Austrian Holocaust survivor "Mrs. Gertrude" dies at 94

BERLIN – The Holocaust subsister Gertrude Pressburger, who became celebrated during Austria's 2016 statesmanlike run with a video connection successful which “Mrs. Gertrude” warned of hatred and exclusion triggered by the acold right, has died astatine 94.

Pressburger died Friday aft a agelong illness, her household told the Austrian property bureau APA connected Saturday.

Pressburger was calved and raised successful Vienna, the girl of a carpenter. Her Jewish household converted to Catholicism successful the aboriginal 1930s, but that did not support them from being prosecuted by the Nazis aft Austria was annexed by Germany successful 1938.

After her begetter was arrested and tortured by the Nazis' Gestapo concealed constabulary for alleged governmental activity, the household was capable to flight to Yugoslavia and aboriginal to Italy, APA reported.

In 1944, the household was captured and deported to the Nazis' Auschwitz decease campy successful Germany-occupied Poland, wherever her parent and 2 younger brothers were murdered. Her begetter was besides killed by the Nazis.

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Pressburger returned to Vienna aft the war, but initially did not speech astir her horrific sufferings during the Holocaust. Eventually, she decided to unfastened up astir the Holocaust and astir the antisemitic experiences she suffered successful post-war Austria.

“I did not travel backmost to Vienna to beryllium oppressed again. I curse to myself that I volition not enactment up with thing anymore. I’m going to combat with my mouth," APA quoted her arsenic saying.

Pressburger besides published a memoir that she co-wrote with writer Marlene Groihofer.

In the publication “Gelebt, Erlebt, Ueberlebt" oregon "Lived, Experienced, Survived” she described her family's accomplishment successful Auschwitz successful 1944.

Her parent and the 2 brothers were sent distant connected a truck. Gertrude herself was sent successful different absorption and she rapidly mislaid show of her begetter too. Pressburger perpetually looked for her household members successful the decease campy until a alien approached her, pointed to the fume coming retired of the chimneys down the barracks and told her that each the radical driven distant connected the motortruck were gassed and burned already. That, Pressburger, wrote, was the infinitesimal erstwhile she understood that they had been murdered.

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In 2016, Pressburger addressed Austria's younger procreation successful an online video, informing against the humiliations and exclusion of minorities amid the far-right rhetoric successful the country's statesmanlike election. She called connected young Austrians to spell retired and vote. The video was watched and shared respective cardinal times.

“I conscionable said what I thought. That’s it. And that deed home. I ne'er understood why,” she told APA afterwards.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen from the Green Party aboriginal said helium was definite her video entreaty had immoderate power connected the predetermination result, which saw him narrowly triumph lone aft a re-run against the far-right Freedom Party's campaigner Norbert Hofer.

“We volition ne'er cognize for sure, but that it had an impact, that is to accidental an effect, and particularly connected young and precise young people, I americium convinced of that,” Van der Bellen said.

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