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The Stable Boy of Auschwitz: A heartbreaking true story of courage and survival
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254 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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March 7, 2023
It is easy to label WW2 as horrible, Hitler as evil, and the Nazis as depraved but it's still just that: a label; a classifying phrase. What is easily forgotten are the people behind the labels; their stories, their hardships, and their heartaches. Never is this more true than for any Jew who survived atrocities to tell their tale. 'The Stable Boy of Auschwitz' is one such tale.
Heinz Oster first experienced hate against Jews when he came home from his first day of school in 1934. A crowd of newly anointed Hitler youth decided to flex their status by taunting young children, 'I had gone to school that morning full of excitement...when I finally made it home that afternoon, the world was a much darker, more dangerous place.' Shortly thereafter, his family is forced from their comfortable, well-off surroundings into a one-bedroom hovel. That is the beginning of the tale of torment and heartache. And it's only the beginning of the war. Their plight only became worse and the war only became longer.
Heinz's story, although poignant and harrowing isn't necessarily (sadly) unique to other concentration camp survivors' tales. What I felt enriched this book was all the context set around it. The book provides information on why Hitler was so eagerly elected, as well as why, in all probability, many Jews chose to stay in Germany before the borders closed, 'if you didn't believe your leaders, you were suspect. Disloyal. A traitor. Not a true German.' It is conjectured that this was also this ethos that convinced so many Germans to follow Hitler so wholeheartedly.
Once liberation comes, the story doesn't stop. We are also given an account of the hardship of assimilation - especially for a teenage boy who'd essentially grown up as a despised Jewish prisoner and saw his immediate family members murdered, 'Imagine knowing that nobody on the entire planet really cared about you.' In spite of all the atrocities that the now-named Henry experienced, he not only survived, but he also thrived. Further, he played his part in ensuring that this piece of history is never forgotten, 'the only way for humanity to prevent a horror like the Holocaust from ever happening again is to force ourselves to look, with unblinking eyes...'
This book is a great, personal account of not only the depravity of some but also the power of resilience in others. It is also a relatively short book so you're not overwhelmed by the harrowing nature of the topic. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in WW2 non-fiction, biographies, and concentration camp survivors. Really, it is a must, so we never forget.
Thank you NetGalley and Thread books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Heinz Oster first experienced hate against Jews when he came home from his first day of school in 1934. A crowd of newly anointed Hitler youth decided to flex their status by taunting young children, 'I had gone to school that morning full of excitement...when I finally made it home that afternoon, the world was a much darker, more dangerous place.' Shortly thereafter, his family is forced from their comfortable, well-off surroundings into a one-bedroom hovel. That is the beginning of the tale of torment and heartache. And it's only the beginning of the war. Their plight only became worse and the war only became longer.
Heinz's story, although poignant and harrowing isn't necessarily (sadly) unique to other concentration camp survivors' tales. What I felt enriched this book was all the context set around it. The book provides information on why Hitler was so eagerly elected, as well as why, in all probability, many Jews chose to stay in Germany before the borders closed, 'if you didn't believe your leaders, you were suspect. Disloyal. A traitor. Not a true German.' It is conjectured that this was also this ethos that convinced so many Germans to follow Hitler so wholeheartedly.
Once liberation comes, the story doesn't stop. We are also given an account of the hardship of assimilation - especially for a teenage boy who'd essentially grown up as a despised Jewish prisoner and saw his immediate family members murdered, 'Imagine knowing that nobody on the entire planet really cared about you.' In spite of all the atrocities that the now-named Henry experienced, he not only survived, but he also thrived. Further, he played his part in ensuring that this piece of history is never forgotten, 'the only way for humanity to prevent a horror like the Holocaust from ever happening again is to force ourselves to look, with unblinking eyes...'
This book is a great, personal account of not only the depravity of some but also the power of resilience in others. It is also a relatively short book so you're not overwhelmed by the harrowing nature of the topic. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in WW2 non-fiction, biographies, and concentration camp survivors. Really, it is a must, so we never forget.
Thank you NetGalley and Thread books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
April 5, 2023
Over the years, I have read many personal memoirs by survivors of the Holocaust but few have pulled at my heartstrings and inspired me as much as The Stable Boy of Auschwitz: A Heartbreaking True Story of Courage and Survival by Henry Oster and Dexter Ford. It was originally published under the title of The Kindness of the Hangman by Dexter Ford. I listened to the audiobook that was very well narrated by William Hope with a touching afterthought by Henry’s wife, Susan Oster. The Stable Boy of Auschwitz took place before World War II, during the war and then after the war.
Henry grew up in Cologne, Germany as an only child. He was barely five years old when Hitler and the Nazis took control of Germany in 1933. As a Jewish boy, his life was about to change drastically. Henry and his family witnessed the unimaginable terrors of Kristallnact. Shortly afterwards, Henry and his parents were ousted from their comfortable apartment and forced to live in one room in a much less desirable location in Cologne. Food became harder and harder to find. Henry’s father started to experience severe depression. He felt hopeless in his role as provider and protector. It wasn’t long before he died from starvation. Although Henry was still young he tried to take care of his mother. It was just the two of them now. Even as a young boy, Henry proved to be brave and resourceful. Then the Nazis relocated Henry and his mother to a ghetto in Łódź, Poland. The conditions were far worse than the conditions in Cologne. At least Henry and his mother were still together and had not been selected for deportation.
In 1943, Henry’s and his mother’s luck ran out. They had been selected for deportation. The two of them were pushed into an overcrowded cattle car that was headed for Birkenau/ Auschwitz. Henry and his mother were separated immediately upon arrival. For the first time in his life, Henry was totally alone. Henry was starving, scared and almost ready to give up hope when he arrived at Auschwitz. He considered himself extremely lucky that he had been assigned to work in the stables at Auschwitz. Since Henry spoke German fluently, he was assigned to the two mares, Mutti and Olga and the stallion, Barbarossa. These horses were used to taking orders in German so Henry was assigned to them. Henry was responsible for breeding these horses for the Nazis for the war effort. Every day Henry worked with the horses, was one more day he got to live. Henry took a real liking for the horses and they provided a sort of comfort for him. In the back of Henry’s mind, he knew he could never make a mistake, steal food or become too weak to work. He focused on one day at a time and how he could survive all the atrocities he was made to endure.
In The Stable Boy of Auschwitz, Henry shared all the fears he felt during his time in Auschwitz, his most private thoughts, thoughts he had never spoken out loud before and each and every atrocities he was made to endure in Auschwitz and later in Buchenwald before the camp was liberated by the Americans. From the 2,011 Jewish people that had resided in Cologne before World War II only 23 survived, including Henry. Henry was very fortunate that an aunt and uncle recognized his name in a newspaper in California and brought Henry to the United States and adopted him. When he arrived in Los Angeles, California, he spoke no English at all. Henry not only mastered the English language but went on to attend and graduate from college and then optometry school. It really saddened me that Henry once again had to experience antisemitism when he applied to dentistry school. There were institutions here in the United States that openly limited the number of Jewish applicants they accepted into their programs. Henry was denied entry into Dentistry School because he was Jewish. With everything that Henry had gone through during the Holocaust, it was so unfair for him to have to experience antisemitism in the United States as well. His backup plan for not becoming a dentist was to attend optometry school. It proved to be perfect for him. Henry went on to marry and have children. He wanted others to know what he had endured so that those that perished during the Holocaust would not be forgotten and that the Holocaust would never happen again. Henry spoke often at schools, youth groups and at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. He was a very special man who lived every day of his life, as his wife mentioned, as if his cup was half full instead of half empty. Henry accomplished a great deal in his life after arriving in California but he never forgot and he helped others to do the same. I was filled with raw emotion after reading Henry’s story and was so glad he got to tell it. Please read his story for yourself. It was impossible to convey all that he endured and accomplished in my review. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Bookouture Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Stable Boy of Auschwitz by Henry Oster and Dexter Ford through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Henry grew up in Cologne, Germany as an only child. He was barely five years old when Hitler and the Nazis took control of Germany in 1933. As a Jewish boy, his life was about to change drastically. Henry and his family witnessed the unimaginable terrors of Kristallnact. Shortly afterwards, Henry and his parents were ousted from their comfortable apartment and forced to live in one room in a much less desirable location in Cologne. Food became harder and harder to find. Henry’s father started to experience severe depression. He felt hopeless in his role as provider and protector. It wasn’t long before he died from starvation. Although Henry was still young he tried to take care of his mother. It was just the two of them now. Even as a young boy, Henry proved to be brave and resourceful. Then the Nazis relocated Henry and his mother to a ghetto in Łódź, Poland. The conditions were far worse than the conditions in Cologne. At least Henry and his mother were still together and had not been selected for deportation.
