Helga Weiss by LILLY HARRIS

lh8579981 — 2024-04-18 14:21:39 UTC

Hela Weiss was a young girl who was born on November 10, 1929. She first lived in Prague with her mother, Irena, and her father, Otto. Their little family had some money issues and struggled to make ends meet.

lh8579981 — 2024-04-18 14:23:58 UTC

Because their family had a hard time with money, Helga had to quit school at a young age and continue on with her studies privately. The Jews were losing more rights each day, so Helga and her parents moved to Terezin in December of 1941. Helga didn’t live with her parents, instead she lived in an apartment building that was designated for the Girl’s Home.

lh8579981 — 2024-04-18 14:33:40 UTC

Helga would always spend her free time writing in her diary. She would always write about her life as a Jew. Helga drew pictures of what she experienced.

In 1944 on an Auschwitz station platform, Helga and her mother tricked a very evil and horrible man, Joseph Mengele. They were able to keep their lives. When Helga was in her teen years, she lied about her age so she could get a job. To work for the keep Irene, Helga’s mother, had to pursue a Nazi’s by telling him that Helga was her daughter's older sister. This in fact worked and the Nazis believed her.

lh8579981 — 2024-04-18 14:34:54 UTC

lh8579981 — 2024-04-18 14:37:15 UTC

Although she was famous for those two brave acts, Helga was most famous and known from her diary. Helga was soon sent to a concentration camp, but she continued to write in her diary. She wrote about her daily life such as, the small rations of food she would receive, executions, and the hope she still had that one day she would be free again.

lh8579981 — 2024-04-18 14:42:13 UTC

“all of us—are crying silently, but we don’t let our emotions show.” This is one of Helga's famous quotes. She was suffering more than anyone could imagine but she tried not to let it show.

lh8579981 — 2024-04-19 01:20:59 UTC

One of Helga's hardest experiences was when she had to say good bye to her father. In her diary, Helga gave her father a tight hug. After he walked away he turned around one more time to give Helga a wave bye. She was absolutely devastated.

lh8579981 — 2024-04-19 01:27:56 UTC

After Helga's dad was sent away to a death camp, Helga and her mother were soon getting transported. Before she left she asked her uncle to hide her diary. Helga's uncle hid her diary behind a wall in a Terezin barracks.

lh8579981 — 2024-04-19 01:36:06 UTC

Helga and her mother ended up surviving the concentration camp and they were liberated May 5th, 1945. After the war Helga was enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. She soon became a professional artist and married a musician. Helga was able to tell her story to the world.

Website Links

lh8579981 — 2024-04-19 01:39:22 UTC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ_xoLwy4Ko

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_3-3OJ3se0

Multimedia Links

lh8579981 — 2024-04-19 01:41:20 UTC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKEMBn_JdCE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-djASAQ0znw