On a train to Auschwitz, a daring leap for survival
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- Crammed in a cattle car on his way to a concentration camp, Leo Bretholz discovered a way to break out. He recounts his incredible escape story. Editor's note: Bretholz died Saturday. He was 93 years old.
CONNECT WITH POSTTV:
Subscribe ► / washingtonpost
PostTV.com ► www.washingtonp...
Twitter ► / posttv
Tumblr ► / postvideo
I had a teacher in high school.who was a survivor. He taught history. I will never forget. He was the sole survivor in his three generation of family.
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
@@teachatami45 He was a great teacher. He answered questions no high schooler would think to ask. Respect the survivors.
My great aunt was in the similar cattle car in the East going to a concentration camp for Soviet prisoners in 1941. She was a medic and smuggled a broken off surgent saw with her - they sawed off bars on the windows and jumped out when the train slowed down. She walked through woods for days to a little village where someone gave her civilian clothes and then she traveled to a town she knew before the war and pretended to be a refugee. She grew tired of living under Occupation and joined partisans as a medic and stayed with them till liberation in 1944.
Great. Why don't you write a book based on your anut's war time experience. May be someone may accept to make a movie. Good luck
So awesome
Amazing, amazing, I'm so happy she survived what a wonderful thing xx
Even if someone survived either by their own efforts or by being liberated, there was no happy ending. Likely their family was murdered and their house and property were taken from them. So they were alone and had to start from zero.
@@VenuGopal-iq8rh half of Soviet Union could tell a story like that or similar.. there is hardly a family that has not lost someone or haven't participated in the war effort in some way. Besides, she was both stubborn and extremely humble - i doubt she would've enjoyed being the spotlight of attention. She passed away a while ago
Hello, I am one of the grandsons of Manfred Silberwasser, the man who jumped off the train with Mr. Bretholz. I learned the story of this escape, a family story, my family. Future generations are present and we have not forgotten anything.
Hello. Do you know if many people jumped off the trains, on the way to the camps?
@@michaelreed4744about 800, my great grandmother was one
god bless this man and all who didnt survive
@JewSoap Contraptions are you calling the survivors of one of the largest mass killings of the history of the world "frauds"
Much respect for this heroic man. May all the victims RIP . NEVER FORGET. !
Never ever forget.
Never ever
Unbelievable story. God bless those human beings..
Oh my...how could we even begin to understand the bravery and the fear...together. Thankfully he was one of the few...Godspeed.
The woman who helped you is an angel you are very blessed and you are the voice of those who couldn’t speak god bless you sir
i dont think she jumped off that train. I rewatched several times for clues and in comment. This broke my heart.
such a well-spoken, articulate man. He really helps us who never experienced such horrors have at least a little appreciation for it all. I hope we all revive the phrase, "never again". But there are worrying trends.
Yes on little children through cps and hospitals forcing chemical warfare on babies . Its already happening just in disguise calling good evil and evil good .
I was riveted to every word. I did not want the story to end. Such Heroic virtue. I thank God for your life. I send my love to your family & all of your dear friends. Blessed Day.
91 at time of trial ,21i think when accountant at camp
@@kerrylord2576
Thank You for letting me know. I wish I had that streaming service, I would very much enjoy watching that.
It is tragic there are any young people in Germany denying the Holocaust.
l dont think i explained they wanted the old mans account of things as people still to this day do not believe this atrocious happened ,so sad for theses people not to believe when there is so much material on footage the troops who overtook adolf hilter .
.
great story that teaches to never give up hope and fight for your live with all you got.
Thank you God for sparing this brave mans life. He is phenomenal.
Andrew Mitchell exactly. Sometimes I wonder if god is even there
Thank you for making this.
