{"id":3064,"date":"2021-03-07T15:45:37","date_gmt":"2021-03-07T14:45:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jugend-im-kz.de\/?p=3064"},"modified":"2022-05-31T11:43:24","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T10:43:24","slug":"joseph-schleifstein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jugend-im-kz.de\/en\/joseph-schleifstein\/","title":{"rendered":"Joseph Schleifstein<br\/> (Szlajfaztajn)<br\/> A three-year-old in Buchenwald"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; override_padding=&#8221;yes&#8221; h_padding=&#8221;3&#8243; top_padding=&#8221;3&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;2&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; el_class=&#8221;postflow&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/12&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;8\/12&#8243;][vc_custom_heading auto_text=&#8221;yes&#8221; text_color=&#8221;color-122240&#8243; heading_semantic=&#8221;h1&#8243; text_size=&#8221;fontsize-978791&#8243; text_height=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text text_lead=&#8221;yes&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;258256&#8243;]Joseph was born to Israel and Esther Szlajfaztajn on 7 March 1941 in Sandomierz, Poland. At the end of 1942, the German occupiers established a ghetto for Jews in the city, and the family remained there until its dissolution in January 1943. In January 1945, the entire family was deported to the German Reich. Esther was sent to the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, and Israel and three-year-old Joseph arrived at the Buchenwald Concentration Camp on 20 January 1945. With the help of his father and other prisoners, he survived until liberation.<\/p>\n<p>In 1946, Joseph and his father reunited with his mother Esther in Dachau, which was now a DP camp. In 1947, the family emigrated to the USA and built a new life for themselves in New York.<\/p>\n<p>The story of Joseph Schleifstein, who is said to have been smuggled into the Buchenwald camp in a sack, served as the basis for Roberto Benigni&#8217;s internationally acclaimed Italian tragicomedy La vita \u00e8 bella in 1997.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/12&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; override_padding=&#8221;yes&#8221; h_padding=&#8221;3&#8243; top_padding=&#8221;3&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; el_class=&#8221;postflow&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;3\/12&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;4\/12&#8243;][vc_single_image media=&#8221;1268&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; lbox_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_empty_space empty_h=&#8221;2&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;3\/12&#8243;][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic=&#8221;h4&#8243; text_size=&#8221;h4&#8243; text_height=&#8221;&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;113234&#8243;]Joseph Schleifstein in the liberated Buchenwald camp, after 19 April 1945.[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;196830&#8243;]The boy spent his fourth birthday in Buchenwald Concentration Camp in March 1945, making him one of the youngest prisoners in the main camp.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text text_lead=&#8221;small&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;115279&#8243;](Buchenwald Memorial)[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/12&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; override_padding=&#8221;yes&#8221; h_padding=&#8221;3&#8243; top_padding=&#8221;3&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;2&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; inverted_device_order=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;postflow wechsel&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243;][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243;][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; shift_x=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y_down=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; medium_width=&#8221;0&#8243; mobile_width=&#8221;0&#8243; width=&#8221;7\/12&#8243; el_class=&#8221;smallcolumn&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1615992990021{padding-left: 20em !important;}&#8221;][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic=&#8221;h4&#8243; text_size=&#8221;h4&#8243; text_height=&#8221;&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;106542&#8243;]Joseph Schleifstein with his father Israel at the German-Polish border, May\/June 1945.[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;888996&#8243;]The joint search for Esther Szlajfaztajn began immediately after liberation.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text text_lead=&#8221;small&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;919600&#8243;](Buchenwald Memorial)[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; position_vertical=&#8221;bottom&#8221; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; shift_x=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y_down=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; medium_width=&#8221;0&#8243; mobile_width=&#8221;0&#8243; width=&#8221;5\/12&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1615992911767{padding-right: 11.5em !important;}&#8221;][vc_single_image media=&#8221;1261&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; lbox_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_empty_space empty_h=&#8221;2&#8243;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; override_padding=&#8221;yes&#8221; h_padding=&#8221;3&#8243; top_padding=&#8221;2&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; el_class=&#8221;postflow&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/12&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;5\/12&#8243;][vc_single_image media=&#8221;1262&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; lbox_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_empty_space empty_h=&#8221;2&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;4\/12&#8243;][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic=&#8221;h4&#8243; text_size=&#8221;h4&#8243; text_height=&#8221;&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;895453&#8243;]Joseph Schleifstein in a group of children and adolescents from the liberated Buchenwald Concentration Camp in the Rheinfelden quarantine camp in Switzerland, June 1945.[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;199754&#8243;]Joseph and other juvenile Buchenwald survivors were taken to Switzerland for recuperation on a <em>Kindertransport<\/em> (children\u2019s transport). He later rejoined his father.