Eyewitness to History: Holocaust Survivor Theodora (Dora) Klayman

Summary

Theodora (Dora) Klayman, a Holocaust survivor born in 1938 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, recounts her harrowing experiences during World War II. She describes how the ultra-nationalist Ustashe regime, supported by Nazi Germany, persecuted Jews, including her own family. Dora's parents were killed in concentration camps, but she and her brother were hidden by Catholic neighbors. After the war, they were adopted by their uncle and rebuilt their lives in Yugoslavia. Dora emphasizes the importance of standing up against oppression and ensuring the promise of 'Never Again' is upheld in the face of ongoing global persecution.

Takeaways

• 🕊️ Dora Klayman is a Holocaust survivor born in 1938 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, a country divided by political and ideological differences.
• ⚔️ The ultra-nationalist group Ustashe, supported by Nazi Germany, persecuted non-Croatian and non-Catholic communities, including Jews, Roma, and Serbs.
• 🏠 Dora’s maternal family lived peacefully among Catholics in Ludbreg for 40 years, with minimal antisemitic incidents before the German invasion.
• 👰 Dora's aunt Giza married Ludva Vrancic, hoping his Catholic identity would protect her from persecution.
• 💔 In 1941, Dora’s parents were arrested and deported to Jasenovac concentration camp, where they were killed.
• 💡 Dora and her brother survived by being hidden by their Catholic neighbors, the Runjak family, who sheltered them despite knowing they were Jewish.
• 🙏 After the war, Dora and her brother were baptized for protection and later adopted by Ludva, their uncle by marriage.
• 📜 Dora reflects on the power of individuals and communities to resist oppression, highlighting the importance of standing up for what is right.
• 🔁 She notes that genocides have continued, including in Yugoslavia, and emphasizes the need for action against persecution based on religious or ethnic identity.
• 🗣️ Dora urges people to lift their voices and act to prevent future atrocities, advocating for a world where 'Never Again' becomes a reality.

Q & A

Who is Dora Klayman?

Dora Klayman is a Holocaust survivor and Museum volunteer, born in January 1938 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia.

What was the political situation in Yugoslavia before World War II?

Yugoslavia was a country with differing historical alliances, several languages, and various religions. Before World War II, there were serious ideological and political disagreements, leading to the rise of the ultra-nationalist group Ustashe.

What was the Ustashe, and what were their goals?

The Ustashe was an ultra-nationalist group in Yugoslavia that advocated withdrawal from the Yugoslav coalition and the establishment of a nationalist Croatian country. After failing to win enough votes, they resorted to terrorist tactics and later led a Nazi puppet government in Croatia.

How did the Ustashe come to power in Croatia?

The Ustashe came to power after the German invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, with support from Nazi Germany, establishing a puppet government in Croatia.

What happened to Dora Klayman's parents during the Holocaust?

Dora Klayman's parents were arrested in June 1941. Her father was sent to Jasenovac concentration camp, and her mother was sent to Stara Gradiska, a subcamp of Jasenovac. Neither survived.

Who helped Dora and her brother survive during the Holocaust?

Dora and her brother were first sheltered by their grandparents and later by their Catholic neighbors, the Runjak family. Many people in their town knew they were Jewish but never denounced them.

What happened to Dora's aunt, Giza, and her husband, Ludva?

Giza married Ludva, a Catholic, hoping his identity would protect her. However, Ludva was arrested and sent to Jasenovac in 1943, and Giza was deported to Auschwitz, where she died shortly after arrival.

How did Dora and her brother avoid being discovered during the Holocaust?

To protect them, Dora and her brother were baptized and pretended to be the children of their Catholic neighbors, the Runjaks.

What does Dora emphasize about the role of individuals and towns during the Holocaust?

Dora highlights the power of individuals and even whole towns to stand up and do what is right in times of persecution. She reflects on how people can fight political oppression, but it requires more than internal uprisings to defeat powerful governments.

What broader message does Dora Klayman convey in her testimony?

Dora emphasizes that hatred and genocide did not end with the Holocaust and continue in various parts of the world. She calls for people not to remain silent and to raise their voices against persecution and injustice.

Outlines

00:00

🕊️ Dora Klayman’s Holocaust Experience and Family History

Theodora 'Dora' Klayman introduces herself as a Holocaust survivor and museum volunteer, born in Zagreb, Yugoslavia in 1938. She describes Yugoslavia as a country of diverse cultures, religions, and political divisions. During World War II, the Ustashe, an ultra-nationalist group, aligned with Nazi Germany to create the so-called Independent State of Croatia, a puppet government responsible for the persecution of Jews, Roma, Serbs, and Communists. Dora shares the tragic story of her family, many of whom were arrested and killed in concentration camps, including her parents. Her brother was saved by their housekeeper and reunited with Dora in Ludbreg, where they were sheltered by Catholic neighbors. Despite the devastation, some townspeople risked their lives to protect them.