In 1943, Henry’s and his mother’s luck ran out. They had been selected for deportation. The two of them were pushed into an overcrowded cattle car that was headed for Birkenau/ Auschwitz. Henry and his mother were separated immediately upon arrival. For the first time in his life, Henry was totally alone. Henry was starving, scared and almost ready to give up hope when he arrived at Auschwitz. He considered himself extremely lucky that he had been assigned to work in the stables at Auschwitz. Since Henry spoke German fluently, he was assigned to the two mares, Mutti and Olga and the stallion, Barbarossa. These horses were used to taking orders in German so Henry was assigned to them. Henry was responsible for breeding these horses for the Nazis for the war effort. Every day Henry worked with the horses, was one more day he got to live. Henry took a real liking for the horses and they provided a sort of comfort for him. In the back of Henry’s mind, he knew he could never make a mistake, steal food or become too weak to work. He focused on one day at a time and how he could survive all the atrocities he was made to endure.
In The Stable Boy of Auschwitz, Henry shared all the fears he felt during his time in Auschwitz, his most private thoughts, thoughts he had never spoken out loud before and each and every atrocities he was made to endure in Auschwitz and later in Buchenwald before the camp was liberated by the Americans. From the 2,011 Jewish people that had resided in Cologne before World War II only 23 survived, including Henry. Henry was very fortunate that an aunt and uncle recognized his name in a newspaper in California and brought Henry to the United States and adopted him. When he arrived in Los Angeles, California, he spoke no English at all. Henry not only mastered the English language but went on to attend and graduate from college and then optometry school. It really saddened me that Henry once again had to experience antisemitism when he applied to dentistry school. There were institutions here in the United States that openly limited the number of Jewish applicants they accepted into their programs. Henry was denied entry into Dentistry School because he was Jewish. With everything that Henry had gone through during the Holocaust, it was so unfair for him to have to experience antisemitism in the United States as well. His backup plan for not becoming a dentist was to attend optometry school. It proved to be perfect for him. Henry went on to marry and have children. He wanted others to know what he had endured so that those that perished during the Holocaust would not be forgotten and that the Holocaust would never happen again. Henry spoke often at schools, youth groups and at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. He was a very special man who lived every day of his life, as his wife mentioned, as if his cup was half full instead of half empty. Henry accomplished a great deal in his life after arriving in California but he never forgot and he helped others to do the same. I was filled with raw emotion after reading Henry’s story and was so glad he got to tell it. Please read his story for yourself. It was impossible to convey all that he endured and accomplished in my review. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Bookouture Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Stable Boy of Auschwitz by Henry Oster and Dexter Ford through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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March 24, 2023I listened to this audiobook ARC and thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I found the narration to be fitting for this memoir and wouldn’t change anything about it.
This memoir was extremely difficult to listen to with heartbreaking and emotional themes. It was devastating but inspiring hearing Henry’s story of survival, suffering and friendship. Henry was 5 years old when Hitler took power and this memoir follows years of his life through those horrific times and how, against all odds, he survived.
Early in the book, Henry explains some of the political aspects, which I really appreciated being included and learning about. Toward the end, it tells us what Henry went on to do when he was eventually safe (including trying to adjust - a story of resilience).
Henry’s wife explains at the end the importance of keeping this history alive to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. To this day I still simply cannot comprehend how those atrocities ever occurred, how it was that Hitler had followers and some people in Germany in that day followed. I can’t imagine any human being doing such things and truly hope it never ever could happen again. I think it is important that everyone is aware of international history and not preferring an ‘ignorance is bliss’ approach to these atrocities, I have a lot more to learn myself and I think we can all play a role in keeping the memories alive of the innocent lives lost and being aware of how radical racial and/or political views (among others) can lead to very dangerous people.
Please check TWs online - this memoir is about the Holocaust.
Expected publication date: 4 April 2023
I found the narration to be fitting for this memoir and wouldn’t change anything about it.
This memoir was extremely difficult to listen to with heartbreaking and emotional themes. It was devastating but inspiring hearing Henry’s story of survival, suffering and friendship. Henry was 5 years old when Hitler took power and this memoir follows years of his life through those horrific times and how, against all odds, he survived.
Early in the book, Henry explains some of the political aspects, which I really appreciated being included and learning about. Toward the end, it tells us what Henry went on to do when he was eventually safe (including trying to adjust - a story of resilience).
Henry’s wife explains at the end the importance of keeping this history alive to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. To this day I still simply cannot comprehend how those atrocities ever occurred, how it was that Hitler had followers and some people in Germany in that day followed. I can’t imagine any human being doing such things and truly hope it never ever could happen again. I think it is important that everyone is aware of international history and not preferring an ‘ignorance is bliss’ approach to these atrocities, I have a lot more to learn myself and I think we can all play a role in keeping the memories alive of the innocent lives lost and being aware of how radical racial and/or political views (among others) can lead to very dangerous people.
Please check TWs online - this memoir is about the Holocaust.
Expected publication date: 4 April 2023
February 28, 2023
“I was alive. That was about it. I didn’t see very much to thank God about, frankly. If there was anyone to thank for my survival, after all those years of angst and starvation, it was me. Just this little old wise guy, all of sixteen years old, Heinz Adolf Oster.”
Absolutely everything about this book pulled me in: the eye-catching cover, the compelling origins of the story, and the beautiful prose which carried the heartbreaking reality.
It made me see the reality 1000s of children faced under the cruel hand of the Nazis.
This story is about a boy, who against insurmountable odds, survived to tell his story and inspire others with his courage and faith.
B7648. He wasn’t always known by this number.
To those who loved him, he was a little Jewish boy from Cologne named Heinz Adolf Oster.
Right from his first day of school in 1934, Heinz learned that he was different and soon he began to see the world as a more dangerous place. He was certainly never the same again.
“It’s hard to frighten a boy after he’s faced starvation, disease, brutality and, in my case, a machine-gun firing squad. We were the strong ones, the ones who had survived.”
I held back the tears at the reason he gave for not sharing his Holocaust experience for 65 years, at how he treated his bullet wounds, at hearing about the most humane thing a German ever did for him, at understanding the fear he faced at shower time, at what it was like to hear the words ‘Ihr seit fray,’ to realize that nobody wanted him - “nobody on the entire planet really cared about you.” I can’t imagine.
I felt like I was in Henry’s optometrist’s office listening to his traumatic ordeal. He captured my attention and held it until the last sentence. I’ve read many, many Holocaust fiction books, but THIS ONE felt like someone who was actually there was sharing WITH me. It was as if I was witnessing Kristallnacht through my own eyes. It was so much more powerful. The photos added to my emotional response; many I’d seen before, but I’d never seen a SS file card or a medical identity card before.
“Within a month of his taking power in 1933, Hitler had already established Dachau, the first concentration camp, on the outskirts of Munich, the home of the Nazi revolution, to imprison anybody who had the courage to oppose him.”
For some reason, this sentence above gave me pause. I’d NEVER realized how quickly Hitler’s plan came into being; how he wasted no time in turning Germany into a ‘Jew-hating police state.”
I will not complain about a poor night’s sleep ever again after hearing about his sleeping for ten years on bare wood. Furthermore, I can’t wait to get back to Cologne and see the Oster stumbling blocks. I have been aware of them in our travels but had no connection to them until now.
Historical fiction lovers, this personal memoir is a must-read.
I was gifted this copy by Thread Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Absolutely everything about this book pulled me in: the eye-catching cover, the compelling origins of the story, and the beautiful prose which carried the heartbreaking reality.
It made me see the reality 1000s of children faced under the cruel hand of the Nazis.
This story is about a boy, who against insurmountable odds, survived to tell his story and inspire others with his courage and faith.
B7648. He wasn’t always known by this number.
To those who loved him, he was a little Jewish boy from Cologne named Heinz Adolf Oster.
Right from his first day of school in 1934, Heinz learned that he was different and soon he began to see the world as a more dangerous place. He was certainly never the same again.
“It’s hard to frighten a boy after he’s faced starvation, disease, brutality and, in my case, a machine-gun firing squad. We were the strong ones, the ones who had survived.”
