A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal Read by Adam J. Smith

About this episode

Thomas Buergenthal shares his harrowing experiences as a young boy during the Holocaust in his memoir A Lucky Child.

Thomas Buergenthal, now a Judge in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, tells his astonishing experiences as a young boy in his memoir A Lucky Child. He arrived at Auschwitz at age 10 after surviving two ghettos and a labor camp. Separated first from his mother and then his father, Buergenthal managed by his wits and some remarkable strokes of luck to survive on his own. Almost two years after his liberation, Buergenthal was miraculously reunited with his mother and in 1951 arrived in the U.S. to start a new life. Now dedicated to helping those subjected to tyranny throughout the world, Buergenthal writes his story with a simple clarity that highlights the stark details of unimaginable hardship. A Lucky Child is a book that demands to be read by all.

People in this episode

Host: Adam J. Smith

Guest: Thomas Buergenthal

Topics covered

• memoir
• survival
• Holocaust
• resilience
• justice

Keywords

• Thomas Buergenthal
• A Lucky Child
• Holocaust
• survival
• memoir
• International Court of Justice
• resilience

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: International Court of Justice

Books & works: A Lucky Child

Places: Auschwitz, U.S.

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