Survivor Testimony: Surviving Bergen-Belsen: Marion Blumenthal Lazan

Following Hitler's rise to power, the Blumenthal family - father, mother, Marion, and her brother, Albert, were trapped in Nazi Germany. They managed eventually to get to Holland, but soon thereafter it was occupied by the Nazis. For the next six and a half years the Blumenthals were forced to live in refugee, transit, and prison camps that included Westerbork in Holland and the notorious Bergen-Belsen in Germany. Though they all survived the camps, Walter Blumenthal, Marion's father, succumbed to typhus just after liberation.
It took three more years of struggle and waiting before Marion, Albert and their mother at last obtained the necessary papers and boarded ship for the United States. Their story is one of horror and hardship, but it is also a story of courage, hope and the will to survive.
Marion spoke at the HTMC conference, "Generations," which took place June 8, 2014 at Hofstra University.

[@heybooboobutters2862]

What a wonderful and wise woman. Her speech at the end was truly inspiring.

[@angelinaclarke7210]

Wonderful speech, I can’t believe that you and your Mum and brother survived this horrendous conditions. Thank you for mentioning the non Jews who risked their lives in order to help. My grandparents were among them and could escape punishment, many of their friends could not. May god bless you A. C.

[@justinb2391]

I wish everyone could hear her message.

[@mrbluefalconia]

history just isn`t where you shine brightest ehh ??

[@davidsandell7833]

Justin Balsley: Me as well. We all need to know this sad story. Hopefully it won’t happen again. I’m afraid it will.

[@davidsandell7833]

Gambling Degenerate: Naive? This is a true story. Listen and listen well. You may very well have to try to survive something similar. Pray that it doesn’t happen again.

[@LanceLust1980HugeTheWarningFan]

Ronalda Larsen, calling an individual in the comment section a puerile twat has absolutely no meaning. I made a mistake. I'm certain you've done so before as well. One thing though, many like to claim misleading information as fact, especially regarding WWII and the Holocaust, and I will mention this whenever I can. My intention isn't to discredit those who tell the truth. It's to discredit those who don't. Missing the point when she said she "thought" she might be in a gas chamber whilst taking a shower won't gain me any credentials, no, but your reaction towards my own is nothing more than puerile in and of itself, an epitome of being juvenile, and simply to gain attention. To a much harsher degree since you so chose to try to trigger rather than to help educate. I tried the latter and I missed the point. You tried the former, and fell very short. Hopefully one day you'll be the best you there is, but I cannot agree you've gotten far today. Edit: I, however, hit the mark directly and precisely. I won't worry about it if you don't.

[@ronaldalarsen8925]

Lance Lust Nope, Still think you're a puerile twat.... YOU REALLY MUST LISTEN..! , " Immature" ? ...me? ..lived through the blitz.....Boy, have you missed the mark, you Nazi ....

[@horatio71]

Who on earth gives a negative rating for this???? It is such an important message of her!

[@attilakohbor3360]

certain antisemites or neonazis

[@judya.shroads8245]

A very eloquent lady. GOD BLESS ALL.

[@cliffcardinal9443]

Peace, Love, and Forgiveness are our only hope for true Happiness in this World, said a Survivor of Residential School, and Day School Survivor.

[@lesliesmith5797]

Your mom looked amazing. Bless her strong heart.such a tragedy all victims suffered at the hands of evil. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing you speak and your wonderful attitude. May you live long and healthy. Thank you so much. 🌺 🇮🇱🇺🇸

[@hunteranglerwv3353]

She came to my school. Very powerful speech she gave

[@adamwhite8431]

Bergen-Belsen was a detention centre but alot of the people there were starved to death. The main problem was that disease in the camp.

[@sean_delay]

Marion is coming to my school on April 9th during school. I have so many questions

[@motomoto4158]

SAME!!

[@sean_delay]

I know I commented 3 months ago and stuff but this is so sad. Marion couldn’t come to our school because her husband is in the hospital, hopes and prayers go out to her and her husband 🙏 🙏 🙏

[@sheilaregister4128]

A miracle you all survived for 6-1/2 years! So sorry your father died of typhus. A horrible time in our history. So many beautiful, wonderful, intelligent people killed and tortured. How anyone could treat people like that, especially civilian men, women and children. It is just unimaginable!

[@attilakohbor3360]

this is what envying does and scapegoating

[@oof3105]

I was so lucky to get to listen to her speak. I got a picture with her. It is something I will never forget.

[@truecynic1270]

You are very fortunate. I was mesmerized by this, her, talk, so inclusive and exceedingly wise and insightful. Moving. Organized. Open. Honest. Raw. Brilliant. Marion Blumenthal Lazan is an outstanding mind and human being - wish I'd been there with you!!! l

[@scottfuller5194]

I have, as a teenager, toured three of those murderous Nazi death camps.....and later as an officer in UN service visited and toured Yad Vashem, where I was overwhelmed by the souls of the murdered.......I believe my PTSD originated by this horrific experience.....and was a guest at the annual IDF midnight torchlight ceremony on the peak of Masada, where the new Israeli armoured crews swore their “never again” oath.....our IDF host Major translated the Hebrew oath for us......its impact on me last’s to this day......sign me a retired Canadian Army officer......!

[@giggles8963]

Awesome speech/monologue... This should be broadcasted worldwide for everyone to listen, hear and learn from... Youth in today's world needs to understand these messages she brings forth from her dark past. She's very descriptive.