05:04

🌍 Survival, Loss, and Lessons from the Holocaust

Dora recounts how her extended family was nearly wiped out, with her brother and herself narrowly surviving by being hidden and later baptized for protection. After the war, they hoped in vain for their family’s return but were eventually adopted by their uncle. Dora reflects on the atrocities committed by the Nazis and the Ustashe, emphasizing the importance of standing up against persecution. She notes that the Holocaust did not end such horrors, referencing the Yugoslav Wars and the continued global silence in the face of ethnic and religious persecution. She urges everyone to speak out and take action, to ensure that 'Never Again' becomes a reality.

Keywords

💡Holocaust

The Holocaust refers to the genocide of six million Jews and millions of other victims by Nazi Germany during World War II. In the video, Dora Klayman shares her experience as a Holocaust survivor, detailing the persecution of Jews and other groups under the Ustashe and Nazi regimes.

💡Ustashe

The Ustashe was an ultra-nationalist Croatian group that collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II. They implemented brutal policies targeting Jews, Serbs, and Roma, leading to mass deportations and killings. Dora Klayman describes their rise to power in Croatia and the persecution they initiated.

💡Jasenovac

Jasenovac was a concentration camp run by the Ustashe in Croatia, where thousands of Jews, Serbs, Roma, and others were murdered. Dora Klayman recounts how her father and most of her family were deported and killed in Jasenovac, illustrating the atrocities committed in this camp.

💡Partisans

Partisans were members of the resistance movement fighting against Nazi occupation and their collaborators, such as the Ustashe, in Yugoslavia. Dora mentions that her uncle, Ludva, was arrested on suspicion of supporting the partisans, highlighting the risks faced by those who opposed the regime.

💡Auschwitz

Auschwitz was the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp, located in Poland. Dora Klayman describes how her aunt Giza was deported to Auschwitz, where she died soon after arrival. This underlines the global scale of the Holocaust and its devastating impact on families.

💡Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast Europe, created after World War I, and later torn apart by political and ethnic conflicts. Dora Klayman explains how the German invasion of Yugoslavia allowed the Ustashe to seize power in Croatia, leading to widespread persecution. She also reflects on the genocides that followed in the region after World War II.

💡Persecution

Persecution refers to the systematic mistreatment of individuals based on their race, religion, or political beliefs. In the video, Dora recounts the persecution her family faced under the Ustashe and Nazi regimes due to their Jewish identity, showing the dangers of intolerance and hatred.

💡Genocide

Genocide is the intentional destruction of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Dora’s story highlights the Holocaust as one of the most infamous genocides in history, while also emphasizing that genocide has occurred in more recent times, such as in the former Yugoslavia.

💡Resistance

Resistance refers to organized efforts to oppose and fight back against oppressive regimes. Dora’s uncle, Ludva, was suspected of supporting the partisan resistance against the Nazis and Ustashe, showing the bravery of those who stood up to tyranny despite the personal risks involved.

💡Survivor

A survivor is someone who has lived through and escaped a traumatic or life-threatening event. Dora Klayman identifies herself as a Holocaust survivor, providing a first-hand account of the horrors she endured and the resilience required to rebuild her life after such devastating losses.

Highlights

Theodora Klayman, a Holocaust survivor, was born in January 1938 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, a country marked by differing historical alliances, languages, and religions.

Before World War II, Yugoslavia was already experiencing significant ideological and political disagreements, contributing to the rise of the ultra-nationalist Ustashe group.

The Ustashe, supported by Nazi Germany, took control of Croatia, establishing a puppet government that persecuted Jews, Communists, Serbs, and Roma.

Theodora's grandfather was the rabbi of Ludbreg, where her family lived peacefully with a predominantly Catholic population, experiencing little antisemitism before the war.

Theodora's aunt Giza married her Catholic friend Ludva Vrancic in hopes that his identity would protect her from persecution.

By June 1941, Theodora's parents and infant brother were arrested; her father was sent to Jasenovac concentration camp, and her mother to Stara Gradiska, where both were killed.

Theodora and her brother were initially sheltered by their grandparents in Ludbreg, but by 1942, nearly the entire Jewish community there had been deported and killed.

In 1943, Ludva was arrested for suspected support of the partisan resistance, and Giza was later arrested and deported to Auschwitz, where she died shortly after arrival.

