Surviving Bergen-Belsen | Tomi Reichental

Holocaust survivor Tomi Reichental tells the story of his experience as a nine-year-old boy in the concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen, in a lecture co-hosted by UCD Philosophy Society and UCD German Society (31 March 2015).
'In the last couple of years I realised that, as one of the last witnesses, I must speak out.'
"Tomi Reichental, who lost 35 members of his family in the Holocaust, gives his account of being imprisoned as a child at Belsen concentration camp.
He was nine-years old in October 1944 when he was rounded up by the Gestapo in a shop in Bratislava, Slovakia. Along with 12 other members of his family he was taken to a detention camp where the elusive Nazi War Criminal Alois Brunner had the power of life and death.
His story is a story of the past. It is also a story for our times. The Holocaust reminds us of the dangers of racism and intolerance, providing lessons that are relevant today."
Tomi Reichental was born in 1935 in Slovakia. He was sent to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1944. Tomi has lived in Dublin since 1959 and regularly talks to Irish schools about his wartime experiences. A documentary about Tomi's attempts to meet one of his jailers, Close to Evil, has been shown on TV and in cinemas throughout the world, and helped again to raise the profile of the Holocaust.
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I was a Boy in Belsen (book): www.obrien.ie/i-was-a-boy-in-b...
UCD Philosophy Society: www.ucd.ie/philsoc/
UCD German Society: www.ucd.ie/germnsoc/
UCD Twitter: / ucddublin
UCD Facebook: / universitycollegedublin
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UCD Homepage: www.ucd.ie

[@richardyehudareich9207]

My name is Capt Richard Reich born in Nitra Slovakia in1938. I'm 3 years younger of Tomi I know Miki Tomis brother he visited me in Eilat, Israel where I live, We met in concertation camp Sered that I visited 2 month ago. We'my mother my brother and myself and my grandmother have been taken to Bergen Belsen in the same Cattle car with Miki and Tomi.I was only six years but I remember that before the British came, we sow many British flags around the camp. Only after then the British Medical Corps came to the camp with medical masks and special suits.I was thrilled to hear the lecture Tomi gave, In Israel I gave a lecture in Raanana to the Irish Jewery here in Israel by request of Menachem Gapson the chairman of friendship Israel-Ireland

[@sadhbhredd4325]

Mr Reich, Thank you so much for sharing your experience, it was gripping to read. I was wondering, I'm doing a project for History in school about the SS soldiers guilt after the Holocaust and I was wondering if I could perhaps email you a few questions? If not it is totally understandable, Thank You, Sadhbh

[@danielt.3152]

Bless you thank you for sharing this.my aunt Anna survived Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen and testified at the Bergen Trial against the camps leaders.

[@paulcannon5065]

His emphasis on starving to death, with its agonizingly slow progress, was extremely telling. Moreover, the length of time it can take to die this way! His lecture was remarkable and utterly praiseworthy. He is an inspiration,and who better placed to give us this monumentally harrowing account. A man of enormous compassion.

[@katiefox5666]

Him and his wife Joyce are my landlords he’s so nice he’s been through so much ❤️

[@kanichiwoh]

@colin canton oh shut up you knob

[@kanichiwoh]

@colin canton subtly equating renting out accommodation with forced labour camps, nice one. Open your eyes for once and maybe you will realise that landlords are not the pinical manifestation of evil in this world.

[@ava3572]

He came to my school once

[@loonylinda]

tragic that this lovely man should suffer so badly.....the pain in the survivors hearts and minds must be immesurable....

[@mvp_rua5794]

I am glad to have met Tomi in my school on the 10th of march

[@maxmilligan5672]

My father was in The Royal Engineers involved in organising sanitation and the burial of bodies during the liberation. The prison staff of Bergen Belsen were ordered to take the bodies to the burial pits. It effected him for the rest of his life with what we now call PTSD. Miss him every day.

[@patriciarouse2801]

How grateful now for such heros , who rose to the occation and met insanity ,gross indifference to living things and did everything they could imagine to cope . Your father's sacrifice , also, is a testimony to the diginity of empathy, knowledge and the fragile nature of human beings. May we find peace on earth and remedy the impulse to begrudge others peace on earth .

[@philipjones5267]

My father same, one of the bulldozer drivers, hanky for 'protection'.

[@audreybunyan1493]

It’s so awful what happened to these poor people. No one can imagine the horrors they suffered. God bless each and every one ❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@robertandhollyscorpiofan2697]

I met a survivor of Auschwitz in the summer of 1994. He was the friend of a female acquaintance with whom i was sharing a meal, she stopped him for a chat. He crossed his arms at one point, and i could see the tattoo on his outer left forearm. He saw my eyes widen, he angled his body so i could get a better look. He let me touch it, and when i asked, “which camp” He said, “Auschwitz.” And told me that 74 members of his family has been murdered. I think he was surprised that a 20something knew what the tattoo meant, but he said nothing.

[@t.m.i123]

He's coming to my college soon! I'm so excited!

[@epsteinweinsteinsexeducati8362]

Guard your wallet!

[@mthomas3547]

Thank you so much for your testimony! My father was 2nd generation, American. His parent, my grandparents, came from Slovakia. Slovakian. Dakujen!

