Diane von Furstenberg on How Her Mother’s Life Was Saved in Auschwitz

In this clip, Diane von Furstenberg recalls the powerful story of how her mother’s life was saved at Auschwitz and how she thinks about this lesson everyday.
#FindingYourRoots airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on PBS. In this October 13 episode, Henry Louis Gates Jr. traces the family trees of RuPaul Charles, Diane von Furstenberg, and Narciso Rodriguez - three fashion icons with hidden ancestries.
Watch the full episode at: www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your...

[@butchlane4609]

When you think things are falling apart they may just be falling into place.

[@masuganut2082]

Something I think we all need to hear this year ❤️

[@SL-lz9jr]

@@masuganut2082 yes! I've been battling with depression which worsened this year. I know everything will be okay in the end but when you're in the middle of your worst nightmare, you can't see that it's really the beginning of something better.

[@masuganut2082]

I really appreciate your comment and your honesty. For I deal with high anxiety (which leads to depression sometimes ) and at the turn of 2020 I thought this is the year I’m gonna gain control of my life.... then the world was turned on its end.... my anxiety has definitely gotten worse but I’m trying. It warms my heart to hear your words on positivity. Thank you SL, whoever you are. And I hope you can finally turn the corner on your depression ❤️❤️❤️

[@meemee4086]

Amen! Amen!!

[@mymomsglam]

Yes.

[@liatkan]

our grandparents knew what actual suffering and survival looked like. and we must never forget. my grandpa escaped on time.

[@catriniasmith4833]

One of my favorite designers, we would have never heard of Diane if she had gone left. What a story she told.

[@carringtonlefayette8644]

I concur with your sentiment. 💟

[@Serenity113]

Hearing how that man saved her life just gave me chills.

[@LGAussie]

I knew that was going to be what happened for some reason.

[@elliesings9508]

Wow, so true. "...you never know. What you think is the worst that can happen to you can be the best".

[@shanapeete]

This was so moving! I’ll be thinking about this for some time to come. Thanks for sharing.

[@angellove2405]

Thank you. I will always remember your mother's story.

[@AnnaFhaumnuaypol]

this is so powerful.. whenever i feel like im having a bad day i always think its saving me from something much worse

[@AbbyXO412]

He didn’t save her life out of any goodness in his heart. He just saw that she was healthy enough to work for a while before she died. He was still as evil as the rest.

[@apolpieTV]

So negative.

[@tidelubi6508]

Exactly my thinking. No disrespect for a story and the way she feels about it tho

[@aristotleemerson3248]

Correct. Still, he saved her life.

[@RcsN505]

I guess the point is more that what she thought was the worst (not staying with her friend) was actually far from it. She still hated the man.

[@deirdrekiely6187]

​@@apolpieTVThe Holocaust WAS negative, dear. Stop trying to sugarcoat one of the worst periods in human history.

[@carringtonlefayette8644]

My Parents survived the camps and my best friend of 21 years and my Family were speaking last night he had no idea that it was to the right you lived to left you perished. He wept and said he was so sorry he never knew that is how the selection was made. My Mummy wiped his tears and told him to her his tears where a gift for her Heart. The most wonderful moment in all of this that I had my camera on a tripod filming this beautiful encounter. Australia 11.22pm 11 December 2020

[@ccm800]

Never underestimate the capacity of man's inhumanity to man. God help us all.

[@bethparker1500]

Yeah, just listen to Jon Bought talk crap...

[@sttump8110]

its happening right now in china congrats.

[@jammzy2959]

He saved HER life but he was still evil. It's quite disgusting.

[@clipperbob960]

You didnt hear a word she said.

[@EsPGoPo]

I feel like he knew what they were doing was wrong and wanted to help someone .

[@cross75man75]

@@EsPGoPo they where seperating out those who could still work from those who they thought could not, it's that simple.

[@Liztastaney7]

Yes, but she took it positively. It was death vs life.

[@Social_Pugatory]

Right it’s like saying that Slave master killed all of my kin and sold me off but by selling me off he saved my life. It’s not anything to applaud him for. “He” didn’t save your life. Fate saved your life. Chance saved your life. If you believe in a higher power God saved your life. Not that man.

[@liptonbites]

2:19 thank you Diane for sharing your story. Such a valuable lesson.

[@raeelbakry5757]

I’ll remember that story always.

