On January 27, 1945, as Soviet troops advanced through Poland in the final months of World War II, they arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest and most notorious Nazi concentration and extermination camp. The liberation revealed the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust, where over 1.1 million people—mostly Jews—were murdered through gas chambers, starvation, disease, and brutal medical experiments. Among the roughly 7,000 emaciated survivors were about 180 children, many of whom had endured months or years of inhumane treatment. One haunting photograph from that day, captured by Soviet cameraman Alexander Vorontsov, shows a group of these child survivors, their fragile, bewildered faces reflecting both the trauma of their ordeal and the faint light of survival. This image has since become a powerful symbol of resilience amidst unimaginable horror.
The Liberation of Auschwitz
As the Red Army approached, the Nazis attempted to erase evidence of their crimes, evacuating some 58,000 prisoners on brutal death marches and leaving behind only the sickest and youngest. When Soviet soldiers entered the camp, they found scenes of devastation: piles of corpses, skeletal survivors, and evidence of industrialized genocide. Among the liberated were children as young as 10, many of whom had been subjected to pseudo-medical experiments by Dr. Josef Mengele, particularly twins, who were used in his cruel eugenics studies. These children, mostly Jewish and hailing from countries like Slovakia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania, had endured starvation, fear, and dehumanization, their arms often marked with tattooed identification numbers.
The iconic photograph, sometimes framed from Vorontsov’s film footage used in the Nuremberg Trials, captures 13 children (one partially obscured) in their striped prisoner uniforms, some pulling up their sleeves to reveal their tattoos. This image, taken between January 27 and February 28, 1945, speaks volumes about the atrocities of war and the innocent lives caught in its path. The children’s small, tired faces embody the Holocaust’s toll, yet their survival represents a glimmer of hope in the darkest of times.
The Faces of Survival
Thanks to the efforts of survivors, historians, and organizations like Yad Vashem and the USC Shoah Foundation, many of these children have been identified, their stories preserved as testaments to human endurance. Below are brief accounts of some of these young survivors, whose lives reflect both the horrors they endured and their remarkable resilience:
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Tomy Shacham (formerly Schwarz), age 11, from Czechoslovakia, traded cigarettes for food to help younger children. He later became a teacher in Israel, dedicating his life to Holocaust education.
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Miriam Friedman Ziegler, age 11, from Czechoslovakia, survived by hiding before her deportation. She settled in Toronto, Canada, and shared her story publicly.
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Paula Lebovics, age 12, from Hungary, won a guard’s favor by singing, which helped her survive. She now lives in Detroit, USA, and continues to educate others about the Holocaust.
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Eva Mozes Kor, age 10, from Romania, was a twin subjected to Mengele’s experiments. She founded the CANDLES Holocaust Museum in Indiana, USA, and passed away in 2019.
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Marta Wise (née Weiss), age 10, from Slovakia, survived Mengele’s injections through sheer luck. She moved to Australia and Israel, focusing on youth education until her death in 2023.
These children, many orphaned or separated from family, faced ongoing health challenges from malnutrition and experiments. After liberation, they were cared for in makeshift hospitals, convents, and orphanages. Some reunited with relatives, while others built new lives in countries like Israel, the United States, Canada, and Australia.
A Symbol of Hope and Remembrance
The photograph of these children has become an enduring symbol, featured in museums, documentaries, and commemorations like the 60th and 70th anniversaries of Auschwitz’s liberation, where survivors recreated the image. It reminds us of the 1.5 million Jewish children murdered during the Holocaust and underscores the importance of preserving their stories. Survivors like Paula Lebovics and Eva Slonim have dedicated their lives to ensuring that the world remembers, speaking out against hatred and intolerance.
The liberation of Auschwitz exposed the scale of Nazi genocide, but it also highlighted the resilience of those who survived. The image of these children serves as a stark reminder of the innocent lives ensnared by war and the enduring need for education and vigilance to prevent such atrocities from happening again. Their survival is a call to action—to remember, to educate, and to fight against hatred in all its forms.
As we reflect on this history in 2025, let us honor the memory of those lost and the courage of those who survived by committing to a world where such horrors are never repeated. The children of Auschwitz, through their stories and their image, continue to inspire hope and resilience in the face of humanity’s darkest moments.