In my life in Miami and New York City, born in 1962 btw, many of my best life long friends, friends, coworkers, and people I admire, have been Jewish people of different "faiths" (not all Jews practise their religion the same just as not all Christians do either.) I have found Jewish people from 98 to children to be kind, thoughtful and generous. I don't say this from a place of need. My family was comfortably middle class and very warm, generous and kind themselves. And although my family is Catholic, very welcoming of our / my Jewish friends, appreciative of their culture, the wonderful sense of humour so many had/have and the delicious food - pastrami on rye NYC deli style a favorite of my mother's... I, myself, had lox on a bagel for the first time in the 7th grade staying at a friend's house, her Jewish mom had bought it for us as a treat and I still love it.
So many happy memories.
I think the Jews have been so brave to face these horrors and to have faced tremendous prejudice before WW11 and even now.
And yet they remain in general an educated, kind, funny thoughtful people. Sure there are exceptions, but how many "exceptions" do we see daily of people who consider themselves Christians?
It sounds like only two men escaped. If that's true, that means the others in the car believed their captors (that they were going to be okay).
Not necessarily, escaping was difficult to do and frought with unknowns
That woman, the one who gave them the idea of wetting the towel, saved this man's life.
76 thumbs down. I find that VERY disturbing. Any thumbs down people care to explain why ?
@@therealtruth9502 ???
This will never be forgotten never ever
Marvelous story - marvelous man
@leicanoct Not "le Maquis", surely
Thank you sir, for your bravery, and sharing your story.
All I can think of is all those names in that book without a dot. The tragedy. Thank you to Mr. Bretholz for sharing his story, and to those who recorded it.
It just makes you think of the survivors whose families perished in these camps.. what a horrible tragedy.
This is so inspiring...gave me chills...and a newer sense of hope and faith for my life ...I wish I could ask him after they bent the bars how many people jumped out aside from him and also where did he go and how did he survive afterward. Are there more interviews with him?
yeh that's what I'm wondering... it would've been extremely difficult to survive even though he escaped.
@@meplife7313 it was a miracle all around...and to get his testimony on youtube, another miracle.
You can read a book that witnesses grim scenes of torture transgression and non sense. NIGHT for Eliezer Wiesel
@@meplife7313 There was a two-hour show about his life and other survivors who settled in Baltimore. I had the DVD but can't find it online.
Never again! Never forget! The possibilty is staring at us right now. I pray that mankind won't allow a repeat.
Cyril Culton From whom or what country is the possibility staring at us right now from?
The posibility is happening in Palestine and now Kashmir. HAs been happening in Yemen for years now. What exactly are you talking about? Please educate yourself on what is currently happening in the world. People will never learn.
pep, No has a crystal ball, it’s the sentiment of the comment that’s important.
Rrikikiki probably assumed you were talking about the United States, as so many people are naive and privileged enough to believe they’re even close to experiencing this level of oppression today. You are correct in your examples.
My heart breaks for the people , for their families.😭❤😭
Strange as it seems: In the long run, we know good will triumph over evil; however, why is there so much suffering and death before then?
Rest in peace
There needs be a movie or something about these precious stories of survival
A long movie of story after story after story.....
love my grand parents who died in sobibor may 7 1943, anna haas, emil shulz
Helen Murphy RIP
May your grandparents rest in peace
RESPECT to you, my dear sir, and your friends
bless this man. i wish i could hug him tightly. i am german.
The poor dear man!! Heartbroken for those who never survived. And deeply sad and broken over all he went through.
Krull family from Poland a rest in peace. Although I wish I had more information if someone knows how to further the information that I do have please contact
Riva Benzikri, My parents came from Lithuania, a village called Vilna. They came here using chain migration. They were very fortunate to escape. My Aunt and Uncle weren’t so lucky. They survived the camps, but lost, each of them, their families. They met while imprisoned there, emigrated to US through chain migration, married, and had a son. My cousin. I see that you’re seeking information. Krull family, from Poland. This is why I told you a bit of my family’s history. Lithuania has been part of Poland for quite some time now. The name, Krull, starts w/a “K”. My Father’s last name was Kuchevisky, maybe, Kucheviski. I’d have to find his photos. The Immigration Officials back then would change one’s surname if they couldn’t pronounce it. You probably know that already, though. Also, just for good measure, my Mama’s maiden name was Brody. I hope this might be helpful to you. If not, then at least, a temporary distraction. Good luck on your search, Riva.
