Fritzie Weiss Fritzshall (1929?–2021) was born in the village of Kluĉárky, Czechoslovakia (today Kliucharky, Ukraine). In 1938, when Fritzie was still a child, Hungary annexed part of Czechoslovakia, including Fritzie's village. The Jewish community was subjected to Hungary's antisemitic policies and laws, but remained relatively safe until March 1944. That month, Nazi Germany invaded Hungary. German and Hungarian authorities quickly isolated, ghettoized, and deported Jews from Hungary. In April 1944, Fritzie, her mother, and two brothers were forced to move into a ghetto. From there, they were sent to Auschwitz. Her mother and brothers were murdered in the gas chambers. Fritzie was selected for forced labor after lying about her age to appear older. Eventually, she was assigned to forced labor in a factory. Fritzie was liberated from a death march in spring 1945. After the war she immigrated to the United States.
We became quote "Jewish" overnight. My mother had to sit down with us and tell us the facts of life. Tell us why we were not allowed to go to school anymore. Tell us that the country was invaded by a man called Hitler, who was a bad man. We did not know about the killings at that time, at least I didn't. But we were told that there were certain rules we needed to follow from now on and one was not to go to public school. I recall the laws being set down one by one. Not being able to go to a grocery store, except during certain hours. Not being able to work our farms anymore. Not being able to walk into a bakery anymore, except during certain hours. Not to go into a park and sit on a bench, unless it said "for Jews only." The wearing of the yellow star. And the hours we were allowed to be out and the allow...hours we were asked to be back in the house. And those were the first that I personally felt.
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