I held back the tears at the reason he gave for not sharing his Holocaust experience for 65 years, at how he treated his bullet wounds, at hearing about the most humane thing a German ever did for him, at understanding the fear he faced at shower time, at what it was like to hear the words ‘Ihr seit fray,’ to realize that nobody wanted him - “nobody on the entire planet really cared about you.” I can’t imagine.
I felt like I was in Henry’s optometrist’s office listening to his traumatic ordeal. He captured my attention and held it until the last sentence. I’ve read many, many Holocaust fiction books, but THIS ONE felt like someone who was actually there was sharing WITH me. It was as if I was witnessing Kristallnacht through my own eyes. It was so much more powerful. The photos added to my emotional response; many I’d seen before, but I’d never seen a SS file card or a medical identity card before.
“Within a month of his taking power in 1933, Hitler had already established Dachau, the first concentration camp, on the outskirts of Munich, the home of the Nazi revolution, to imprison anybody who had the courage to oppose him.”
For some reason, this sentence above gave me pause. I’d NEVER realized how quickly Hitler’s plan came into being; how he wasted no time in turning Germany into a ‘Jew-hating police state.”
I will not complain about a poor night’s sleep ever again after hearing about his sleeping for ten years on bare wood. Furthermore, I can’t wait to get back to Cologne and see the Oster stumbling blocks. I have been aware of them in our travels but had no connection to them until now.
Historical fiction lovers, this personal memoir is a must-read.
I was gifted this copy by Thread Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
April 7, 2023
4.5 stars This is my second memoir about the Holocaust this year and it never gets old. There is always something new to learn. In this one, the author shares his terrifying and heartbreaking experience as a German Jew living in Cologne when the Holocaust starts. He identified as a German yet was betrayed by his country. He was one of the only Jews from Germany to survive, since they were the first people taken to the death camps.
His story was truly amazing and inspirational. His perspective during and after the war was fascinating. Although I knew about the "death march" this was my first time reading about someone's experience in it. Wow so incredibly scary and unimaginable.
This memoir is worth the listen to learn about and remember the Holocaust. The audio performance was average. Thank you #NetGalley.
His story was truly amazing and inspirational. His perspective during and after the war was fascinating. Although I knew about the "death march" this was my first time reading about someone's experience in it. Wow so incredibly scary and unimaginable.
This memoir is worth the listen to learn about and remember the Holocaust. The audio performance was average. Thank you #NetGalley.
April 2, 2023
This was an excellent book! It is so heartbreaking to hear the story of this man and the unbelievable and horrific things that he has had to endure. The thing that set this book apart from others on the subject is that it goes into more detail of the events before his life in Auschwitz and his life after being liberated. His story didn't just end after liberation, he had to endure so much more for years trying to find his place and assimilate back into a world where he had no family, no home and struggled from post traumatic stress.
There is a lot of information covered in this book, and the author has a way of writing that makes you feel like you are sitting in a room with a friend having a conversation.
I definitely recommend this book, especially if you are interested in books surrounding World War II.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
There is a lot of information covered in this book, and the author has a way of writing that makes you feel like you are sitting in a room with a friend having a conversation.
I definitely recommend this book, especially if you are interested in books surrounding World War II.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 14, 2023
“There were many wonderful people who were doing their best to support us, to restore us, to make up for all the horrors we had faced, and to help us cope with what lay ahead. But you can never give back a home that has disappeared from the face of the earth, a home that simply doesn't exist anymore. You can't give back a family that has been murdered. You can't recreate a way of life after it has been smashed and burned and buried.”
“The only way for humanity to prevent a horror like the Holocaust from ever happening again is to force ourselves to look, with unblinking eyes, at exactly what happened, and to understand how the unthinkable, the unimaginable, ever came to pass. If we look away, if we as a species allow ourselves to take the easy way out, to let ourselves forget and let the lessons of the past fade away, we are doomed to repeat them.”
Wow. Just wow. Reading Henry’s story and how he had to survive was absolutely heartbreaking. It is important to know how Jewish people were treated during WWII, and this book tells it in such a powerful, yet gut wrenching way. This is an incredible book and I’d highly recommend it.
“The only way for humanity to prevent a horror like the Holocaust from ever happening again is to force ourselves to look, with unblinking eyes, at exactly what happened, and to understand how the unthinkable, the unimaginable, ever came to pass. If we look away, if we as a species allow ourselves to take the easy way out, to let ourselves forget and let the lessons of the past fade away, we are doomed to repeat them.”
Wow. Just wow. Reading Henry’s story and how he had to survive was absolutely heartbreaking. It is important to know how Jewish people were treated during WWII, and this book tells it in such a powerful, yet gut wrenching way. This is an incredible book and I’d highly recommend it.
January 19, 2025
Wat een verhaal. Het greep me vanaf het begin. Ongelooflijk wat hij allemaal overleeft en zelfs na de bevrijding uit kamp Buchenwald is het niet meteen "in orde". Wie ben je nog, zonder familie of land? Heel indrukwekkend
June 19, 2024
Recensie eerst gepubliceerd op: https://bazarow.com/recensie/recensie...
Er werden ruim 2.000 Joden gedeporteerd in 1941 vanuit Keulen naar de Poolse stad Łódź en slechts twee hiervan overleefden de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Een van deze twee is Henry / Heinz Adolf Oster. De staljongen van Auschwitz is zijn bijzonder aangrijpende verhaal.
Henry was slechts vijf jaar toen Adolf Hitler in 1933 in Duitsland aan de macht kwam. Op zijn twaalfde werd Henry gedeporteerd naar Auschwitz, waar hij ontsnapte aan de gaskamers. Hij werd aan het werk gezet als een van de staljongens van Auschwitz. Na de oorlog emigreerde hij naar Amerika en veranderde zijn naam in Henry.
Overleven door een geheim zolderkamertje
Henry werd samen met zijn ouders vanuit Keulen naar het getto in Łódź gebracht. Hier werden zijn ouders binnen enkele dagen al tewerkgesteld. De getto politie vertelde hen: wie werkt, krijgt extra rantsoenen. En dus wilden Henry’s ouders zo snel mogelijk aan het werk.
Henry’s moeder kwam te werken in een fabriek dat kleine metalen plaatjes maakte die op de neus en hak van de Duitse laarzen werden aangebracht. Zijn vader werd ingedeeld in een onderhoudsploeg van de omheining van het getto. Henry ging ook al gauw op zoek naar een baantje, om ook extra rantsoen te ontvangen. Zo werd hij uiteindelijk de loopjongen van het getto.
Het werk in de getto was zwaar en doordat de Joden weinig te eten en te drinken kregen, werden veel mensen al gauw heel zwak. Geregeld overleed iemand in zijn slaap of viel hij neer tijdens het uitvoeren van werkzaamheden. Op deze manier verloor Henry al snel zijn vader. Men sliep in het getto met veel mensen in een klein kamertje, waar ‘s avonds de geruchten en roddels met elkaar gedeeld werden. Het werd Henry en zijn ouders toen al snel duidelijk dat ze er alles aan moesten doen om verplaatsing naar een concentratiekamp te voorkomen.
Op een warme avond in juli 1943 kwamen de Duitsers Henry en de groep waarin hij leefde halen. De straten waren gevuld met lawaai, verblindend licht en chaos. Henry had de voorgaande maanden goed nagedacht over de kamer om te zien of er een manier was om te ontsnappen als hun groep gehaald werd… Henry had een plan!
Boven de deur van de kamer was een luik dat toegang gaf tot een kleine zolderruimte. In die ruimte kropen ze achter een dikke balk in de hoek, waar het dak schuin afliep, zodat ze niet gezien konden worden. Hiermee wist Henry verplaatsing voor een aantal maanden uit te stellen.
Henry vertelde geen van de kamergenoten over deze geheime schuilplek, omdat er simpelweg niet genoeg ruimte was om er met de hele groep te schuilen. Hij deed het om zichzelf en zijn moeder te redden. Desondanks voelt Henry zich hier, zelfs na zoveel jaren, schuldig over. De ‘survivor’s guilt’ spat dan ook regelmatig van de bladzijden af.
Emotioneel ooggetuigenverslag
Bovenstaande is slechts een van de voorbeelden hoe Henry zichzelf probeerde te redden en de ontberingen die hij heeft moeten doorstaan. De staljongen van Auschwitz geeft een compleet en zeer persoonlijk verhaal van een jonge Joodse jongen in de Tweede Wereldoorlog weer. Dit is nog maar een voorbeeld van hoe het er in het getto aan toe ging, in Auschwitz was het voor Henry zelfs nog zwaarder en gevaarlijker.
