2008 Woodie Awards
WWII era enemies form unlikely, lasting friendship
Skylar James
Issue date: 4/8/08 Section: News
Bernat Rosner and Frederic Tubach experienced life in Nazi Europe during World War II on entirely opposite paths. These two gentleman, who would ostensibly be bitter rivals, appeared at SSU as the best of friends, while presenting their stories and book for the Holocaust and Genocide Lecture Series.
"Even though the story was not told to send a moral message, I believe it does so nevertheless, and it does so on several levels," said Rosner, referring to his and Tubach's book titled, "An Uncommon Friendship". "The one I believe is particularly relevant today is the ability of two individuals, who come from such startlingly different beginnings, to be able to surmount the walls that could have divided them…Instead of being adversaries or strangers, [we] decided to tell what I believe is a warm and inspiring story."
Rosner was born 1932 in Budapest, Turkey, and was raised by his parents with his younger brother in a small, rural village. When Rosner was twelve, he found himself and his family on the Aushwitz concentration camp platform.
From that point Rosner's tragedy began. He was separated from his parents and brother by Nazi soldiers, who were spliting and categorizing all the new inmates. Rosner was the only one of his family who was not sent to the notorious gas chambers that day.
After failing several physical exams, and fearing he would be put to death, Rosner found a way to ship into Mauthausen, an Austrian concentration camp. Though he experienced many more hardships and turmoil, Rosner survived and was liberated at age 14, weighing 52 pounds.
"I suspect that most people in this room have seen pictures of the cadaver looking creatures that immerged from the concentration camps upon liberation by the Allies," said Rosner. "I was one of them."
As the title of their book alludes, Tubach's childhood took a drastically different path. In fact, his first German words were, "Hail Hitler." He was born in San Francisco, CA.. After experiencing some poor fortune in respects to his music career, Tubach's father moved his family to Germany where he found employment with the Nazi Counter Intelligence Agency.
"Even though the story was not told to send a moral message, I believe it does so nevertheless, and it does so on several levels," said Rosner, referring to his and Tubach's book titled, "An Uncommon Friendship". "The one I believe is particularly relevant today is the ability of two individuals, who come from such startlingly different beginnings, to be able to surmount the walls that could have divided them…Instead of being adversaries or strangers, [we] decided to tell what I believe is a warm and inspiring story."
Rosner was born 1932 in Budapest, Turkey, and was raised by his parents with his younger brother in a small, rural village. When Rosner was twelve, he found himself and his family on the Aushwitz concentration camp platform.
From that point Rosner's tragedy began. He was separated from his parents and brother by Nazi soldiers, who were spliting and categorizing all the new inmates. Rosner was the only one of his family who was not sent to the notorious gas chambers that day.
After failing several physical exams, and fearing he would be put to death, Rosner found a way to ship into Mauthausen, an Austrian concentration camp. Though he experienced many more hardships and turmoil, Rosner survived and was liberated at age 14, weighing 52 pounds.
"I suspect that most people in this room have seen pictures of the cadaver looking creatures that immerged from the concentration camps upon liberation by the Allies," said Rosner. "I was one of them."
As the title of their book alludes, Tubach's childhood took a drastically different path. In fact, his first German words were, "Hail Hitler." He was born in San Francisco, CA.. After experiencing some poor fortune in respects to his music career, Tubach's father moved his family to Germany where he found employment with the Nazi Counter Intelligence Agency.
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