[@eddogs100]

May almighty God bless you Sir. I’m so sorry this happened to you and your family. Awful doesn’t describe it. There are no words for such hatred. It sickens my stomach seeing the pictures of your liberation.

[@adamrussell4703]

Thank you for your very vivid and personal account. Never again we hope .

[@esterherschkovich6499]

I have just listened to this gentleman's book,interesting and heartbreaking...We must never again🌺🌺

[@markparker8297]

He is a great man his mother was the reason he went through all the stuff he went through

[@globo-homoshlomo6900]

He's a great actor, that's for sure.

[@esterherschkovich6499]

@@globo-homoshlomo6900 He is a great actor???What do you mean...

[@globo-homoshlomo6900]

@@esterherschkovich6499 He's giving a performance in this video. Acting. Pretending. Playing a role.

[@katiefox5666]

He’s my landlord

[@JasonCWaite]

1:19:45 was GREAT advice.

[@GAZMofBI74]

What an amazing Story?👌😎👍👍👍 My Grandad was also liberated from Bergen-Belsen in Apr 1945 as well?except My Grandfather was a Highlander in the 51st Highland Division which was in 1940 in action further south of the main B.E.F being evacuated at Dunkirk.3 weeks after the Dunkirk evacuations ended btw,fighting a rearguard action,all the way to the french coast,My Grandads Div fought on until the British C.O General.Victor Fortune,was left with no option but to capitulate to the Germans?they were all surrendered to capture by Rommels 7th Panz Div at St Valery en caux on the French coast?My 'Papa' and 8000 fellow Jocks of his Division went 'Into the Bag'(taken POW),most of them spending 5 years in all as Pow's of the Nazi's?😢👎He was in various stalags for a few years,tried to escape a couple of times i was told,and then for his 'Temerity' they threw him in Belsen?He spent the last 2 years of the war in Belsen camp,he was '7 stone and Lousy'(his words) when finally liberated by his fellow Brits in spring 1945?His experiences drove him to Drink which led to his far to early Death sadly at only age 63?🤕👎that happened back when I was very young in the early 80s?I was told about some of his war experiences by my parents but tbh I still don't know much and Im constantly searching for more info of his 'Kriegsgefangener' experiences during 1940-45??🤔🤔🤔 Rip my Papa John(Chuck)Melvin and God bless all who suffered and Died in that terrible Conflict,Peace now and always to you all.👌😎✌

[@Madronaxyz]

Thank you for telling us the story. I am so sorry your grandfather went through that.

[@esterherschkovich6499]

Thank you for sharing your story 🌺🌺respect.

[@rositahuff4858]

…for the human’s? ……who did those horrible acts….I hope there is a place called Hell!

[@cliffitir]

Never again.

[@cliffitir]

@@globo-homoshlomo6900 lol

[@globo-homoshlomo6900]

@@cliffitir I agree, LOL @ this whole narrative.

[@ronaldalarsen8925]

TheBounty Hunter You experiencing a doubt maybe ?..With a soubriquet like yours, you' ve hardly got the moral high ground, have you ?

[@Mirkwood50]

Very much doubt he would really remember all this at 9 years of age. Still, he has made a living out of it

[@doriennecarmel9208]

The_Bounty_Hunter maybe if it was you in his position you would realize it would be something you would never forget no matter how young !!!!!

[@donnaeve3939]

It’s amazing he wasn’t driven completely mad!

[@woodser100]

If you experienced something so horrific and so demeaning and brutal for 3 or 4 years you wouldn’t forget it either.

[@cuteforstarsnumberonefan6394]

The majority of the speech is historical context he no doubt remembered some of, but supplemented with research. He only talks about his life in the camp for a minority of the speech. I don't think it's unrealistic to remember details of an event so traumatic and shocking, even if you are 9 years old.

[@markparker8297]

That's a shame that his own mother told the natzis where her children were a good mother would have let the natzis beat her to death and still would not have told to natzis where her kids were the mother only cared for herself so she would not get beat up she told the natzis where everyone was I would hate my mother for life for putting my life In danger like that I would have told her to stay away from me and that I hated her guts for betraying me and letting the natzis know where I was what a piece of crap of a mother

[@rjs2085]

Not a very good speech. To little detail. Would have been better if he went into detail about what he saw.

[@morlvol]

You can read between the lines, without him going into details.

[@rjs2085]

@@morlvol I want details

[@rosebouquet7501]

He gave many details. What exactly are you looking for?

[@dcooperpromanager]

@@rjs2085 How much details would you expect from a traumatised 9yr old?

[@rjs2085]

@@dcooperpromanager a lot

[@globo-homoshlomo6900]

Dude is lying through his teeth.

[@AK-dm8bh]

Globo-Homo Shlomo what makes you say that?😂

[@globo-homoshlomo6900]

@@bhill7641 Well, I'm a professional stage actor, and can spot another professional actor. The guy in this video is acting. He's not a great actor, but he has definitely been working at his craft for a long time. He's trying to be convincing.

[@PK-re3lu]

@@globo-homoshlomo6900 In other words, bullshit.

[@globo-homoshlomo6900]

@@PK-re3lu Correct, what this old man is saying is pure B.S.

[@jamiestewart48]

Imagine going out of your way to watch a long video on a man who suffered so much telling his story and trying to make sure at least something comes from it and then commenting utter nonsense on it. "Professional stage actor." More like a "professional mental case."