Simon Wiesenthal Biography

Early Life and Education
Simon Wiesenthal was born upon December 31, 1908 in Buczacz, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and today in Ukraine. He was born into a Jewish family, and his father, Asher Wiesenthal, was an effective wholesale merchant, while his mother, Rosa Rapp Wiesenthal, looked after the family. Wiesenthal had a younger bro called Hillel and a younger sister called Regina.

Maturing in Buczacz, Wiesenthal witnessed the impact of World War I and became acquainted with the violence and challenge that came with it. After the war, Poland became an independent country and Buczacz ended up being a part of it. The town also went through changes, and the Jewish community had to handle increasing anti-Semitic events.

Wiesenthal went to the regional gymnasium, excelling in his research studies, and in 1928, he went on to study architecture at the Czech Technical University in Prague. After graduating in 1932, he relocated to Lvov (now Lviv, Ukraine), where he worked as an architect. In 1936, he wed his partner, Cyla Müller, and together they had a daughter named Paulinka.

World War II and Holocaust
The break out of World War II in 1939 considerably altered Wiesenthal's life. After the Soviet Union annexed Lvov in 1940, Wiesenthal was forced to close his architectural firm. In July 1941, the Germans occupied the city, and he and his family were needed to transfer to the Lvov ghetto.

Wiesenthal was quickly separated from his other half and was required to the Janowska prisoner-of-war camp, where he performed forced labor. He managed to escape from the camp in October 1943 and joined the Polish partisans; however, he was recaptured by the Germans in June 1944 and was sent to a number of other concentration camps. Finally, he was placed in the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria.

Wiesenthal endured the Holocaust, however unfortunately lost numerous member of the family, including his mother, stepfather, and brother. His partner, Cyla, likewise survived, as she had been hidden by a Polish family under an incorrect identity.

Nazi-hunting and Activism
After the war, Wiesenthal made it his objective to bring Nazi war lawbreakers to justice. He began compiling lists of Nazi officers and began working with the U.S. Army's Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the War Crimes Unit. In 1947, he co-founded the Jewish Historical Documentation Center in Linz, Austria, where he continued working on his lists and actively pursued investigations.

Among Wiesenthal's a lot of well-known accomplishments as a Nazi-hunter was the capture of Adolf Eichmann, a prominent SS officer associated with organizing the Holocaust. Wiesenthal had actually supplied vital details that caused Eichmann's capture by Israeli Mossad representatives in 1960 in Argentina.

Throughout the years, Wiesenthal and his group added to the prosecution of various Nazi war criminals. This work caused the formation of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles in 1977, a human rights organization that remains devoted to Holocaust remembrance, education, and tracking down those accountable for war criminal offenses.

Later Years and Legacy
Wiesenthal continued his work well into his 90s and authored numerous books about his experiences, including "The Murderers Among United States" (1967) and "Justice, Not Vengeance" (1989). He got many honors and awards throughout his life, consisting of the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal in 1980 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000.

Simon Wiesenthal died on September 20, 2005, in Vienna, Austria, at the age of 96. Today, he is kept in mind as a tireless advocate for justice and a sign of perseverance in the face of inconceivable scaries. His work has influenced countless individuals to sign up with the battle versus hate, prejudice, and genocide, ensuring that the memory of the Holocaust lives, and its lessons continue to inform future generations.

Our collection contains 18 quotes who is written / told by Simon.

Related authors: Lawrence Taylor (Athlete)

• Wikipedia
• Your website here?