[@jeniafru]

In many cases, the men who were responsible for monitoring the process were members of the camp's medical staff, of which the most well known was Dr Josef Mengele, "The Angel of Death". Theses doctors were responsible for preserving the "adequate" workforce, i.e. young and capable men and women that were fit for work, while the others were murdered in a matter of a few hours. The medical staff also chose specific people (mostly teenagers and children) for what was essentially medical experiments to be made on humans, mostly such that caused horrible suffering and brought about the death of the "patients". However. the terrible irony is that if you were picked by the medical staff you had some chance to survive, while if you went with the majority of people who arrived, you were sent immediately to the gas chambers. The man who took Diane von Furstenberg's mother out of that line was probably personally responsible for the suffering and death of hundreds, but he also saved the lives of many of the people he picked.

[@egolovely]

This made me cry. This makes so much sense to me.

[@l.mendes547]

what a powerful story.

[@AlbertoRodriguez-ws8wc]

This story just helped me open my eyes.

[@firefeethok_tui2355]

Amazing lady and has done beautiful things with her life. Class act all the way.

[@leesher1845]

Thank you for sharing this segment.

[@kaydenevideo]

This made me cry.

[@hongkong42]

Thank you for sharing your mothers story. This was such a great episode

[@Famegonna9999]

Such an amazing story.

[@invision96]

Powerful Story. As a human being that happens to be African American and Native American mix it saddens me to hear the treatment of the Jews. Natives, Jews and African Americans had it pretty bad. We all just want to be human and love.

[@jammzy2959]

If that is all that everyone wants we wouldn't have these atrocities.

[@glenbellefonte9620]

Yes. It's all we hear these days too. Everyone is or was or always be a victim of persecution by someone else. And we get to hear about it constantly as though it were profitable. And who were you victims to? Let me guess: the evil one himself! How brave of you to say! It takes a lot of guts-especially in this day and age where there is so much white supremacy and systematic racism holding all of these multi zillionaire "people of color" back to say such a thing. I am waiting to hear the stories about how when someone came to America it was so God awful that they decided to return home. America is where about 20% of the population is the evil white man over 18 years of age and he is power enough to see to it that blacks do not become successful. Except we do not know who he is exactly, but can easily point out tens of thousands of mega rich black actors and celebrities. Terribly racist. And had what is allegedly a black man as president for 8 years. So oppressive we have thousands sneaking in illegally every day.

[@merylbonderow5993]

As a Jew, I thank you for this.

[@candistarbuckle]

I have found that families lacking minority heritage are unable to grasp the depth of how utterly wretched prejudice is and its repercussions. They seem unable to access empathy vital in understanding and accepting of all the variations of people. It’s like they’re back in the cave, their tribe throwing rocks blindly outward in an effort to stay “safe” from the “others”….the “inferiors”; it only succeeds in keeping themselves and the world stuck and tragic.

[@shirlepps4636]

Powerful and the true. Thank God she was saved.

[@rodwillis4080]

Powerful! God Bless us All!

[@wickedcatsrodriguez]

What an amazing story.

[@rcafmaintainer3723]

Wow, powerful and sad story at the same time.

[@mariamanzanero3713]

true you go through stuff saying it is the worst of my life but at the end it is something wonderful

[@alfredosauce8177]

My parents used to tell me a folk tale that resembled the message of this story about a farmer and his son who broke his leg, but then was able to avoid war. It was a series of chance happenstances of good or bad luck that always yielded unexpected results. What was good became tragic and what was heartbreaking saved their lives. I wonder if it came from something like this. My grandfather’s life was saved because his mother made him late for a resistance meeting to wash his feet. When he came to the meeting place, everyone had been captured.

[@andreamasone4616]

A very powerful story.

[@leahlee2323]

Wooow 💯 God is powerful

[@LGAussie]

Many ppl lived that worked at The Twin Towers in 2001, because some were late, sick, or stepped out for a coffee or breakfast bagel. Just moments from getting back on an elevator to doom. That’s amazing too. They should contact these ppl and do a story/film on them. Call it, “Seconds away”…

[@riceisnice526]

Beautiful story

[@LGAussie]

Many ppl “lived” that worked at The Twin Towers in 2001, because some were late, sick, or stepped out for a coffee or breakfast bagel. Just moments from getting back on an elevator to doom. That’s amazing too. They should contact these ppl and do a story/film on them. Call it, “Seconds away”…

[@frankendoll1455]

I will never forget that....❤

[@ericjordan5794]

Wow very touching story

[@masuganut2082]

That breaks my heart

[@mariap.5368]

This is such an evil time of history!!! Shame on the world for not doing anything sooner.