In Auschwitz was Henry continue op zijn hoede en deed zijn best om goed werk te verrichten. Hij werd een van de staljongens van Auschwitz. Samen met een groepje andere jonge Joodse jongens kreeg hij de belangrijke taak om voor de paarden in Auschwitz te zorgen, dekkingen goed te laten verlopen en de drachten van de merries goed te begeleiden. De paarden waren voor de Duitsers erg belangrijk en ze wilden dan ook graag sterke nakomelingen. Het was een belangrijke taak, waar niet veel mensen de kans voor kregen om hem uit te voeren. Maar het was ook gevaarlijk: als er iets misging met de paarden was het voor jou ook snel afgelopen.
Het verzorgen van de paarden bracht echter ook voordelen met zich mee. in de stallen was het warmer en, als de bewakers niet opletten, konden de jongens af en toe snoepen van het voer voor de paarden (die overigens vele malen beter te eten kregen dan de Joden). Staljongen worden heeft mogelijk Henry’s leven gered.
Buchenwald
Vlak voor het einde van de Tweede Wereldoorlog werd Henry verplaatst naar kamp Buchenwald. Hier maakte hij de bevrijding mee. Henry vertelt in het boek dat hij eigenlijk bang was voor de bevrijding, hij wist niet wat hij met zijn vrijheid aan moest. Hij had geen scholing, geen regels, geen familieleden om op terug te vallen. In het kamp onder bewind van de Duitsers was het zwaar, maar daar wist hij wat hem te doen stond en waren de regels duidelijk. Doordat hij zo jong was toen hij in het getto terechtkwam, kent hij eigenlijk niets anders dan leven onder bewind van de Duitsers. Auteur Dexter Ford schetst op een duidelijke manier hoe beangstigend dit voor Henry was.
Het Internationale Rode Kruis regelde onderdak op het platteland van Normandië. Hij leefde daar met een groep tieners die slecht gemanierd, gevoelig en opstandig waren. Het Internationale Rode Kruis besefte zich dat deze jongens niet zomaar losgelaten konden worden in ‘het normale leven’ en zodoende werden ze met alles begeleid. In het boek lees je hoe moeilijk deze periode voor Henry was en hoe hij het ervaarde. Uiteindelijk emigreert Henry in 1946 naar Amerika.
Het ‘zoveelste’ Holocaust verhaal
Inmiddels zijn er veel boeken te vinden waar een persoonlijk Holocaust overlevingsverhaal in beschreven staat. Soms lijken verhalen veel op elkaar, de overlevenden hebben immers ongeveer dezelfde ontberingen moeten doorstaan. Toch is het goed om dit soort boeken te blijven schrijven en lezen, om nooit te vergeten wat toen gebeurd is.
Wil je een keer een verhaal lezen dat toch weer net iets anders is dan de rest? Dan is De staljongen van Auschwitz zeker een aanrader. Het boek speelt zich gedeeltelijk af in een uithoekje van concentratiekamp Auschwitz, waar niet veel gevangene voet hebben gezet. Henry vertelt over zijn ervaringen als staljongen, wat hij dagelijks moest doen en welke gevaren daarbij kwamen kijken. Maar dit boek geeft je ook inzicht in het leven voor en na die tijd, in combinatie met interessante en verrijkende feiten. De staljongen van Auschwitz is hierdoor niet alleen een heftig en persoonlijk ooggetuigenverslag, maar ook een leerzaam non-fictieboek dat iedereen eens gelezen moet hebben.
De schrijfstijl van Ford is overigens toegankelijk, waardoor het verhaal van Henry goed te volgen is. De teksten worden ook nog eens versterkt met foto’s van de omstandigheden of documenten.
Er werden ruim 2.000 Joden gedeporteerd in 1941 vanuit Keulen naar de Poolse stad Łódź en slechts twee hiervan overleefden de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Een van deze twee is Henry / Heinz Adolf Oster. De staljongen van Auschwitz is zijn bijzonder aangrijpende verhaal.
Henry was slechts vijf jaar toen Adolf Hitler in 1933 in Duitsland aan de macht kwam. Op zijn twaalfde werd Henry gedeporteerd naar Auschwitz, waar hij ontsnapte aan de gaskamers. Hij werd aan het werk gezet als een van de staljongens van Auschwitz. Na de oorlog emigreerde hij naar Amerika en veranderde zijn naam in Henry.
Overleven door een geheim zolderkamertje
Henry werd samen met zijn ouders vanuit Keulen naar het getto in Łódź gebracht. Hier werden zijn ouders binnen enkele dagen al tewerkgesteld. De getto politie vertelde hen: wie werkt, krijgt extra rantsoenen. En dus wilden Henry’s ouders zo snel mogelijk aan het werk.
Henry’s moeder kwam te werken in een fabriek dat kleine metalen plaatjes maakte die op de neus en hak van de Duitse laarzen werden aangebracht. Zijn vader werd ingedeeld in een onderhoudsploeg van de omheining van het getto. Henry ging ook al gauw op zoek naar een baantje, om ook extra rantsoen te ontvangen. Zo werd hij uiteindelijk de loopjongen van het getto.
Het werk in de getto was zwaar en doordat de Joden weinig te eten en te drinken kregen, werden veel mensen al gauw heel zwak. Geregeld overleed iemand in zijn slaap of viel hij neer tijdens het uitvoeren van werkzaamheden. Op deze manier verloor Henry al snel zijn vader. Men sliep in het getto met veel mensen in een klein kamertje, waar ‘s avonds de geruchten en roddels met elkaar gedeeld werden. Het werd Henry en zijn ouders toen al snel duidelijk dat ze er alles aan moesten doen om verplaatsing naar een concentratiekamp te voorkomen.
Op een warme avond in juli 1943 kwamen de Duitsers Henry en de groep waarin hij leefde halen. De straten waren gevuld met lawaai, verblindend licht en chaos. Henry had de voorgaande maanden goed nagedacht over de kamer om te zien of er een manier was om te ontsnappen als hun groep gehaald werd… Henry had een plan!
Boven de deur van de kamer was een luik dat toegang gaf tot een kleine zolderruimte. In die ruimte kropen ze achter een dikke balk in de hoek, waar het dak schuin afliep, zodat ze niet gezien konden worden. Hiermee wist Henry verplaatsing voor een aantal maanden uit te stellen.
Henry vertelde geen van de kamergenoten over deze geheime schuilplek, omdat er simpelweg niet genoeg ruimte was om er met de hele groep te schuilen. Hij deed het om zichzelf en zijn moeder te redden. Desondanks voelt Henry zich hier, zelfs na zoveel jaren, schuldig over. De ‘survivor’s guilt’ spat dan ook regelmatig van de bladzijden af.
Emotioneel ooggetuigenverslag
Bovenstaande is slechts een van de voorbeelden hoe Henry zichzelf probeerde te redden en de ontberingen die hij heeft moeten doorstaan. De staljongen van Auschwitz geeft een compleet en zeer persoonlijk verhaal van een jonge Joodse jongen in de Tweede Wereldoorlog weer. Dit is nog maar een voorbeeld van hoe het er in het getto aan toe ging, in Auschwitz was het voor Henry zelfs nog zwaarder en gevaarlijker.
In Auschwitz was Henry continue op zijn hoede en deed zijn best om goed werk te verrichten. Hij werd een van de staljongens van Auschwitz. Samen met een groepje andere jonge Joodse jongens kreeg hij de belangrijke taak om voor de paarden in Auschwitz te zorgen, dekkingen goed te laten verlopen en de drachten van de merries goed te begeleiden. De paarden waren voor de Duitsers erg belangrijk en ze wilden dan ook graag sterke nakomelingen. Het was een belangrijke taak, waar niet veel mensen de kans voor kregen om hem uit te voeren. Maar het was ook gevaarlijk: als er iets misging met de paarden was het voor jou ook snel afgelopen.
Het verzorgen van de paarden bracht echter ook voordelen met zich mee. in de stallen was het warmer en, als de bewakers niet opletten, konden de jongens af en toe snoepen van het voer voor de paarden (die overigens vele malen beter te eten kregen dan de Joden). Staljongen worden heeft mogelijk Henry’s leven gered.
