While coming home from Vac to Budapest, Marika and her father read in the newspaper that Hitler claimed half of Poland, and he was heading for Hungary. Apa tried to tell Marika that things might get bad for Jews in Budapest. In Marika’s mind, she denied her father’s warning like she denied everything else that felt bad to her.
Within a short time, Apa’s fears came true. By the end of 1943, the German’s defeated Stalingrad, and soon German forces occupied Hungary. Jews were being rounded up and sent to live in concentrated areas called ghettos. Even though Marika had done a wonderful job forging the new birth certificates that stated they had no Jewish ancestry, Apa and Uncle Lipot felt it was best that they lay low and hide. By 1944 every other Jewish store owner, like the baker and the grocer were forced to close up their shops. Marika’s worry that her best friend Zsofi would be taken away came true. The Hungarian police came and took her family as part of an anti-Semitic round up. They were put into a forced labor camp. Marika prayed for their safety every moment she could. She felt guilty because she looked the way she did, had the opportunities she had and most of all that she couldn’t get Zsofi’s family forged documents.
Even the best forged documents couldn’t change the name of Apa’s company, Schnurmacher,Pal and Company. The name was a dead giveaway. No one would use their services. No one would dare take the chance.
UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM. “HUNGARY AFTER THE GERMAN OCCUPATION” HOLOCAUST ENCYCLOPEDIA. HTTP://WWW.USHMM.ORG/WLC/EN/ARTICLE.PHP?MODULEID=10005458.ACCESSED ON 12/1/11
I just read an article about Hitler's army invading Poland. I can only imagine how scared Apa must have been when he read about Poland being invaded by Hitler's army. He must have feared that Budapest would also be invaded by Hitler and the Jews there would not be safe.
ReplyDeleteThanks for citing your source. Nice connection to history and the events in the book.
ReplyDelete5/5 points.