Margot Friedländer, a Holocaust survivor whose life bore witness to the horrors of Nazi rule, has died at the age of 103, according to a report by The Associated Press on Friday.
Her passing, confirmed by the Margot Friedländer Foundation based in Berlin, coincided with the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in World War II. No specific details regarding the cause of death have been made public.
Born as Margot Bendheim on November 5, 1921, in Berlin, she lived through the trauma of the Holocaust and survived imprisonment in the Theresienstadt concentration camp.
Her world was torn apart in 1943 when the Gestapo targeted her family. Forced into hiding, she was eventually discovered and arrested in 1944. She endured months at Theresienstadt, and in 1945, she learned the fate of her mother and brother—both had been killed in Auschwitz. Her father, who had escaped to Belgium in 1939, also perished in the same death camp.
Following the war, Margot and her husband Adolf Friedländer, himself a survivor, emigrated to the United States and settled in New York. There, they started anew, becoming American citizens. Margot first worked as a seamstress and later operated a travel agency. After Adolf’s death in 1997, she chose to return to Germany in 2003, ultimately resettling in Berlin in 2010, where she became an active voice in Holocaust education.
In her later years, Friedländer dedicated herself fully to educating others about the Holocaust. Her efforts earned her national acclaim, including Germany’s highest civilian decoration, the Order of Merit, and a statue erected in her honor at Berlin City Hall.
On Friday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid tribute to Friedländer, noting that her choice to return and work toward reconciliation was an invaluable contribution to the nation.
Friedländer remained a powerful advocate for Holocaust remembrance. In 2018, she stated, “I don’t just speak for the 6 million Jews who were killed, but for all the people who were killed—innocent people.”
Just last year, she participated in the German Film Awards ceremony, where she issued a somber warning about the resurgence of antisemitism both in Germany and around the globe.
“When I returned (to Germany) 14 years ago I didn’t imagine that what is happening now would happen – this is how it started,” she told filmmakers and media.
“There are many storytellers in this room. You have a responsibility to harness the power of cinema to ensure that what happened never happens again.”
“I ask you to help us so that history does not repeat itself. Now it is in everyone’s hands. We cannot change what happened, but we can change what will happen. It must not happen again. I’m asking you – be human.”
Ambassador Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, issued a statement on Friday mourning her passing.
“The World Jewish Congress mourns the passing of Margot Friedländer – a woman of unshakable moral courage, a survivor of unimaginable loss, and a voice of remembrance for generations,” he said.
“Margot did not only survive the Holocaust – she chose to bear witness. She chose to return to Berlin and speak to young people across Germany and beyond with dignity, grace, and truth. Until her final days, she stood as a symbol of resilience and humanity. Her words reached hearts. Her presence changed lives.”
“This is a profound loss for the Jewish people, for Germany, and for all those who believe in memory and moral responsibility. The World Jewish Congress was honored to count her as part of our family, and we extend our deepest condolences to her loved ones and all who were touched by her extraordinary life,” stated Lauder.
{Matzav.com}
