Edith Birkin was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1927. In 1941 she entered the Lodz ghetto, Poland. She was deported to Auschwitz concentration camp, Poland in 1944. She survived a death march to Flossenberg camp in Germany and was liberated from Belsen in 1945.

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The testimony extracts in Topic 6 are part of a much longer interview. She describes the dreadful conditions in the ghetto, the death of her parents, arrival at Auschwitz, the death march and liberation. Edith Birkin's testimony is a reminder of what can happen in a society that is considered 'civilised'. The Holocaust only happened some 60 years ago and indeed, many of the survivors you have listened to on the website are still alive today. There are lessons to be learned from the Holocaust, concerning how we treat human beings. The media today contains stories on a daily basis concerning racism, discrimination, prejudice and mass genocide. There are still regular stories concerning asylum seekers looking for refuge from persecution in the United Kingdom. As responsible citizens in society today, it is important to speak out against all forms of prejudice. We should learn to respect differences rather than fear them, whether they are racial, sexual, cultural or religious.

"The Last Goodbye" by Edith Birkin, courtesy of Denis Maryk, photographed by Denis Maryk

Click on the chronology button to see the events which surrounded Edith's life at the time.