Gerda Sless was born in Vienna and in her young life was raised by her mom, dad and her brother, along with her grandparents. Gerda and her brother shared a great bond and as siblings they had a positive relationship. One morning everything took a turn though – the war intruded upon their idyllic lives. Gerda managed to escape the grip of the Nazis; she went into hiding in a convent, while her brother was taken to Auschwitz. Gerda’s story is the story of a teenage girl on the run, trying to live her life against a backdrop of upheaval. She was interviewed for this project in November 2016 by Amir Rafati, Arielle Meyer, Serena Iannucci, and Julian Silver.
Videos
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- 1. Gerda Sless - Introduction.mp4
- 2. Hitler's Rise to Power.mp4
- 3. Experiences of Anti-Semitism.mp4
- 4. Family Photos; Czechoslovakia to Belgium.mp4
- 5. Sept. 1, 1939.mp4
- 6. Sept. 1, 1939, Part 2.mp4
- 7. False Identity; Family.mp4
- 8. Languages; Society Then and Now.mp4
- 9. Friendships; More on Life in the Convent.mp4
- 10. Converting; Daily Life at School.mp4
- 11. General Experience at the Convent; Liberation.mp4
- 13. Getting into the Convent.mp4
- 14. Comfort and Daily Life in the Convent.mp4
- 15. Impressions of the Church; Dangers and Secrets; Social Life at the Convent.mp4
- 16. What Liberation Was Like.mp4
- 17. Awareness of the Camps; Gerda's Brother's Stories and Homecoming.mp4
- 18. A Sense of Hope; Coming to Canada.mp4
- 19. Sharing the Story; Both Sides.mp4
