Berl Zicherman
"To learn the lessons of the Holocaust-- Remember, but do not let it destroy you. Keep a positive outlook."
Name at birth
Berl Berko Zicherman
Date of birth
03/12/1924
Where were you born?
Where did you grow up?
Kopania, Czechoslovakia
Name of father, occupation
Jacob Kopple Zicherman
Maiden name of mother, occupation
Feiga (Bertha) Simon
Immediate family (names, birth order)
Parents, Hershel Lav, Rachel, Shimon, Wolf (Yitzchak), Shmuel, Yehuda, Helen, Blima (Blanch)
How many in entire extended family?
Uncle Hillel, cousin Mordechai, Aunt Leah
Who survived the Holocaust?
My sisters, Helen, Blanch, and me.
I lived in a small farming community. The Hungarians took me to labor camps until I was taken to Mauthausen in 1944. I was liberated in 1945.
Name of Ghetto(s)
Name of Concentration / Labor Camp(s)
Where were you in hiding?
Miskolc, Hungary
Where were you in the Former Soviet Union?
Kopania, Ukraine (formerly Czechoslovakia)
What DP Camp were you after the war?
Feldafing, Wasserburg, Pocking, Attle, Fernwald
Where did you go after being liberated?
Germany, Displaced Persons (DP) Camps
When did you come to the United States?
September, 1953
Where did you settle?
Detroit, Michigan
Occupation after the war
Bricklayer
When and where were you married?
1949, in Germany
Spouse
Theresa Zicherman
Children
Herman, physician; Ralph, physician; Joseph, retail
Grandchildren
Eight: Josh, Summer Aaron, Bradley, Kimmie, Lindsey, Sarah, Jennifer
What do you think helped you to survive?
Luck, to be at the right place at the right time.
What message would you like to leave for future generations?
To learn the lessons of the Holocaust-- Remember, but do not let it destroy you. Keep a positive outlook.
Interviewer:
Charles Silow
Interview date:
03/07/2011
Experiences
Survivor's map
