Margot Friedländer, a Holocaust survivor and witness to Nazi persecution, dies away at 103. Known for her advocacy and role in Holocaust remembrance, she was honored with Germany’s highest recognition.
Margot Friedländer, a Holocaust survivor and witness to the atrocities of Nazi persecution, passed away at the age of 103, The Associated Press reported on Friday.
Her death, which was confirmed by the Margot Friedländer Foundation in Berlin, occurred during the week marking the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s surrender in World War II. Details surrounding her death, including the cause, were not immediately disclosed.
Friedländer was born Margot Bendheim in Berlin on November 5, 1921, and survived the Theresienstadt concentration camp.
In 1943, Friedländer’s life in Berlin was shattered when her family was targeted by the Gestapo. Forced to hide and later arrested in 1944, she spent months in Theresienstadt. In 1945, the arrival of skeletal survivors from Auschwitz marked the cruel confirmation that her mother and brother had perished in the death camp. Her father, who had fled to Belgium in 1939, also met his fate in Auschwitz.
After the war, Friedländer and her husband, Adolf Friedländer, a fellow survivor, moved to New York, where they rebuilt their lives. They became US citizens, and Friedländer worked as a tailor before running a travel agency. Following her husband’s death in 1997, Friedländer returned to Germany in 2003, and later moved back to Berlin in 2010, where she shared her story with new generations.
Friedländer’s final years were devoted to preserving the memory of the Holocaust. Her contributions were widely recognized, and she was awarded Germany’s highest honor, the Order of Merit, and a statue was erected in her honor at Berlin’s City Hall.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier praised her legacy on Friday, acknowledging that Friedländer’s reconciliation efforts in Germany despite her painful past were a gift to the country.
Friedländer’s testimony has served as an essential voice for the millions who perished in the Holocaust. She said in 2018, “I don’t just speak for the 6 million Jews who were killed, but for all the people who were killed—innocent people.”
Last year, Friedländer attended the German Film Awards ceremony and warned about the rise of antisemitism in Germany, as well as throughout the world.
“When I returned (to Germany) 14 years ago I didn’t imagine that what is happening now would happen – this is how it started,” she told filmmakers and media.
“There are many storytellers in this room. You have a responsibility to harness the power of cinema to ensure that what happened never happens again.”
“I ask you to help us so that history does not repeat itself. Now it is in everyone’s hands. We cannot change what happened, but we can change what will happen. It must not happen again. I’m asking you – be human.”
Amb. Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, released a statement on Friday mourning Friedländer’s death.
“The World Jewish Congress mourns the passing of Margot Friedländer – a woman of unshakable moral courage, a survivor of unimaginable loss, and a voice of remembrance for generations,” he said.
“Margot did not only survive the Holocaust – she chose to bear witness. She chose to return to Berlin and speak to young people across Germany and beyond with dignity, grace, and truth. Until her final days, she stood as a symbol of resilience and humanity. Her words reached hearts. Her presence changed lives.”
“This is a profound loss for the Jewish people, for Germany, and for all those who believe in memory and moral responsibility. The World Jewish Congress was honored to count her as part of our family, and we extend our deepest condolences to her loved ones and all who were touched by her extraordinary life,” stated Lauder.
