Buergenthal is returning to his position as lobingier professor of comparative law and jurisprudence at the george washington university law school. Separated first from his mother and then his father, buergenthal managed by his wits and some remarkable strokes of luck to survive on his own. Thomas buergenthal s incredible memoir of surviving the nazi concentration camps of auschwitz and sachsenhausen as a boy, is published by profile books. He answered questions from members of the audience. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. It is not only a holocaust memoir, but one written more than six decades after the fact, from the perspective of his childhood memories, and memories of his parents and friends, and memories of others he encountered. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy, in which he recalls. That is why i tried to write my story as i remember living it as the child i was, not as an old man reflecting on that life. Thomas buergenthal, now a judge in the international court of justic. Jul 30, 2012 thomas buergenthal, now a judge in the international court of justice in the hague, tells his astonishing experiences as a young boy in his memoir a lucky child. Thomas buergenthal, the american judge on the international court of justice at the hague, is a scholar in the postholocaust field of international law and. May 31, 2010 holocaust survivor thomas buergenthal silences the hay crowds delivered in a quiet voice, buergenthal s testimony reminded us of the trivial nature of our daytoday concerns, writes ian katz ian katz. It is a tale of obscure individuals making outrageous claims of gassings and mass murder, often based on hearsay and rumor, often selfcontradictory, and often in conflict with other witnesses, with material. Judge buergentahl talked about his experiences and the various ways people behaved in those circumstances.
By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Jan 12, 2009 buergenthals recollection of these tricks conveys a sense of marvel at his survival. A lucky child by thomas buergenthal, profile books, london. Thomas buergenthal books list of books by author thomas. A lucky child 2007 is a memoir written by thomas buergenthal, in the vein of night by elie wiesel or my brothers voice 2003 by stephen nasser, in which he recounts the astounding story of his surviving the holocaust as a tenyearold child owing to his wits and some remarkable strokes of luck. In the end, a lucky child is a captivating story of survival that i can strongly recommend for mature readers of all ages. Somehow, the author is able to deftly balance the horrors of his childhood with the wisdom hes accumulated so many years later. He arrived at auschwitz at age 10 after surviving two ghettos and a labor. A lucky child by thomas buergenthal overdrive rakuten. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy buergenthal, thomas, wiesel, elie on. Buergenthal writes his story with a simple clarity that highlights the stark details of unimaginable hardship. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy is thomas buergenthals story of survival against incredible odds during the second world war, first at the ghetto in kielce, poland which was later wiped out by the germans, auschwitz where he was imprisoned between august 1944 and january 1945, when he with other able bodied survivors were forced to march on foot in the depths of winter into germany shortly before auschwitz was liberated by soviet troops, and sachsenhausen.
I have added judge buergenthal to my list of most desired dinner partners and in fact, he is at the top of the list. Thomas buergenthal has 18 books on goodreads with 25098 ratings. So i was very interested to read a lucky child by thomas buergenthal, who was only ten years old when he was incarcerated in auschwitz in august 1944. Survival, honorably achieved, is the basis of this memoir of one young boys victory over the unimaginable cruelties, the starvation and brutality of the nazi concentration camps. A lucky child by thomas buergenthal hachette book group. I believe that they should know what it was like to be a child in the holocaust and to have survived the concentration camps. Thomas buergenthal a lucky child surviving auschwitz. A lucky child and millions of other books are available for instant access. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy paperback september 16, 2010 by thomas buergenthal author. He relates his experiences in such a matter of fact.
