George Schwab
George Schwab grew up in an upper-class family in the sleepy Baltic port town of Liepaja. His father, Arkardi, was a respected doctor. His mother, Klara, was a cellist and graduate of the renowned Riga Music Academy.
When George’s father heard stories of what the Nazis were doing in Germany, he refused to believe them. Cultured Germans weren’t capable of such barbarity.
Arkardij was a member of the official welcoming committee for the German Army. A German officer even told him that the Jews had nothing to worry about.
A few weeks later, Arkadij was imprisoned. Nazis beat him viciously until his eyeball fell out. As he stumbled in search of his eye, they shot him.
In the summer of 1942, George and his family were moved to the Liepaja ghetto. On the eve of Yom Kippur 1943, Nazis loaded everyone in the ghetto into cattle cars and shipped them to the Kaiserwald Concentration Camp in Riga. Along the way, one man composed a song:
Yom Kippur bei nacht, als men sogt den malchet, gebracht uns aher in KZ.
Their only food was moldy bread and marmalade, which gave everyone diarrhea.
During roll call, George kicked sand under his feet to stand taller so he looked older. Children were often selected for execution.
George was forced to watch public hangings.
In April 1945, Julius and George were at the Stutthof concentration camp. Typhoid spread rampant, the ovens burned day and night, and guards constantly unleashed their dogs on the prisoners.
The evacuation order came. Julius and George were loaded on barges along with the other prisoners.
After over a week on the high seas, the SS guards abandoned both the barges and their prisoners. By this time George was exhausted and delirious. He said, “Julius, please leave me alone and let me die.” In a stone-cold voice Julius replied, “No, you’re coming with me.” He grabbed George by the collar and they made it to shore.
German troops soon arrived at the shore as the prisoners came ashore. They were told to march, and those who couldn’t march were shot on the spot. Again, George pleaded with Julius to let him die, but Julius refused and pushed him to march.
They were taken to a soccer field by a U-Boot School as the final stages of a battle closed around them. Completely dazed, George wandered among thousands of people there from other camps. He saw a German soldier and asked for food. The soldier, now a prisoner, replied, “Why don’t you walk over to that British tank over there? You’ve been liberated, walk over and you’ll get something.”
The Germans had finally surrendered. George walked over to the tank and the British soldiers gave him some crackers, his first food in a week. As he ate, he realized he was finally free and safe. Julius had saved him.
George was reunited
WITH HIS MOTHER IN BERLIN, ONE YEAR AFTER THE WAR. IN 1947, THEY MOVED TO THE UNITED STATES. He would go on to earn a Ph.D. from Columbia University and teach history at the City University of New York for 40 years. George now heads the National Committee on American Foreign Policy.
George never had
problems sleeping
during the Holocaust.
It was only after that
the nightmares began.
