Speaker Inge Auerbacher to share her memories as a child survivor of the Holocaust, March 19 at Skyline High School

When Inge Auerbacher was just 7 years old, she was deported with her parents to the Theresienstadt ghetto in Czechoslovakia. Inge was the last Jewish child born in Kippenheim, a village in Southwestern Germany, located at the foot of the Black Forest, close to the borders of France and Switzerland. She was the only child of Berthold (1898–1987) and Regina Auerbacher (née Lauchheimer, 1905–1996).

Inge’s father was a soldier in the German Army during World War I. He was wounded badly and consequently awarded the Iron Cross for service to his country. On November 10, 1938, her father and grandfather were arrested and taken away during the chaos of Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Glass) and sent to the Dachau Concentration Camp. Inge, her mother, and her grandmother were able to hide in a shed during Kristallnacht and were not harmed. A few weeks later, Inge’s father and grandfather returned home, but her grandfather died shortly after in May, 1939 of a heart attack.

Auerbacher spent the years 1942-1945 in the Theresenstatdt (Terezin) concentration camp. One of the 15,000 children imprisoned in Terezin, Inge was among the 1% who survived. Her parents survived as well – the Red Army rescued Auerbacher’s family on May 8, 1945. After a short stay at Göppingen, the family immigrated to New York City in May of 1946. Seven years later Auerbacher obtained US citizenship. She graduated from Queens College and spent 38 years working as a chemist.

Inge tells her life story in three books; “I am a Star: Child of the Holocaust,” “Beyond the Yellow Star to America” and “Finding Dr. Schatz.” Today, Inge travels all over the world speaking about her experiences in Terezin and promoting compassionate awareness. She has spoken for countless public schools, universities, foreign governments, and at the United Nations.

• Educational program
• Thursday, March 19, 2020, 6:00 PM
• Skyline High School, 151 Skyline Vista Drive, Front Royal, Virginia
• Open to the public, free of charge, reservations not required
• Sponsored by Skyline High School, The Rotary Club of Front Royal, and community members
• For additional information, contact Rich Follett, Skyline High School, rfollett@wcps.k12.va.us