's declaration of independence from Austria-Hungary. History In the fi ...

, was picked for reserve officers school, and became a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

. The Czechoslovak National Swim Club asked that he be granted leave of absence to compete for them.

Water polo career

Epstein represented Czechoslovakia in water polo at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

and the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...

. His team finished tied in ninth position in both Olympics.

Incarceration in Nazi concentration camps

After the

German occupation of Czechoslovakia 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 **Ge ...

in 1938, Epstein was incarcerated at various

Nazi concentration camps From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps, (officially) or (more commonly). The Nazi concentration camps are distinguished from other types of Nazi camps such as forced-labor camps, as well as concen ...

, including

Theresienstadt concentration camp Theresienstadt Ghetto was established by the Schutzstaffel, SS during World War II in the fortress town of Terezín, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (German occupation of Czechoslovakia, German-occupied Czechoslovakia). Theresienstad ...

Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...

, and a labour camp at Friedland. All of the other members of his family were killed as a result of being gassed by the Nazis.

Later life

He returned to Prague after World War II, and was elected a member of the

Czechoslovak Olympic Committee The Czechoslovak Olympic Committee (Czech and sk, Československý olympijský výbor) was the non-profit organization representing athletes from Czechoslovakia in the International Olympic Committee. The ČSOV organized Czechoslovakia's represe ...

. After the Communists took over in 1948, he emigrated to the United States. He married Franci Rabinek Solar, a dress designer who had herself been interned at Theresienstadt concentration camp, then Auschwitz concentration camp, and finally

Bergen-Belsen concentration camp Bergen-Belsen , or Belsen, was a Nazi concentration camp in what is today Lower Saxony in northern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle. Originally established as a prisoner of war camp, in 1943, parts of it became a concent ...

from which the British had liberated her. She was also the only survivor in her family. They had a daughter,

Helen Epstein Helen Epstein is an American writer of memoir, journalism and biography who lives in Lexington, Massachusetts, United States. Biography Early life and education Helen Epstein is the daughter of Kurt Epstein and Franci Rabinek, both survivors o ...

, who became a writer and an associate professor of journalism at New York University, and two sons. In New York City during 1948, the

New York Athletic Club The New York Athletic Club is a private social club and athletic club in New York state. Founded in 1868, the club has approximately 8,600 members and two facilities: the City House, located at 180 Central Park South in Manhattan, and Travers ...

permitted Kurt to observe one of their water polo matches, but clarified that as they did not accept Jews as members, he would not be hired as a coach. After a decade of being unable to find steady employment, he ultimately became a cutter in a clothing factory of Star Children's Wear in the Garment District. In 2022, the Terezin Memorial mounted a photographic exhibition about Kurt Epstein and his career

References

External links