Buchenwald
Vlak voor het einde van de Tweede Wereldoorlog werd Henry verplaatst naar kamp Buchenwald. Hier maakte hij de bevrijding mee. Henry vertelt in het boek dat hij eigenlijk bang was voor de bevrijding, hij wist niet wat hij met zijn vrijheid aan moest. Hij had geen scholing, geen regels, geen familieleden om op terug te vallen. In het kamp onder bewind van de Duitsers was het zwaar, maar daar wist hij wat hem te doen stond en waren de regels duidelijk. Doordat hij zo jong was toen hij in het getto terechtkwam, kent hij eigenlijk niets anders dan leven onder bewind van de Duitsers. Auteur Dexter Ford schetst op een duidelijke manier hoe beangstigend dit voor Henry was.
Het Internationale Rode Kruis regelde onderdak op het platteland van Normandië. Hij leefde daar met een groep tieners die slecht gemanierd, gevoelig en opstandig waren. Het Internationale Rode Kruis besefte zich dat deze jongens niet zomaar losgelaten konden worden in ‘het normale leven’ en zodoende werden ze met alles begeleid. In het boek lees je hoe moeilijk deze periode voor Henry was en hoe hij het ervaarde. Uiteindelijk emigreert Henry in 1946 naar Amerika.
Het ‘zoveelste’ Holocaust verhaal
Inmiddels zijn er veel boeken te vinden waar een persoonlijk Holocaust overlevingsverhaal in beschreven staat. Soms lijken verhalen veel op elkaar, de overlevenden hebben immers ongeveer dezelfde ontberingen moeten doorstaan. Toch is het goed om dit soort boeken te blijven schrijven en lezen, om nooit te vergeten wat toen gebeurd is.
Wil je een keer een verhaal lezen dat toch weer net iets anders is dan de rest? Dan is De staljongen van Auschwitz zeker een aanrader. Het boek speelt zich gedeeltelijk af in een uithoekje van concentratiekamp Auschwitz, waar niet veel gevangene voet hebben gezet. Henry vertelt over zijn ervaringen als staljongen, wat hij dagelijks moest doen en welke gevaren daarbij kwamen kijken. Maar dit boek geeft je ook inzicht in het leven voor en na die tijd, in combinatie met interessante en verrijkende feiten. De staljongen van Auschwitz is hierdoor niet alleen een heftig en persoonlijk ooggetuigenverslag, maar ook een leerzaam non-fictieboek dat iedereen eens gelezen moet hebben.
De schrijfstijl van Ford is overigens toegankelijk, waardoor het verhaal van Henry goed te volgen is. De teksten worden ook nog eens versterkt met foto’s van de omstandigheden of documenten.
November 29, 2023
Heinz Oster was pas vijf jaar oud toen Adolf Hitler in 1933 aan de macht kwam. Als een van de 2.011 joden die in Keulen in 1941 door de Gestapo werden opgepakt, werd ook hij gedeporteerd. De twaalfjarige jongen werd vervolgens van kamp naar kamp gestuurd.
In Auschwitz ontsnapte hij aan de gaskamer omdat de paardenfokkerij staljongens nodig had. Hij hield zich wanhopig vast aan de overtuiging dat als hij zich onmisbaar zou maken, hij een grotere kans zou hebben om deze hel te overleven.
Heinz was een van de weinige Keulse Joden die na de oorlog de kampen levend verliet. Na de oorlog emigreerde hij naar Amerika en veranderde zijn naam in Henry. Dit is zijn verhaal.
Dit oorlogsverhaal zag ik voorbij komen op @storytel en deze moest ik gewoon lezen (luisteren).
Het is een non-fictie verhaal dat wordt verteld door Heinz Oster. Het is het jaar 1993. Heinz is vijf jaar als hij merkt dat er veranderingen plaatsvinden in zijn mooie Duitsland. Hitler begint langzaam aan de macht te komen en Joden mogen steeds minder. Uiteindelijk valt Hitler Polen binnen en begint de Tweede Wereldoorlog.
Wat Heinz dan allemaal meemaakt is echt verschrikkelijk. Hij vertelt over zijn familie en de reis naar Auschwitz. Daar probeert hij er alles aan te doen om maar te overleven. Uiteindelijk krijgt hij een baan als staljongen. Aangezien dit in de titel staat, had ik verwacht dat dit onderwerp veel aan bod kwam, maar dat was dus niet.
Uiteindelijk lees je dan over de bevrijding en zijn verdere leven in Amerika. Daar veranderde hij zijn naam in Henry.
Dit verhaal bevat echt schokkende fragmenten. Het is gewoon gruwelijk wat er allemaal in die periode is gebeurd en dit mag NOOIT vergeten worden. Wat hebben die mensen toch een verschrikkelijke angst gevoeld. Ik vond dit verhaal dan ook zeer emotionele stukken bevatten en ik was er van onder de indruk.
Beoordeling: 4,0 ⭐️
In Auschwitz ontsnapte hij aan de gaskamer omdat de paardenfokkerij staljongens nodig had. Hij hield zich wanhopig vast aan de overtuiging dat als hij zich onmisbaar zou maken, hij een grotere kans zou hebben om deze hel te overleven.
Heinz was een van de weinige Keulse Joden die na de oorlog de kampen levend verliet. Na de oorlog emigreerde hij naar Amerika en veranderde zijn naam in Henry. Dit is zijn verhaal.
Dit oorlogsverhaal zag ik voorbij komen op @storytel en deze moest ik gewoon lezen (luisteren).
Het is een non-fictie verhaal dat wordt verteld door Heinz Oster. Het is het jaar 1993. Heinz is vijf jaar als hij merkt dat er veranderingen plaatsvinden in zijn mooie Duitsland. Hitler begint langzaam aan de macht te komen en Joden mogen steeds minder. Uiteindelijk valt Hitler Polen binnen en begint de Tweede Wereldoorlog.
Wat Heinz dan allemaal meemaakt is echt verschrikkelijk. Hij vertelt over zijn familie en de reis naar Auschwitz. Daar probeert hij er alles aan te doen om maar te overleven. Uiteindelijk krijgt hij een baan als staljongen. Aangezien dit in de titel staat, had ik verwacht dat dit onderwerp veel aan bod kwam, maar dat was dus niet.
Uiteindelijk lees je dan over de bevrijding en zijn verdere leven in Amerika. Daar veranderde hij zijn naam in Henry.
Dit verhaal bevat echt schokkende fragmenten. Het is gewoon gruwelijk wat er allemaal in die periode is gebeurd en dit mag NOOIT vergeten worden. Wat hebben die mensen toch een verschrikkelijke angst gevoeld. Ik vond dit verhaal dan ook zeer emotionele stukken bevatten en ik was er van onder de indruk.
Beoordeling: 4,0 ⭐️
March 13, 2023
Stories from WWII are so chilling. It’s so unbelievable to think about someone living through all of these things. This first-hand account of the horrors of Auschwitz but also the times leading up to it and what happened after it…heart wrenching.
🌀Synopsis
Henry tells his story of Hilter’s rise to power and what happened to the Jews during that time. It starts at the beginning and walks through how the Jews went to the ghetto- where he lost his father. Then to the concentration camps- where he lost his mother.
There were so many situations where he should have been killed but he managed to live. I also thought it was interesting to hear about their liberation and how it wasn’t just a straight shot to freedom. It essentially described how their life from before was gone and they were without a place to call home.
🌀Synopsis
Henry tells his story of Hilter’s rise to power and what happened to the Jews during that time. It starts at the beginning and walks through how the Jews went to the ghetto- where he lost his father. Then to the concentration camps- where he lost his mother.
There were so many situations where he should have been killed but he managed to live. I also thought it was interesting to hear about their liberation and how it wasn’t just a straight shot to freedom. It essentially described how their life from before was gone and they were without a place to call home.
June 3, 2023
This book is incredible. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I wish everyone would read it.
January 8, 2023
DNF. I got about 4 chapters in and couldn't continue to read the rest of the book. I respect Mr. Oster and I am not criticizing his experience. Two big reasons I put this book down and will not pick it back up: 1) Mr. Oster aligned Hitler with today's right-wing pundits because of how HE sees them taking groups of people and "othering them." This is was jaw dropping because he never once mentioned the Democrat run organization called the KKK. This is a prime example of a political party "othering people!" I did find an article in in the Jewish Journal where he compared Trump to Hitler. So, now it is clear what his political position is, which is unfortunate for this type of book. This political garbage takes away from the book. I almost put it down after this, but I hoped this was a one-off and maybe the book would get off the political pointing and get on with his experience which is why I picked the book. Well, that was quickly dispelled. 2) Next, Mr. Oster goes into eugenics and how Hitler used it to rid Germany of "undesirables." Mr. Oster goes into the history of eugenics and even describes the Carrie Buck case. One thing he utterly fails to mention, as a doctor no less, is MARGARET SANGER. Yes, the darling of the eugenics movement was not mentioned once in his multi-page denunciation of eugenics. That was it for me. If you can't bring yourself to mention the biggest name in eugenics in the U.S. (which Hitler modeled his eugenics program after), then you have lost all credibility with me.
