When the Nazis came to power in 1933, Werner Reich lived with his family in Berlin. He later fled to Yugoslavia, but when the Nazis occupied that country, he went into hiding. Reich was arrested by the Gestapo at age 15 and eventually was sent to the Theresienstadt and Auschwitz concentration camps. He survived and made his way to America, where he became an engineer and a public speaker on the subjects of genocide, extremism, bias, and bullying.
Quote: ” ‘We laughed more than you night think, we had joke-telling sessions practically every night. First we would talk about the components of food in great detail, and we would tell jokes.’ I asked him if he remembered any of the jokes and he repeated one in German which he translated. ‘I’m happy to be in Auschwitz. If I wouldn’t be happy I’d still be in Auschwitz. Might as well be happy.’ ”
Sources: huffpost.com
Watch “How the Magic of Kindness Helped Me Survive the Holocaust” [10:52]. >>
Read “Holocaust Survivor Werner Reich on Magic, Laughter, and ‘The Great Nivelli’ ” >>
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