[@bumblebee6182]

Wow what a story

[@chadhoward5976]

Wow. Just wow

[@apolpieTV]

Sometimes it hurts but that being said, it will make you the best person in you.

[@JenShea]

@ 2:41, she looks exactly like my German grandmother. It's eerie.

[@superbeast1361]

Powerful life lesson

[@diasiacherese8079]

It would mean the world to be able to listen to the story of my own personal history and lineage. I really wish I could.

[@madivoss4357]

That was so intense

[@patrickholmes7851]

Insane. Could you even imagine?

[@ML-ul2zq]

It happened.

[@nancyhooper7715]

A real lesson here😮

[@ziggy33399]

Good true story .

[@Iamlightning333]

WOW

[@courtneyhaselberger2382]

Wow.

[@lc5929]

Never Forget

[@LGAussie]

When I did Diane’s makeup, she told me she was part Greek?? Where’s the ending of the DNA part that they show on this show? It usually shows percentages of DNA origins? The show did not show it long enough or mention those details.

[@vishvapradhan8476]

May be greatest life lesson here!

[@pamelabonaparte9383]

Wow

[@sadiafortune4064]

The BEST designer ever a graceful woman

[@divinelydiana8334]

Wow ☀️

[@cordelia81]

She is very sympathic

[@marwingillett1452]

Wow wow wow wow

[@channahstark1270]

These stories scare me. I am afraid one day peace won't exist anymore. Poor lady. She must have been so scared

[@migjtyalfie4501]

Yes but that women - Bless her bless her

[@nikkison973]

That man was probably dr. Mengele. He did the selections

[@morrismsmith7997]

🙏

[@luanalimitlesspossibilitie9269]

💜💜💜💜

[@crt9082]

😭😭😭

[@EchoBravo370]

I went into Diane Von Furstenburg's store in NYC about 20 years ago. There was no-one to help me at the counter, so I approached a woman adjusting a mannequin. It was Diane herself. She shooed me away. I did not care to talk to her, all I wanted was help when there was no-one else in attendance. She treated me like dirt. I had never been treated like that before. Horrible woman.

[@SM-rg2jd]

❤️

[@talkindurinthemovie]

🤧🤧🤧😭

[@SuperFosterMom]

Did he save her life or was he putting her in the work camp

[@fredpoesie2429]

😯💪

[@saralevy9095]

He was probably Dr Mangale who is also called “the angel of death”. He must have thought she was pretty strong and should go to other side and be with the women who were doing hard labor. Most of them did die doing that work with those horrible conditions. It was just luck.

[@leesher1845]

There is actually a company or business in Germany with the name Mengele; he’s the son of the maniacal doctor.

[@beyourself2444]

There’s something about Diane, I find her and Diana Ross so similar in mannerisms…

[@taniasmith619]

It's hard to understand why the Germans were so awful during WW2, but sometimes blessings can come true.

[@tblue303]

They went through a depression and wanted strong leadership. They believed Hitler would lead them to greatness. They also wanted to makeup from their lost in WW1. They blamed the Jews for their failure in WW1 and the depression. Even when they were looseing the war, they still continued with their killings. Absolutely awful.

[@AJR-zg2py]

Man in a white coat making selections... could it be possible that it was Dr. Josef Mengele himself that day? That would be so crazy.

[@Sasha-ce4tu]

Horrible evil

[@C93852]

Don’t try venting w this lady

[@sherrytriplett4851]

That was God's providence. He has a plan for everyone and is always in control.

[@paulcurran9534]

then where was God for the woman who was sent to the right? Was it his plan? If so, this God is every bit as evil as the nazis who gassed that poor lady

[@anniesok868]

Answer Paul!

[@cordelia81]

They look like twins

[@annaguobadia4587]

The World is the Stage.🌈♒️💃🏾🕺🏾🧬🕎🌈🕎🧬💃🏾🕺🏾♒️🌈💃🏾🕺🏾🧬 #STONGDELUSION #CORONATION #RESET #ItsGAMMATIME

[@DeborahWalkerXOXO]

Soo strange watching her sympathetically while knowing she's a bit nasty.

[@DeborahWalkerXOXO]

@Fishscale Fred I don't know how to say this any other way. It just comes out a bit condescending. So, simply put, "duh"🤦🏽‍♀️

[@laurencaulton103]

That man did not save her life for a good reason. At 21 she must have looked strong enough for slave labor. People were not only gassed. People were also worked to death. If you were a twin you might be taken by Mengele, and experimented on.

[@settingsshowroom2832]

Wow

[@dborastbenow7245]

Wow

[@llgatomorenoll]

Wow