Context:

Margot Friedländer, a Holocaust survivor, lived in exile in New York for over 60 years before returning to Germany in 2010 to become a prominent advocate for Holocaust remembrance. After her husband's death in 1997, she began to share her experiences, initially through memoir writing, which eventually led her back to Berlin where she found a new purpose in educating young people about the Holocaust. Her memoir, 'Try to Make Your Life', details her harrowing experiences hiding in Nazi Berlin and her eventual capture and internment at Theresienstadt. Over the years, she became a notable public figure in Germany, even appearing on the cover of German Vogue, as she continued to speak out against antisemitism and promote unity. Her work was recognized with the Federal Cross of Merit, and she remained active in her mission until her passing at the age of 103 in Berlin.

Dive Deeper:

• Margot Friedländer was a Holocaust survivor who spent decades in New York City before returning to Germany in 2010 to advocate for Holocaust remembrance, becoming a well-known figure among young Germans.

• Following her husband's death in 1997, she began to explore her past and joined a memoir-writing class, eventually writing her own memoir, 'Try to Make Your Life', which recounts her childhood memories and experiences during the Holocaust.

• During the Holocaust, she spent 15 months in hiding in Berlin, using various disguises and relying on the help of non-Jewish hosts until she was captured and sent to the Theresienstadt ghetto-camp.

• Her return to Berlin was documented in Thomas Halaczinsky's film 'Don’t Call It Heimweh', and it marked the beginning of her public speaking efforts to educate young people about the Holocaust, especially given their lack of knowledge on the subject.

• Margot was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit by the German government and appeared on the cover of German Vogue, where she expressed her concerns about rising antisemitism and far-right nationalism while advocating for unity and understanding.

• Born in Berlin in 1921, Margot faced a challenging childhood due to the Nuremberg Laws and her family's struggles to emigrate, ultimately losing her mother and brother to Auschwitz—a fate she only fully understood decades later.

• Throughout her life, she emphasized the importance of sharing her story to foster tolerance and democracy, inspired by her belief in the power of personal narratives to educate and bring people together.