Oral History

Miso (Michael) Vogel describes arrival at Auschwitz

In 1939, Slovak fascists took over Topol'cany, where Miso lived. In 1942, Miso was deported to the Slovak-run Novaky camp and then to Auschwitz. At Auschwitz, he was tattooed with the number 65,316, indicating that 65,315 prisoners preceded him in that series of numbering. He was forced to labor in the Buna works and then in the Birkenau "Kanada" detachment, unloading incoming trains. In late 1944, prisoners were transferred to camps in Germany. Miso escaped during a death march from Landsberg and was liberated by US forces.

Transcript

Critical Thinking Questions

What do we still not know even after analyzing this oral history?

What questions does this eyewitness testimony raise for you? Who do you think the intended audience was?

What was the context of the Holocaust and World War II at the time of the events Miso describes?


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  • US Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection
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