Almost two years after his liberation, buergenthal was miraculously reunited with his mother and in 1951 arrived in the u. A lucky child is a little different from other books on holocaust because it is a memoir of a person, who as a child survived not only auschwitz, but the ghetto that, like all jewish ghettos, was liquidated, and two other labor camps. Thomas buergenthal, now a judge in the international court of justice in the hague, tells his astonishing experiences as a young boy in his memoir a lucky child. A lucky child is a memoir written by thomas buergenthal, in the vein of night by elie wiesel or my brothers voice by stephen nasser, in which he recounts the astounding story of his surviving the holocaust as a tenyearold child owing to his wits and some remarkable strokes of luck. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy ebook written by thomas buergenthal. History bookshelf thomas buergenthal, a lucky child. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy, by thomas buergenthal this book is part of genre of literature that i must admit i am familiar with but seldom enjoy reading, and that is memoirs of the survival of the holocaust, of which we should not expect very many new ones given the length of time, except among manuscripts preserved in private and found by divine providence.
The miracle in it all is, only a handful of children came out of auschwitz alive. Human rights committee, interamerican court of human rights, and presidents commission on the holocaust. Jul 23, 2008 thomas buergenthals incredible memoir of surviving the nazi concentration camps of auschwitz and sachsenhausen as a boy, is published by profile books. Liberated from the death camps of auschwitz at the age of eleven, in adulthood he became a judge at the international court in the hague. The books title refers to the authors mother, mutti.
This lack of sentimentality is one of the facets of the story that sets it apart from other holocaust memoirs. Thomas buergenthal a lucky child surviving auschwitz as a. See all books authored by thomas buergenthal, including a lucky child. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy by thomas buergenthal in epub, fb2, txt download ebook. Since the initial publication of this book, new documents have been made available, allowing buergenthal to finally learn the details of his mothers search for him and the truth about his father. Books by thomas buergenthal author of a lucky child. The books title refers to the authors mother, mutti, who while consulting a fortuneteller in katowice, poland was tol. He has a growing conviction that he is, indeed, the lucky child a fortuneteller once said he would be. A lucky child expanded paperback by thomas buergenthal. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy by buergenthal, thomas isbn. Buergenthal currently serves as the american judge on the international court of justice, and wrote the memoir to describe his experiences in concentration camps when he was just a child. Buergenthals recollection of these tricks conveys a sense of marvel at his survival.
A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy by thomas buergenthalalthough originally written in english, this book was published in several other countries before a u. Thomas buergenthal, now a judge in the international court of justice in, tells his astonishing experiences as a young boy in his memoir a lucky child. First published in germany in 2007, the book revisits buergenthals youth in the late 1930s when he and his parents were forced by the nazis to leave their home in lubochna, czechoslovakia, where they owned a hotel. As one of the few children to survive the horrors of the nazi concentration camps, his unique perspective makes for a remarkable and riveting chronicle. A powerful holocaust memoir from an international court judge in the hague. Separated first from his mother and then his father, buergenthal managed by his wits and some remarkable strokes of luck to survive on his. It is a clearheaded account of buergenthal s experiences and how they determined his life. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy main by thomas buergenthal isbn. Separated first from his mother and then his father, bu. Thomas buergenthal born 11 may 1934, in lubochna, czechoslovakia, today slovakia is a former judge of the international court of justice. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy ebook. The book a lucky child is thomas buergenthals autobiography, which was published in 2007. Thomas buergenthal, now a judge in the international court of justice in the hague, tells his astonishing experiences as a young boy in his memoir, a lucky child.
Thomas buergenthal, now a judge in the international court of justice in the hague, tells his astonishing experiences as a young boy in his memoir a lucky. Because this lucky child lived on, eventually working to alleviate human suffering as an important jurist in the international courts of human rights. Now dedicated to helping those subjected to tyranny throughout the world, buergenthal writes his story with a simple clarity that highlights the stark details of unimaginable hardship. This book should probably have been written many years ago, when the events i describe were still fresh in my mind. His book is both a special historical document and a great literary achievement, comparable only to primo levis masterpieces. Thomas buergenthal s poignant memoir of survival allows us to understand the holocaust as he experienced itfrom a child s point of view. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy, and public international law in a nutshell, and more on. Thomas dalton the sad story of holocaust witnesses is wellknown to revisionists. Thomas buergenthal was not quite six years old when he and his parents were forced into a jewish ghetto in poland. A lucky child 2007 is a memoir written by thomas buergenthal, in the vein of night by elie. In his honest and heartfelt memoirs, he tells the story of his extraordinary jo. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy, first published in germany 2007, is author thomas buergenthals account of his childhood during the nazi occupation.