Nazi was crime humanity, when I think they put their name human, I want to scream. Each one us responsibility to teach our children to respect and tolerance about each other.
alpha beta Silencing opposition is tyranny or fascism. I think you might mean educate, not silence.
@@cyberhermit1222 what is wrong with you
Cyber Hermit this is not a joke
Cyber Hermit no what you’re saying is propaganda
My heart is felt crying, now. The lady was a magical angel were did she end in life?
Such sadness, nothing good comes out of hate. I am happy that he lived to tell his story, but why didn't the others jump? I wished that they had.
Leo Bretholz RIP
Such a terrible thing that happened; during that time, we can hardly stand to read or hear about it now. I was protected from this information most of my life, but even reading or seeing any of it now makes me sick, and I've worked in the ER for years and seen a lot of death, but certainly nothing compares to the 6 million people who were the starved and tortured victims of that awful era -- RIP. Bless them and their families and to any brave and lucky survivors still alive,, we are grateful for your survival, may that kind of horror NEVER happen again!
God bless him . I listened as chills ran down my spine as to how this could happen . Thank God he escaped .How could this happen how can people treat others this way ...........we must all learn and never ever forget . Love to his family and to all those poor men women and children who did not survive .
Hard to believe human beings are capable of such evil. I cannot imagine what this man and his like went through. Amazing stories of the instinct to survive. Heroes! ❤
We live in a different world. A generation who has no clue, or the youth just do not care. Its a shame to say it but its true. Im ashamed of my generation. Good strong men like this are a dying breed
They fled to Switzerland - and Switzerland knowingly sent them back to their deaths....
RIP.
RIP in piece God bless him
@Lisa B its actually peace no spaces
But I know what you meant
Oh, he is dead? It is June 2019, hoped he was still alive. Are you sure he died, please?
Linda I am 6 months late, but yes it says in the description that this man unfortunately passed away.
We can try but cannot truly imagine what it must have been like to experience the horrors these people lived through. God bless them all.
rest in peace
If these trains are bad for humans, how can they be good for animals? Let's stop needlessly causing suffering to animals as well by living vegan. The animals need justice too.
I tried watching hearthlings. Didn't pass the first minutes. The perspective of the slaughter house much reminded me of a death camp.
Wonder , what happend to the Woman who had this great Idea ..
Does he ever wonder ?
I expect that he thinks of her every single day of his life.
@Tim Davidson Not funny. Not even a little bit.
Why didn't the woman go with?
When he broke down in the end. It was beyond heartbreaking. It hurts my soul and heart. I sometimes wonder if I could ever walk in their shoes. What would I do. What would I have done. Would I escape when it was possible. Or would it be impossible. What about family. What would have been my fate. Right or left. Both are beyond comprehension and equally terrifying.
Can someone explain or provide a link into exactly how they accomplished this?
I get the towel idea, but understand how they used it ‘twisting and twisting’ to bend the bars. Did they wrap the ‘towel’ around a single bar and twist? Or did they wrap around a couple and use the twisting force to bend them and the ‘towel, tightened?
I believe it is the latter
jared thompson
Oh look, another window licker! Care to enlighten us?
@Wil Jones Care to meet so I can demonstrate how to fix your feeble mind. Truly, you only need one swift kick to your cranium!
It’s so sad that even in old age even if they will forget about the little things they can never ever forget this moment in their lives and that gives me pain everywhere
THANK YOU
This is an amazing story of perseverance and courage in the face of overwhelming power and cruelty.
So many other countries participated in these atrocities just like slavery. Human beings
Yes, even the term "pogrom" was used in the infamous St. Louis episode. The same tactics were used against black people to instill terror: they were beaten, killed, tortured, hanged, and there was no penalty.
Amazing courage - God bless all of those people - and we need to pray for humanity.
My last name is Brenner. At 4:21 you can see two people named Brenner. Neither survived because they didn’t have dots. I wonder if we are related. I am Jewish so it’s possible.
