Jewish survivors of the Holocaust

Anson, Martin 1909- (6 of 7)

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  • Type

    sound

  • Duration

    00:30:31

  • Shelf mark

    C0410/042

  • Recording date

    1989-02-16; 1989-03-09; 1989-03-14

  • Is part of (Collection)

    The Living Memory of the Jewish Community

  • Recording locations

    Interviewee's home

  • Interviewees

    Anson, Martin 1909- (speaker, male)

  • Interviewers

    Moss, Halina, 1929- (speaker, female)

  • Recordist

    Moss, Halina

  • Abstract

    Born in Leutershausen, Germany. Jewish family, Jewish education, experiences of anti-Semitism. Joined father's business became involved in politics, joined paramilitary arm of Social Democrats, organised meetings and marches. As a result of his journalism work for Die Alarm, bricks were thrown through the windows of his parental home. In 1931, he decided to leave home. He was introduced to Dr Helmut Klotz (Social Democrat activist). After an attempt made on Klotz's life, Anson organised protection for Klotz and his home. He ceased his political activity when he opened a draper's shop with a cousin in Landshut. By 1938 he felt that emigration was necessary. Detailed description of Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Glass 9-10 November 1938). On the eve of Kristallnacht he already had started to make plans for emigration, but all male members of the family were taken to Dachau. Description of life in Dachau; daily routine, food, cruelty, ways of applying for release. He obtained a release and left for UK, Easter 1939. One of his uncles, who was already in Glasgow, got him a job there. He was joined by his parents. Difficulties in obtaining accommodation partly due to anti-Semitism. When war broke out, he was interned by the British government because he was German. He volunteered to be air warden to avoid emigration to USA. He witnessed the Battle of Britain. He received engineering training under government scheme, but he had difficulties getting work as a German national. He worked as motorcycle mechanic; talks about the role of motorcycles during the war. After the war he lost his job. He married in 1946; his wife's parents died in Auschwitz.

  • Description

    Interviewee's note:Born in Leutershausen, Germany.

  • Related transcripts

    Full transcript of the interview

  • Related links

    Voices of the Holocaust - link to learning materials based on the moving stories of Jewish Holocaust Survivors on the British Library Website

  • Metadata record:

    View full metadata for this item

Anson, Martin 1909- (6 of 7)

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