A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy by thomas buergenthal, in very good condition. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy by tom buergenthal. Liberated from the death camps of auschwitz at the age of eleven, in adulthood he became a judge at the international court in. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy, published by little, brown, and company. He arrived auschwitzat age 10 after surviving two ghettos and a labor camp. After a short period in the polish ghetto in kielce, they were transported to auschwitz in. And the world can be thankful that it was preserved to become an adult life of real significance and positive contribution to the human condition, on a global level. A lucky child is written with a surprisingly unsentimental tone that buergenthal attributes to the many years that have passed since he was a child of the camps. About the author considered one of the worlds leading international human rights law experts, thomas buergenthal served as a judge at the international court of justice and prior thereto as judge and. Almost sixty years later, thomas buergenthal finally tells his story of determination and survival in a lucky child. Our cheap used books come with free delivery in the us. Jan 14, 2010 a lucky child tells the story of thomas buergenthal, born to a germanjewish mother and a polishjewish father in 1933 and from the age of 6 years, grew up in the jewish ghetto of kielce poland and later in the concentration camps at auschwitz and sachsenhausen. With a new afterword by the author sharing these revelations, a lucky child is a classic that demands to be read by all.
Thomas buergenthal s most popular book is a lucky child. Ive read many books on this subject but not one like this. The latter approach would have deprived the story of its character as the contemporaneous personal testimony of one child survivor of the holocaust. A memoir of suviving auschwitz as a young boy, by thomas buergenthal, is a book i have added to my holocaust memoir library buergenthal didnt disappoint me. Buergenthal was 6 years old when forced to abandon his home and spend the rest of his childhood running from nazis and struggling to survive the holocaust. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy unknown by buergenthal, thomas isbn.
Thomas buergenthal, now a judge in the international court of justice in the hague, tells his astonishing experiences as a young boy in his memoir a. Thomas buergenthals poignant memoir of survival allows us to understand the holocaust as he experienced itfrom a childs point of view. A lucky child by thomas buergenthal world of books. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy epub ebook by buergenthal, thomas at the age of ten the author arrived at auschwitz after surviving the ghetto of kielce and two labour camps, and was soon separated from his parents. He takes us on his journey from the kielce ghetto to the. A lucky child a memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy by. Sep 16, 2010 thomas buergenthal, now a judge in the international court of justice in the hague, tells his astonishing experiences as a young boy in his memoir a lucky child. The clear, nonhectoring prose makes buergenthal s personal storyand the enduring ethical questions it promptsthe stuff of a fast, gripping read. But as ruth klueger points out in her philosophical holocaust memoir still alive. My children had heard snippets of my story at the dinner table and at family gatherings, but it was never the whole story. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy is thomas buergenthal s story of survival against incredible odds during the second world war, first at the ghetto in kielce, poland which was later wiped out by the germans, auschwitz where he was imprisoned between august 1944 and january 1945, when he with other able bodied. The book chronicles the authors life in czechoslovakia and escape from a concentration camp. Thomas buergenthal, the american judge at the international court of justice in the hague, talks about his book, a lucky child.
A lucky child tells the story of thomas buergenthal, born to a germanjewish mother and a polishjewish father in 1933 and from the age of 6 years, grew up in the jewish ghetto of kielce poland and later in the concentration camps at auschwitz and sachsenhausen. A memoir of surviving auschwitz as a young boy by thomas buergenthal. A lucky child thomas buergenthal, now a judge in the international court of justice in the hague, tells his astonishing experiences as a young boy in his memoir a lucky child. He arrived at auschwitz at age 10 after surviving two ghettos and a labor camp.