Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

Harold Reissner, 85, of Barrington, a survivor of the Holocaust, spoke today to West Warwick High School English and history students who had read "Night" by Elie Wiesel. Providence Journal photo / Kathy Borchers

Until he was 13, Harold Reissner had what he describes as an "active, happy" childhood. He played sports, he was a boy scout, he attended the local public school.

Then the Nazis began their campaign of persecution against Jews.

"Things changed very quickly," the 85-year-old Barrington resident told about 100 students today at West Warwick High School.

Reissner was no longer welcome at school. Friends ignored him. Some taunted him or spit on him.

By age 17, Reissner had been shipped with his parents and younger brother to a concentration camp in Latvia. It was the first of many he would be see as Hitler pursued his mad plans to conquer Europe and kill off an entire race.

He was eventually separated from his mother but managed to stay with his father and brother until April 1945, when he came down with typhoid fever.

Because of his illness, he missed a final death march that killed his father and brother, just days before American soldiers arrived.

Reissner said he and a few others who were left behind hid in the dirt under floor boards of a camp building until the sound of heavy equipment drew them out.

The sound was from the Americans.

He said he started talking publicly about his experiences eight years ago because he was concerned that some people were denying that the Holocaust happened.

"There are few survivors left," he said.

-- Journal Staff Writer Randal Edgar

Comments

Debbie said:

Harold,

Thank you for sharing your difficult story. If we do not learn from our past, we are condemmed to repeat it. These are not my words, but I so believe them!!!!!!

Link | October 22, 2008 9:42 PM
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