I have read numerous historical fiction and non-fiction books about World War 2 and the atrocities that occurred in the Nazi prison camps, but I have never read one that has gotten so politically biased in the first 50 pages. This is just terrible. Hatred and evil are not ascribed to one political party.
Again, this is not a swipe at Mr. Oster's experience in Auschwitz and I respect him and his courage. Unfortunately, this is an example of how politics can ruin a good story. He didn't have to get political, but he did.
I have read numerous historical fiction and non-fiction books about World War 2 and the atrocities that occurred in the Nazi prison camps, but I have never read one that has gotten so politically biased in the first 50 pages. This is just terrible. Hatred and evil are not ascribed to one political party.
Again, this is not a swipe at Mr. Oster's experience in Auschwitz and I respect him and his courage. Unfortunately, this is an example of how politics can ruin a good story. He didn't have to get political, but he did.
July 22, 2023
The Stable Boy of Auschwitz is a WW2 memoir, but it is different from the many others I have read. Heinz/Henry Oster and his family were Jews living in Cologne. The story begins in 1933, when he is only five years old and Hitler has just come to power. When his father dies from starvation, he is forced to take care of his mother and he proves to be a smart and resourceful young man. Henry and his mother were relocated to a Ghetto in Łódź, Poland, but they were still together. By 1943, the ghettos were being cleared out and they were moved Auschwitz. Separated upon arrival, Henry was alone and had to do whatever he could to survive. Henry, at 15, was able to get a job working in the stables with two mares who took their commands in German and of course, Henry was fluent. From the 2,011 Jewish people that had resided in Cologne before World War II only 23 survived, including Henry.
This is a very emotional story. Henry shared all his innermost thoughts and feelings about this time in this book. It was sad to see how this young boy did all he could to keep his family alive, yet he was the only one to survive. The story isn't just about his time in Auschwitz, but also before and after. He was lucky to have relatives in California that brought him to the US, but he still had to deal with racism against Jewish people when he tried to get into educational programs. Although Henry has a lot to deal with in his life, this was a story of resilience, hope and desire to survive and become the best you can be under any circumstances. Written with Dexter Ford, it is well written with organized, narrative non-fiction at its best. The book is describes as adult, but I definitely recommend it for YA. Because of the age of Henry/Heinz, it is a great read for teens and young adults. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Dexter Ford and William Hope, with Susan Oster. It was well done with feeling and expression making it seem like I was right there with them and Henry was telling me his story. I highly recommend this book.
This is a very emotional story. Henry shared all his innermost thoughts and feelings about this time in this book. It was sad to see how this young boy did all he could to keep his family alive, yet he was the only one to survive. The story isn't just about his time in Auschwitz, but also before and after. He was lucky to have relatives in California that brought him to the US, but he still had to deal with racism against Jewish people when he tried to get into educational programs. Although Henry has a lot to deal with in his life, this was a story of resilience, hope and desire to survive and become the best you can be under any circumstances. Written with Dexter Ford, it is well written with organized, narrative non-fiction at its best. The book is describes as adult, but I definitely recommend it for YA. Because of the age of Henry/Heinz, it is a great read for teens and young adults. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Dexter Ford and William Hope, with Susan Oster. It was well done with feeling and expression making it seem like I was right there with them and Henry was telling me his story. I highly recommend this book.
July 4, 2023
Should be titled "How I survived WW2 and The Holocaust".
This was a rather disjointed reminiscence of Henry Oster's Holocaust experience. It's hard to believe humans could behave this way, especially from a "civilised" society. Unfortunately the writing style was not good and there are only two or three chapters about horses. I skipped to the end where they were rescued (the Auschwitz prisoners - not the horses).
If you want to get more out of similar books, read Man's Search for Meaning or the excellent The Happiest Man on Earth or The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas or Schindler's List There's heaps of them.
I awarded and extra star because Henry became an Optometrist. 2 and a half 🎇🎇🪄
EDIT: I forgot to add: One thing I have learned from books like this is, to be grateful that I had an education, and I have a roof over my head and food on my plate. Also, as Henry Oster would no doubt say, if you want to succeed at anything, there's no substitute for hard work.
This was a rather disjointed reminiscence of Henry Oster's Holocaust experience. It's hard to believe humans could behave this way, especially from a "civilised" society. Unfortunately the writing style was not good and there are only two or three chapters about horses. I skipped to the end where they were rescued (the Auschwitz prisoners - not the horses).
If you want to get more out of similar books, read Man's Search for Meaning or the excellent The Happiest Man on Earth or The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas or Schindler's List There's heaps of them.
I awarded and extra star because Henry became an Optometrist. 2 and a half 🎇🎇🪄
EDIT: I forgot to add: One thing I have learned from books like this is, to be grateful that I had an education, and I have a roof over my head and food on my plate. Also, as Henry Oster would no doubt say, if you want to succeed at anything, there's no substitute for hard work.
September 29, 2024
"𝘗𝘰𝘬𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦 𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘢ł𝘺𝘤𝘩 𝘻 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘶 𝘬𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘻𝘺 𝘴𝘪ę, 𝘥𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘳𝘻𝘦𝘣𝘯𝘪 𝘴ą 𝘯𝘢𝘮 𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘻𝘪𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘺, 𝘫𝘢𝘬 𝘛𝘺, 𝘣𝘺ś𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘨𝘭𝘪 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘴𝘻𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘢ć 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘫𝘦 𝘻 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘴𝘻𝘦𝘫 𝘳ę𝘬𝘪, 𝘵𝘢𝘬 𝘱𝘳𝘻𝘦𝘫𝘮𝘶𝘫ą𝘤𝘦, 𝘫𝘢𝘬 𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘦ść 𝘏𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘺'𝘦𝘨𝘰. 𝘑𝘦ś𝘭𝘪 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘻𝘺ł𝘢 𝘤𝘪ę 𝘭𝘦𝘬𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢 <𝘊𝘩ł𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤 𝘻 𝘈𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘻>, 𝘮𝘪ł𝘰 𝘣𝘺ł𝘰𝘣𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮, 𝘨𝘥𝘺𝘣𝘺ś 𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘢ł 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘻𝘫ę. 𝘋𝘻𝘪ę𝘬𝘪 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘶 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪 𝘵𝘢𝘬ż𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘻𝘯𝘢𝘫ą 𝘫𝘦𝘨𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪ę".
Książka ta opowiada o losach Henry'ego Ostera, niemieckiego Żyda, który, po przejęciu władzy w Niemczech przez Hitlera w 1933 roku, zostaje deportowany wraz z 2011 Żydami z Kolonii do łódzkiego getta, a następnie Auschwitz-Birkenau i Buchenwaldu. To opowieść o dzielnym chłopcu, który wbrew wszelkim przeciwnościom, utraciwszy wszystko, co stracić może człowiek, przeżył.
Mam wrażenie, że często pomija się pamięć o Żydach pochodzenia niemieckiego. Że oni też byli krzywdzeni, nawet przez swoich rodaków, Hitlerowców. I dlatego ta książka tak bardzo mnie poruszyła. To było coś innego, co do tej pory czytałam na temat obozów, II wojny światowej i tego co się wtedy działo. Poznałam historię z drugiej, tak przerażającej i smutnej, strony. Mogłam śledzić losy Henry'ego, który przeżył tak nieludzkie warunki i żył jeszcze wiele lat, zmarłszy w 2019 roku. Pielęgnujmy pamięć o tych wydarzeniach, o osobach, które zginęły w obozach, ale i o tych, którzy żyją i chcą opowiadać nam to, co się działo.
Książka ta opowiada o losach Henry'ego Ostera, niemieckiego Żyda, który, po przejęciu władzy w Niemczech przez Hitlera w 1933 roku, zostaje deportowany wraz z 2011 Żydami z Kolonii do łódzkiego getta, a następnie Auschwitz-Birkenau i Buchenwaldu. To opowieść o dzielnym chłopcu, który wbrew wszelkim przeciwnościom, utraciwszy wszystko, co stracić może człowiek, przeżył.
