Nina Kaleska
She was only 13 when the Germans invaded Poland in 1941. She and
her family were hauled off to Auschwitz, where her mother, father,
and sister were killed.
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An SS Guard Falls In Love
It was during this time that Nina had an unusual encounter with a
soldier named Lucien who was guarding her and the other inmates. "I
was 16 and I was so naive," she said. "He was adorable and he was
19."
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He Knew They Would Kill Her
"He fell in love with me, and he says, 'look they are going to
kill you and I would like to help you escape,'" she explained.
Nina and the other prisoners were eventually evacuated. A guard
later told her Lucien had been killed on the Russian front.
"My heart sank. I never thought I would grieve for a man in a German
uniform," she said. "All of these years I never forgot him because
he represented a moment of beauty and truth and hope amidst hell and
death and darkness."
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Nina Is Saved
He said, 'we have to ship out tonight, but I spent all night
writing you a letter,'" she explained. "He gives me that letter and
it is a beautiful poem, beautifully written and a photograph of him
as a civilian. And he kissed me."
Nina regained her freedom in May of 1945, and arrived in the United
States in 1950 at age 21
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She Is A College Speaker
She spoke to students at The University of Pennsylvania, Bryn Mawr
College and Haverford College. She has also spoken about her life
around the country in an effort to foster better relations between
Christians and Jews.
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