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text text_lead=&#8221;small&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;102869&#8243;](Buchenwald Memorial)[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/12&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; override_padding=&#8221;yes&#8221; h_padding=&#8221;3&#8243; top_padding=&#8221;3&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;2&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; inverted_device_order=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;postflow wechsel&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243;][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243;][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; shift_x=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y_down=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; medium_width=&#8221;0&#8243; mobile_width=&#8221;0&#8243; width=&#8221;5\/12&#8243; el_class=&#8221;smallcolumn&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; position_vertical=&#8221;bottom&#8221; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; shift_x=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y_down=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; medium_width=&#8221;0&#8243; mobile_width=&#8221;0&#8243; width=&#8221;4\/12&#8243;][vc_single_image media=&#8221;1263&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; lbox_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;3\/12&#8243;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243;][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; shift_x=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y_down=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; medium_width=&#8221;0&#8243; mobile_width=&#8221;0&#8243; width=&#8221;5\/12&#8243; el_class=&#8221;smallcolumn&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; position_vertical=&#8221;bottom&#8221; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; shift_x=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y_down=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; medium_width=&#8221;0&#8243; mobile_width=&#8221;0&#8243; width=&#8221;4\/12&#8243;][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic=&#8221;h4&#8243; text_size=&#8221;h4&#8243; text_height=&#8221;&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;163981&#8243;]Joseph Schleifstein being interviewed by a journalist in Dachau and photographed in his prisoner suit, 1946.[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text text_lead=&#8221;small&#8221;](United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;3\/12&#8243;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; override_padding=&#8221;yes&#8221; h_padding=&#8221;3&#8243; top_padding=&#8221;3&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;2&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; inverted_device_order=&#8221;yes&#8221; el_class=&#8221;postflow wechsel&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243;][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243;][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; shift_x=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y_down=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; medium_width=&#8221;0&#8243; mobile_width=&#8221;0&#8243; width=&#8221;3\/12&#8243; el_class=&#8221;smallcolumn&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; position_vertical=&#8221;bottom&#8221; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; shift_x=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y_down=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; medium_width=&#8221;0&#8243; mobile_width=&#8221;0&#8243; width=&#8221;6\/12&#8243;][vc_single_image media=&#8221;1264&#8243; media_lightbox=&#8221;yes&#8221; media_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; lbox_caption=&#8221;yes&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;3\/12&#8243;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243;][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; shift_x=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y_down=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; medium_width=&#8221;0&#8243; mobile_width=&#8221;0&#8243; width=&#8221;3\/12&#8243; el_class=&#8221;smallcolumn&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; position_vertical=&#8221;bottom&#8221; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; shift_x=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; shift_y_down=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; medium_width=&#8221;0&#8243; mobile_width=&#8221;0&#8243; width=&#8221;6\/12&#8243;][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic=&#8221;h4&#8243; text_size=&#8221;h4&#8243; text_height=&#8221;&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;168764&#8243;]Reunited. Joseph Schleifstein with his mother Esther and father Israel in Dachau, around 1946.[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;290765&#8243;]The US Army had set up a DP camp in the liberated Dachau Concentration Camp. There, the family reunited. In 1947, they emigrated to the USA.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text text_lead=&#8221;small&#8221;](United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;3\/12&#8243;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243;][uncode_block id=&#8221;774&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row row_height_percent=&#8221;0&#8243; override_padding=&#8221;yes&#8221; h_padding=&#8221;3&#8243; top_padding=&#8221;3&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;2&#8243; overlay_alpha=&#8221;50&#8243; gutter_size=&#8221;3&#8243; column_width_percent=&#8221;100&#8243; shift_y=&#8221;0&#8243; z_index=&#8221;0&#8243; el_class=&#8221;postflow&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/12&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;8\/12&#8243;][vc_custom_heading auto_text=&#8221;yes&#8221; text_color=&#8221;color-122240&#8243; heading_semantic=&#8221;h1&#8243; text_size=&#8221;fontsize-978791&#8243; text_height=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text text_lead=&#8221;yes&#8221; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1270,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jugend-im-kz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3064"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jugend-im-kz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jugend-im-kz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jugend-im-kz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jugend-im-kz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3064"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jugend-im-kz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3064\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jugend-im-kz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jugend-im-kz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jugend-im-kz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jugend-im-kz.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}