Mam wrażenie, że często pomija się pamięć o Żydach pochodzenia niemieckiego. Że oni też byli krzywdzeni, nawet przez swoich rodaków, Hitlerowców. I dlatego ta książka tak bardzo mnie poruszyła. To było coś innego, co do tej pory czytałam na temat obozów, II wojny światowej i tego co się wtedy działo. Poznałam historię z drugiej, tak przerażającej i smutnej, strony. Mogłam śledzić losy Henry'ego, który przeżył tak nieludzkie warunki i żył jeszcze wiele lat, zmarłszy w 2019 roku. Pielęgnujmy pamięć o tych wydarzeniach, o osobach, które zginęły w obozach, ale i o tych, którzy żyją i chcą opowiadać nam to, co się działo.
March 25, 2025
Ingrijpend verhaal over de periode waarin Hitler aan de macht kwam, verteld vanuit het perspectief van een Duits-Joodse jongen die opgroeit in de vernietigingskampen. Het boek beschrijft de tijd vóór, tijdens en na de oorlog en geeft zo een helder beeld van de ingrijpende veranderingen die hebben plaatsgevonden.
Het is een indrukwekkend en aangrijpend boek dat je meeneemt naar deze donkere periode in de geschiedenis. De schrijfstijl vond ik prettig en meeslepend, waardoor ik gemakkelijk in het verhaal werd gezogen.
Toch had ik op meer verdieping gehoopt en had het boek van mij langer mogen zijn. Daarom geef ik het 4 sterren in plaats van 5.
Het is een indrukwekkend en aangrijpend boek dat je meeneemt naar deze donkere periode in de geschiedenis. De schrijfstijl vond ik prettig en meeslepend, waardoor ik gemakkelijk in het verhaal werd gezogen.
Toch had ik op meer verdieping gehoopt en had het boek van mij langer mogen zijn. Daarom geef ik het 4 sterren in plaats van 5.
February 7, 2023
Thank you to the publisher threadbooks and Netgalley for my arc of this one to read prior to it's release date on 04/04/2023 I did plan to keep this one to read closer to release date but, I was desperate to read it.
Henry Oster was 5 years old when Hitler took power in 1933, born in Cologne, Germany therefore a German citizen but Henry and his family were also Jewish. Even a German born child wasn't safe from Hitler's wrath and what happens over the next 10 years is a story of resistance, strength and the sheer will to survive with Henry taking the reader from his family home in Cologne to the Lódz Ghetto in Poland before being sent to Auschwitz and then moved in the final months/weeks of the war to Buchenwald before finally being liberated in 1945 and his story after the war and how he overcame the horrendous crimes he witnessed and was subjected too.
This book was extremely well written, very descriptive, informative and heartbreaking honest. Henry is one of those people that I know from reading this book if I were to meet him I would be instantly drawn to him, his story is remarkable and how he survived is incredible.
I will never tire of reading true stories like these, brave, honest and raw and even after all these years have passed holocaust books like these fill me with so many emotions but, I love them and I need to know these stories.
Henry Oster was 5 years old when Hitler took power in 1933, born in Cologne, Germany therefore a German citizen but Henry and his family were also Jewish. Even a German born child wasn't safe from Hitler's wrath and what happens over the next 10 years is a story of resistance, strength and the sheer will to survive with Henry taking the reader from his family home in Cologne to the Lódz Ghetto in Poland before being sent to Auschwitz and then moved in the final months/weeks of the war to Buchenwald before finally being liberated in 1945 and his story after the war and how he overcame the horrendous crimes he witnessed and was subjected too.
This book was extremely well written, very descriptive, informative and heartbreaking honest. Henry is one of those people that I know from reading this book if I were to meet him I would be instantly drawn to him, his story is remarkable and how he survived is incredible.
I will never tire of reading true stories like these, brave, honest and raw and even after all these years have passed holocaust books like these fill me with so many emotions but, I love them and I need to know these stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2023
Henry's story tore my heart to pieces to see/feel the vivid details of everything he went through. How strong he was through it all and his story about after Liberation really told the story of healing.
I can't even imagine what it was like just trying to survive to see the next day, from not having food, on a death March, violence from a firing squad, losing all of your family, to just at the whim of evil people deciding who will die. What isn't talked about as much in other books is what happened after survival. Even when the danger was over, so many people were left with no homes, family, or money.
I teared up towards the end because of how important it is to continue to tell stories like Henry's so that future generations won't forget and it truly will be "never again."
The Liberation portion of this book really connected with me talking about the Jewish American soldiers calling out in Yiddish. My husband's grandfather verbally told his story at schools and events as a Dachau Liberator for several years up until his death. Like Henry, he thought it was important to tell what he experienced as a Jewish American soldier.
I hope that this book and countless others like it stand the test of time and help remind everyone to treat everyone with kindness and respect no matter their culture or background.
Thank you to Thread Books and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.
I can't even imagine what it was like just trying to survive to see the next day, from not having food, on a death March, violence from a firing squad, losing all of your family, to just at the whim of evil people deciding who will die. What isn't talked about as much in other books is what happened after survival. Even when the danger was over, so many people were left with no homes, family, or money.
I teared up towards the end because of how important it is to continue to tell stories like Henry's so that future generations won't forget and it truly will be "never again."
The Liberation portion of this book really connected with me talking about the Jewish American soldiers calling out in Yiddish. My husband's grandfather verbally told his story at schools and events as a Dachau Liberator for several years up until his death. Like Henry, he thought it was important to tell what he experienced as a Jewish American soldier.
I hope that this book and countless others like it stand the test of time and help remind everyone to treat everyone with kindness and respect no matter their culture or background.
Thank you to Thread Books and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.
April 19, 2023
Seveenteen pages in (kindle edition) and already showing leftist views. Any book that attempts to paint conservative Americans in the same ilk as NAZIs isn't worth my time. Thank the good Lord I didn't waste money buying this drivel. It could win a Pulitzer and I wouldn't be tempted to finish. Its too bad as I find survivor memoirs inspiring but I abhor even more any writing that has even 1 passage that degrades ANY law-abiding American except those "peaceful" protestors that continue to destroy our cities. You know, the ones that ACTUALLY acted like NAZI hordes since 2020
April 1, 2023
This was a heartbreaking story. I can’t begin to imagine what Henry went through and still survived. It’s appalling to think that this was allowed to happen. In today’s world I can almost see parts of it happening again.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy
February 14, 2024
O carte originală, o nouă perspectivă care ni se oferă și a afla ce s a întâmplat in perioada Holocaustului, dar și ce s a întâmplat după cu oamenii și copii.
July 10, 2024
,,Nu poți renunța la speranță atâta vreme cât încerci sa convingi pe altcineva sa nu o facă ".
November 28, 2025
"Mano kūnas ilgainiui prisitaikė prie skurdaus maisto davinio, susigyveno su niekada neišnykstančia baime, įprato neramiai miegoti naktimis ir nepaliaujamai kautis už gyvybę. Tik tuo ir gyvenau. Įgudau, kaip išlikti, kaip ištirpti viltį praradusių žmonių minioje. "
Ši istorija apie tai, kaip protu tiesiog nesuvokiamu būdu, netekęs visko, ką žmogus iš viso gali prarasti, Henris Osteris išgyveno, kad galėtų pasidalyti savo patirtimi su kitais. Tai kitokia knyga, nei esu pratus skaityti apie Aušvicą. Pradžioje pateiktą nemažai įdomių ir man dar nežinomų istorinių faktų apie to meto Hitlerio idiologiją, gyvensena ir rengiamus planus. Apie tai, kam vokiečiai buvo pasiryžę. O jie buvo pasiryžę atlikti neapsakomai baisius dalykus. Tokius siaubingų, kad sunkiai įsivaizduot, jog žmogus galėtų taip elgtis. Tai buvo protu nesuvokiama. Bet vis dėl to taip nutiko... Pagalvokite, kaip jaustumėtės, jei vieną dieną į jūsų namus netikėtai įsiveržę kareiviai ir valdžios funkcionieriai atimtų darbą, pilietybę, visą turtą ir net namus.
"Tačiau niekaip neįmanoma sugrąžinti žmogui namų, kurie jau nušluoti nuo žemės paviršiaus, kurių iš viso nebėra. Neįmanoma sugrąžinti išžudytos šeimos. Nebegalima atkurti gyvenimo, kuris buvo sutraiškytas, sudegintas ir palaidotas."