Does anyone know the name of that book he pulled out, that had all the names in it?
I would suggest you ask at the library.
@ImNotMad ButUR
You should also read Schindler's Legacy.
I realize this is a very belated reply, but the book is “Le Memorial de la Deportation des Juifs de France,” by Serge Klarsfeld.
@@edienorton248 Never belated. I'm watching this video today and thank you for the usefull information.
This is astonishing in its bravery...thank you for sharing your story my friend...I have a faith that all will be answered in the end...you were meant to tell this story...to educate us to the evils of hate...and that we may never forget.🙏♥️x
i want to know what happened after he jumped
Ok, we understand how life was tough and everyone was miserable, but... life must go on, unless you and many like you prefer to live in the past and give us all a guilt trip. Please live happily until your last day. Enjoy life, dont dwell on the past, move on... life is amazing.
Ok, you can say that in Easter catholic mass when celebrating the death of Jesus and then forget about it all happened and lose the guilt trip.
Died 64 days after this broadcast. Glad he had his 15 minutes of fame before passing.
So the Swiss handed him back. Damn.
gpan62 weren’t they supposed to be neutral tho?
God bless💟🇨🇦
Bless you! October 2019
Niemöller is perhaps best remembered for the quotation1 :
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out-because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out- because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me-and there was no one left to speak for me.
Bless him. I wonder why the lady did not jump as well
So sad what happened back then. That man was so brave.
Amazing story. Good for you. The force was strong with you all that day
And he lived to tell...
This still leaves me speechless. How can anyone be so evil? Who the hell thinks of doing such vile things? Feels like a fist squeezing my heart when I’m reminded of this.
Thank God for courage and the will to live.
I whip for Jewish people, for Palestinian people, for Kurdish people. We all need a country we call home. When the country is chasing, banishing one, one doesn't feel at home.
*·*
A (posthumous) _dot_ for Leo.
This is very sad
We salute you sir
This proves that humans can cross every limits for thier selfish and meaningless resons.......
So Sad
I just cringe at how this even happened. Pure EVIL. GOD HELP US FROM IGNORANCE OF PEOPLE WHO STILL DISBELIEVE
Too bad more ppl from his car didnt get out & find safety too.
GOD BLESS EVERYONE 😢
I'm glad he survived and was able to share his story
What is his name
So horrible I can only imagine what these people went through.
God bless you and your partner!!!
Amazing!!!
God Bless You All
Who saved him after he jumped off the train? Something important is missing here.
Just remember, this was done by humans
Why would you put background music on this.
Because it's a short video, like trailor to an extended interview ( to me it didn't sound disrispectfull ).
This means tracking is not a good idea. Registering is not a good idea . It's the outcome of not just religion, taxes, but the mentality of ....? Aside that the first tracking was to return the other stolen. Not so amusing,.....rules gone astray.
we had anti-semites in USA, especially at high levels, the SS St. Louis was not allowed to dock locally. It is an outrage :)
granskare did you also read refugee? Also that wasn’t necessarily anti senetism
Tim Davidson and then those extremists were condemned by other jews
A survivor who testified in a Doc made by the Shoa foundation says her father didn't leave Germany with his family to the US because his cusin who lived in the Us said the americans treated jews in a really bad way. Had he only imagine how things were going to be after 1939...
How can some pepleole pretend that the news never die and say it was a lie
They escaped from hell.
Can anyone tell me the movie/short film TITLE about a girl who escapes with a boy from a train bound for the camps when they cut and ''dig'' a hole in the bottom of the train car? They join partisans and survive the war and I think,,,maybe,,they get married..?
It's based on a true story.
It’s such a shame the brain dead generation I am in doesn’t care about such history..
I find myself thinking God bless the movie industry that depicts horrible episodes in history, like this one, and allows us to learn. It's never enough but it's a valid medium.
May G-d fill all of them with his peace and love.
I'm so sorry
Tears..
Amazing resiliance
Heartbreaking so utterly sad.,,,
Man only 2000 people survived but they all should of got out
They should have all kicked those cars apart and ran off