Three of the youngest survivors of the Holocaust, born to mothers who concealed their pregnancies from Nazi guards, share a unique bond shaped by their harrowing experiences during World War II. Their stories reflect resilience and the power of survival amidst unimaginable adversity.
Births Amidst Horror
Eva Clarke was born on April 29, 1945, aboard a Nazi death train arriving at the Mauthausen concentration camp. This was just one day after the last mass gassing of prisoners occurred at Mauthausen, where over 95,000 individuals lost their lives during the Holocaust. Clarke, along with fellow survivors Hana Berger-Moran and Mark Olsky, represents a remarkable chapter in history. “Had the train arrived on the 26th or 27th, none of us would have survived,” she stated.
All three survivors, now aged 80, were born to mothers who faced the terrifying reality of pregnancy during the war. Clarke’s mother hailed from Czechoslovakia, as did Berger-Moran’s mother, while Olsky’s mother was from Poland. Each mother experienced love and hope amid the deepening crisis as Jews were rounded up and sent to concentration camps.
Concealing Pregnancy and Surviving Auschwitz
In 1944, all three women found themselves newly pregnant when they were transported to the notorious Auschwitz death camp, where pregnancy was a death sentence. Despite the dire circumstances, each woman managed to conceal her pregnancy and endure the brutal conditions of the camp. Prisoners, including the mothers of Clarke, Berger-Moran, and Olsky, were subjected to horrific treatment upon arrival, with many families torn apart immediately.
Berger-Moran’s mother recalled her father’s words as they neared Auschwitz: “‘Think only good thoughts.’ He just kept repeating that sentence.” Tragically, she would only see him once again through a barbed wire fence. The infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele made selections determining who would live or die, and each woman faced the perilous choice of denying their pregnancies.
The women were ultimately sent to a slave labor camp in Freiberg, Germany, where they worked under grueling conditions, manufacturing parts for German fighter planes. They survived on a meager diet and were able to conceal their pregnancies with baggy clothing provided by victims of the gas chambers at Auschwitz.
Miracle Births and Liberation
As the Allies advanced in the spring of 1945, the mothers faced the impending threat of extermination. Berger-Moran’s mother went into labor on April 12, amid the chaos of the factory where they were held. “The guards watched. And they took bets on whether it was going to be a boy or a girl,” author Wendy Holden recounted. Just 36 hours later, they were loaded onto a train, which was aptly dubbed the “death train.” This train journey lasted 16 days, devoid of food and water.
Clarke’s mother, who was nearing the end of her pregnancy, went into labor as the train arrived at Mauthausen. She described the moment as filled with beauty, despite the surrounding horror. The last use of the gas chamber at Mauthausen occurred just a day before their arrival.
When liberation finally came, it was a small unit from the 11th Armored Division of General George Patton’s Third Army that liberated the camp. Berger-Moran’s mother was able to call over a medic who provided immediate care for her newborn, whose body was covered in sores.
Reconnecting Lives
After liberation, the young mothers and their children faced the daunting task of returning to their hometowns in search of family. Clarke and Olsky’s fathers had died, and while their mothers eventually remarried, none of the mothers had more children. This left Clarke, Berger-Moran, and Olsky to grow up as only children, bonded by their shared experiences as survivors.
Berger-Moran later moved to Israel and then the United States for her studies. She made it her mission to find the medic who had saved her life. In a remarkable reunion in May 2005, she found Leroy “Pete” Petersohn, the medic who had treated her. Their meeting was filled with gratitude, and they formed a deep connection.
Clarke also sought to connect with survivors. After discovering Berger-Moran’s story, the two women met at Mauthausen, now a memorial site, shortly after their 65th birthdays. Olsky, encouraged by his son, joined them, leading to an emotional reunion.
Together, they have now participated in commemorative marches at Mauthausen, reflecting on their past and building a new, supportive family dynamic.
Clarke, Berger-Moran, and Olsky now share a bond akin to siblings, enriched by their experiences and the lives of their children and grandchildren. Their mothers, who lived to be 96, 90, and 84, respectively, left behind a legacy of resilience. As Clarke poignantly noted, “And in the end, we won.”