Theodora and her brother were hidden by Catholic neighbors, the Runjaks, pretending to be their children; the townspeople knew they were Jewish but never denounced them.

After Ludva was released from Jasenovac, he adopted Theodora and her brother as they rebuilt their lives in post-war Yugoslavia.

The Holocaust's impact on Theodora's family exemplifies the devastating effects of persecution and the power of individuals and communities to protect the vulnerable.

Theodora's story highlights the importance of standing up against political oppression and the need for collective action to achieve victory over ruthless regimes.

Theodora emphasizes that hatred and genocide did not end with the Holocaust, as her homeland Yugoslavia experienced another genocide in recent times.

She calls attention to the ongoing global silence in the face of persecution based on religious or ethnic identity, urging people to take action.

Theodora concludes by stressing the need to speak out against injustice and work towards making 'Never Again' a reality for future generations.

Transcripts

THEODORA KLAYMAN: My name is Dora Klayman.

I'm a Holocaust survivor and Museum volunteer.

I was born in January 1938 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia,

a country cobbled together after World War I.

It was a country of differing historical alliances,

several languages, and various religions.

By the eve of World War II there were within Yugoslavia

serious ideological and political disagreements,

and one of the results was development of

an ultra-nationalist group, the Ustashe.

The Ustashe advocated withdrawal from the Yugoslav coalition

and the establishment of a nationalist Croatian country.

When the Ustashe failed to win enough votes in the elections,

they turned to terrorist tactics.

Following the German invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941,

and with the support of Germany, the Ustashe assumed leadership

of the so-called Independent State of Croatia.

Hardly independent, it was a puppet government of Nazi Germany,

eager to persecute anyone who was not aligned with

them politically or was not Croatian and Catholic. Specifically,

that included Communists, Roma, Serbs, and Jews.

My maternal family members lived in Ludbreg,

a small town in the north of Croatia.

My grandfather, the town's rabbi,

had served the Jewish community there for many years.

Our family had a very cordial relationship

with a predominantly Catholic population,

and for the 40 years that my family lived there,

there were practically no antisemitic incidents.

My aunt Giza and her long-time close friend

Ljudevit (Ludva) Vrancic, a local bank director,

had all but decided not to marry.

However, fear of the German invasion of Yugoslavia changed their minds.

The hope was that Ludva's Catholic identity

would protect Giza from persecution.

By June 1941, just a few months after the Nazis marched into Yugoslavia,

my parents and infant brother, Zdravko, were arrested.

My father was deported to the Jasenovac concentration camp

and my mother was sent to Stara Gradiska, a subcamp of Jasenovac.

Neither survived.

Fortunately, my little brother was saved by our housekeeper

and brought to Ludbreg, where I had been staying with my extended family.

My brother and I were first sheltered by our grandparents, but by 1942,

nearly the entire Jewish community of Ludbreg had been deported,

including my grandparents and the majority of my family members.

All were soon killed in Jasenovac. We were left behind

with my aunt Giza and her Catholic husband Ludva.

In 1943, Ludva was arrested on suspicion of supporting

the partisan resistance movement and was sent to Jasenovac.

In his absence, my aunt Giza was denounced,

arrested, and deported to Auschwitz,

where she died from illness shortly after arrival.

During this time, my brother and I were

hidden by our Catholic neighbors,

the Runjaks, and we pretended to be their children.

Most people in Ludbreg knew we were Jewish, but they never denounced us.

Sometime later, Ludva was released along with other political prisoners.

Fearing the worst and having been warned that the local priest

made threats toward us while we were with the Runjak family,

my brother and I were baptized for added protection.

After liberation, we waited in vain for our family members to return.

Knowing that our parents would not return, Uncle Ludva adopted my brother

and me and we sought to rebuild our lives in what became Yugoslavia.

The Nazis and the Ustashe killed hundreds of thousands of people

they identified as "the other,"

people they decided did not have the right to exist.

The history of the Holocaust,

my history, highlights the precariousness of the persecuted

peoples and the power of individuals,

even whole towns, to stand up and do what is right,

even in extraordinary times.

It also reminds us that people can rise and fight political oppression,

but it takes more than just an internal uprising to achieve

victory over a powerful and ruthless government.

Tragically, we all know that hatred, even genocide,

did not end with the Holocaust.

What became my country after World War II,

Yugoslavia, experienced yet another genocide in more recent times.

We continue to witness, in many parts of the world, silence in

the face of persecution based on religious or ethnic identity.

Or - we profess despair but do little or nothing to help.

We must not remain silent;

we must all lift our voices in pleas and in protest,

in calls for action to create a better world

and to work to make Never Again a reality.