Magda Hellinger was a Jewish woman who, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as a prisoner, at

Auschwitz-Birkenau Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...

, saved dozens of women from certain death. Hellinger was born in eastern Czechoslovakia to a father who taught Jewish history and German. He imparted his skills in German to his daughter, which she would put to use in Auschwitz. Interested in Zionism from an early age, she joined a Zionist youth organization, and worked as a kindergarten teacher. Hellinger died in 2006 at age 89 a few years after she had self-published her memoir and had given testimony, which was taped on a few occasions. After her death, her daughter Maya Lee (with the help of a co-writer, David Brewster) added to that memoir after doing more research. She published ''The Nazis Knew My Name'' in 2022.

Bibliography

*Magda Hellinger, Maya Lee, and David Brewster. ''The Nazis Knew My Name: A Remarkable Story of Survival and Courage in Auschwitz''. Atria, 2022. ISBN 9781982181239.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hellinger, Magda Auschwitz concentration camp prisoners Auschwitz concentration camp survivors 2006 deaths 1916 births