My name is Iby Knill, I am a holocaust survivor. I was put in grammar school, in
Czechoslovakia, until I was found to be Jewish. When the Germans took over Czechoslovakia life became harder; I was forced to wear a gold star on my clothing, but I mostly wore a scarf to cover the shame. My family’s business was soon taken over by Germans, then we were forced out of our apartment. We were put on a flat out of town where I slept on a kitchen floor and my brother’s bed was a board on a bath. In 1942, my mother’s friend called her telling her that Jewish girls, like me, were being rounded up and used as prostitutes. My mother then sent my cousin and me to my grandparents house on a tram, where we would hide. My mother made plans for me to cross the border to Hungary and run through noman’s land in the middle of the night. I then went to my aunt, who was too scared to help me so I stayed at an apartment for several weeks, remaining absolutely quiet. I was caught and put in prison for
3 months; I was torchored day and night. When I was released I was arrested again and sent to a camp in Northern Hungary. I soon found out my family was in Hungary, but could only legally stay if I married. Soon enough I married and my family stayed. Then one night, I was visiting some friends and Germans came in and rounded everyone up and sent us to
Auschwitz. I spent six weeks there, but then some friends and I answered a call for volunteer
nurses