Kaip bebūtų, man šiek tiek prailgo skaityti šią istoriją. Nors nedidelė apimtis, bet vietom pasakojimas labai "sausas". Trūko emocijų, vaizdingesnio papasakojimo ir vidinių išgyvenimų. Tačiau turbūt kai esi vaikas ne viską atsimeni ir su kų papasakoti. Ir pagal pavadinimą tikėjausi platesnio pasakojimo kaip tapo arklininku. Tačiau tai buvo jo trumpa stotelė negailestingoje ir ilgai trukusioje kelionėje tarp koncentracijos stovyklų.
"Sudėtinga išgąsdinti berniuką, kuris patyrė badą, ligas, smurtą, o mano atveju - dar ir buvo tapęs žmonių sušaudy-mo iš kulkosvaidžių liudininku."
🐎3.5🐎
Ši istorija apie tai, kaip protu tiesiog nesuvokiamu būdu, netekęs visko, ką žmogus iš viso gali prarasti, Henris Osteris išgyveno, kad galėtų pasidalyti savo patirtimi su kitais. Tai kitokia knyga, nei esu pratus skaityti apie Aušvicą. Pradžioje pateiktą nemažai įdomių ir man dar nežinomų istorinių faktų apie to meto Hitlerio idiologiją, gyvensena ir rengiamus planus. Apie tai, kam vokiečiai buvo pasiryžę. O jie buvo pasiryžę atlikti neapsakomai baisius dalykus. Tokius siaubingų, kad sunkiai įsivaizduot, jog žmogus galėtų taip elgtis. Tai buvo protu nesuvokiama. Bet vis dėl to taip nutiko... Pagalvokite, kaip jaustumėtės, jei vieną dieną į jūsų namus netikėtai įsiveržę kareiviai ir valdžios funkcionieriai atimtų darbą, pilietybę, visą turtą ir net namus.
"Tačiau niekaip neįmanoma sugrąžinti žmogui namų, kurie jau nušluoti nuo žemės paviršiaus, kurių iš viso nebėra. Neįmanoma sugrąžinti išžudytos šeimos. Nebegalima atkurti gyvenimo, kuris buvo sutraiškytas, sudegintas ir palaidotas."
Kaip bebūtų, man šiek tiek prailgo skaityti šią istoriją. Nors nedidelė apimtis, bet vietom pasakojimas labai "sausas". Trūko emocijų, vaizdingesnio papasakojimo ir vidinių išgyvenimų. Tačiau turbūt kai esi vaikas ne viską atsimeni ir su kų papasakoti. Ir pagal pavadinimą tikėjausi platesnio pasakojimo kaip tapo arklininku. Tačiau tai buvo jo trumpa stotelė negailestingoje ir ilgai trukusioje kelionėje tarp koncentracijos stovyklų.
"Sudėtinga išgąsdinti berniuką, kuris patyrė badą, ligas, smurtą, o mano atveju - dar ir buvo tapęs žmonių sušaudy-mo iš kulkosvaidžių liudininku."
🐎3.5🐎
March 21, 2024
Sa mă ierte al de sus dar pe cât de multe cărți am citit pe Holocaust pe atât nu mi-a plăcut
Cartea de față.
In paginile ei găsim povestea lui Heinz Adolf Oster ( a se vedea ironia că neamul tău să fie omorât de Adolf Hitler ) evreu născut in Kholn și care supraviețuiește lagărului de concentrare de la Auschwitz, a celui de la Buchenwald trecând și prin ghetoul de la Lodz . Dincolo de mine să analizez greutățile prin care a trecut dar nu înțeleg de ce a trebuit să aducă în discuție faptul că în 1927 in Statele Unite se practica sterilizarea împotriva voinței omului . Sau de ce a ridicat în slăvi viața în statele Unite după al doilea război mondial unde a avut șansa să ajungă grație faptului că avea un unchi acolo. Pe de altă parte ceea ce m-a făcut să îi dau cu o steluța in plus fata de ceea ce planuisem a fost faptul că l-a adus în discuție pe Elie wisel românaș de-al nostru sau faptul că aparent Adolf Hitler a fost decorat in primul război mondial de un evreu ( eu una am simțit ironia și de data aceasta)
Cartea de față.
In paginile ei găsim povestea lui Heinz Adolf Oster ( a se vedea ironia că neamul tău să fie omorât de Adolf Hitler ) evreu născut in Kholn și care supraviețuiește lagărului de concentrare de la Auschwitz, a celui de la Buchenwald trecând și prin ghetoul de la Lodz . Dincolo de mine să analizez greutățile prin care a trecut dar nu înțeleg de ce a trebuit să aducă în discuție faptul că în 1927 in Statele Unite se practica sterilizarea împotriva voinței omului . Sau de ce a ridicat în slăvi viața în statele Unite după al doilea război mondial unde a avut șansa să ajungă grație faptului că avea un unchi acolo. Pe de altă parte ceea ce m-a făcut să îi dau cu o steluța in plus fata de ceea ce planuisem a fost faptul că l-a adus în discuție pe Elie wisel românaș de-al nostru sau faptul că aparent Adolf Hitler a fost decorat in primul război mondial de un evreu ( eu una am simțit ironia și de data aceasta)
October 2, 2024
By the far the quickest i’ve ever read a book, such a good true story of the events in the 2nd World War. What they had to all go through was horrendous. Couldn’t put it down. Goes to show what happens when I have time to read
July 16, 2025
Wat een bijzonder boek is dit. De manier van schrijven heeft me echt geraakt. Het boek begint in 1933, waarbij er ook beschreven is hoe Duitsland zo in de greep van Hitler kwam en hoe dit voor zijn familie was. Het boek eindigt 70 jaar na de bevrijding, waarbij het allemaal op zijn plek valt toen hij terugkeerde naar zijn geboortestad (wat hij belooft had om nooit meer terug te keren naar Duitsland) voor een herdenking.
Wat een verhaal, ik raad het iedereen aan om dit boek te lezen.
Wat een verhaal, ik raad het iedereen aan om dit boek te lezen.
May 28, 2023
An controversial opinion but it is my own, I didn’t like this book. I know it’s an autobiography and the things this author went through never should have happened! Let me put that first!
The title mislead me, next to the intro that this book is an inspiration for readers.
The stable boy of Auschwitz, while this title is right, only three chapters in this book were about this author working in the stables of Auschwitz. All the other chapters were about this life before, during and after the Second World War. And I understand that because it is an autobiography but it’s really misleading.
While reading this book I felt so much anger and sadness that this happened to so many people. But I also felt a distance to the author. The writing style, the violence and explicit language was something that I disliked a lot and I couldn’t feel any inspiration out of it.
Again, I really felt for what had happened, it’s something that should never happened! But I didn’t like this book in the least. I think there are other books that can make me feel inspired like The boy on the wooden box.
The title mislead me, next to the intro that this book is an inspiration for readers.
The stable boy of Auschwitz, while this title is right, only three chapters in this book were about this author working in the stables of Auschwitz. All the other chapters were about this life before, during and after the Second World War. And I understand that because it is an autobiography but it’s really misleading.
While reading this book I felt so much anger and sadness that this happened to so many people. But I also felt a distance to the author. The writing style, the violence and explicit language was something that I disliked a lot and I couldn’t feel any inspiration out of it.
Again, I really felt for what had happened, it’s something that should never happened! But I didn’t like this book in the least. I think there are other books that can make me feel inspired like The boy on the wooden box.
July 30, 2023
It feels wrong to give an autobiography about something so horrific 3 stars- it was an overview of the author’s life and experience, and I don’t want to discount that in any way. As a historical recap of events, it was fine. As a piece of literature, it wasn’t great. The book was pretty much the definition of telling rather than showing the audience; while the events described were awful, it almost felt emotionally distant because of the way it was written.
Also, I was especially drawn to the book because of the title- I really wanted to hear more about his experience as a stable boy, it was such a different thing that I hadn’t even imagined before, and it was really only touched on briefly, I think it was only 2-3 chapters of the whole book.
Also, I was especially drawn to the book because of the title- I really wanted to hear more about his experience as a stable boy, it was such a different thing that I hadn’t even imagined before, and it was really only touched on briefly, I think it was only 2-3 chapters of the whole book.
January 18, 2023
Have heard and read a lot in my life about WWII and the Holocaust, but never in this way. Reading this man's story, all he endured and his will to survive was captivating and sad. This really put you in his place, could feel the heartache and pain he was experiencing. There were times I felt slightly sick at reading some of his life experiences. I just hope if I ever have to go through something similar that I have the will and strength to endure as he did.
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