[@gabriellejablonski3294]

It's amazing how she speaks so beautifully seeing she came from such an ugly past! She is one strong woman

[@mrbluefalconia]

?? so just to understand you correct...The short version...you think Mike is right ?? and to support that,you show me some kind of expert ? just the cut down version ..correct ? not a hole lot of arguments..just the short yes or no version

[@LanceLust1980HugeTheWarningFan]

Forgive me; I didn't realize the documentary was deleted. Thomas Wagner, are you asking me to answer you briefly? Without any bells and whistles, so to speak? If you are, I'll have to answer you like this:

[@mrbluefalconia]

lance> :) it totally okay,and forgive ,if I might have seem,kind of offensive,in the first place.I appologise for that...The real question,we should ask ourself..is not did it happend ? ..much like did the Gulag camps exist,becourse we know it did !! countless eye witnessess,from offenders and survivors,as well as files and documents,who wasn`t destroyes,film,ect,ect let us know it did.The secret interview with Frans suchomell,which can be found here on youtube,the talk with hermine Braunsteiger,the diary from Johann Kramer,the second in charge,in Auswitch,The movie "Shoa",ect,ect We now know it started long before any camp was build,with the T4 euthanasei program,in Hartheim,and the other sanatories,with the killing of the handicapped,and mentally unstable..the " not worthy" ...Thoose "hard" men and women,who did carry out the killings...how was it possible lance ? where they born that way ? cold,hartless,sadistic...men like Theodor Eiche,,Eric Fuchs,the gas van ingenour( forgive me my errors.comming from Denmark,my english is rather poor :) Hans Frank,Oscar dirlewanger,Klaus Barbie..ect...and the women...Hermine braunsteiger,dorothea binz,maria mandl,ect,ect. Where they natural born killers ? or was it a combination of propper training..the society,around them,and other psychological effects ? remember that allmost everyone of them,was solid middle class workers,Doctors,nurses,kindergarden teachers,policemen..with wife,husband and kids,and after the war,many of them..just slipped back to their previous life,like it never happend,being caring and loving parents.helping,teaching,curing kids,never hurting and harming anyone...Hannah ahrendt raises this very interesting in her book about Eichman,," the banality of evil"..and to me this is the main question..how and not least why ?

[@johnturner3745]

Mike Jones Where did you go to school? It’s hard to think any honest educator would allow you to continue in such ignorance. Nazis committed inhuman atrocities. Do you have access to the outside world??

[@LanceLust1980HugeTheWarningFan]

John Turner: "Mike Jones Where did you go to school? It’s hard to think any honest educator would allow you to continue in such ignorance. Nazis committed inhuman atrocities. Do you have access to the outside world??" Where did you go to school, John Turner? Oh, wait. That is none of my business, just as everything you asked is none of yours. You recall the Nazis were bullies? You're heading directly in the same direction with your rhetoric, John Turner. As I said in another thread to you, you would be well liked in Nazi-Germany. You think mental defectives shouldn't be allowed to populate society, which was exactly what the Nazis felt. John Turner, you're the same ilk as those you claim to run against, just like most others in these comments sections! A hypocrite. A wolf in sheep's clothing. Even though I don't believe in a lot of the Holocaust, I still respect this woman's rights. You clearly haven't learned from the atrocities committed by all during wars, and genocides. John Turner, instead of projecting your ill will onto others, stifle it until you decide to deal with your hatred/anger in an appropriate manner.

[@ashleybartsch6642]

Wonderful Marion! Thank you for educating us and sharing your story.

[@linrogers4326]

I am in awe of her. I don't know if I would have had the strength to survive. She is amazing.

[@arletteurbancic8875]

This lady is amazing.

[@adamrussell4703]

Thank you for your vivid testimony. Never again.

[@OoxB505]

Brave lady 🧡 love that her mum lived to be 104 too! ✨

[@lisavandermeer6859]

An incredible speech. 💐

[@PixieStJohn]

Thank you.

[@joshuahauser9050]

Be warned: Some comments here are extremely disrespectful and it is tempting to answer back at them. Please don’t. Do not stoop to there level. They simply want reactions from people. The holocaust happened. My grandmother was liberated from belsen. I know what happened and there is no need to fight with the ridiculous claims of such disrespectful people. That would be giving them satisfaction they do not deserve. To those who are being disrespectful, try and be a normal human and show some respect for those who have suffered.

[@attilakohbor3360]

I do reply to these haters , they are no better a bit as the real perpetrators . They are the same cowards hiding here in the comment sections .

[@gonefishing167]

Thank you. May G-D bless you and your family. Australia 2020 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

[@Lovely-gi4xo]

This is amazing. What she says at the end is so very true.

[@arletteurbancic8875]

How amazing - she is speaking extemporaneously, not reading from anything.

[@grosvenorclub]

Such a beautiful speech from one who really knows .

[@noahisham7416]

She came to my school today it was interesting and powerful

[@donnaganzon1655]

What a remarkable woman.❤

[@ROYALWAND]

very well said :)

[@Spirituallove2000AD]

Those starved dead bodies how can anyone deny any of the stories how sad

[@NZfabrock]

They died of starvation not gassing brought about because the Allies were attacking any trains or vehicles they saw on the roads. The american pilots were to told shoot anything that moves, farmers, civillians, workers anyone and everything.

[@acharyarajmu]

The appalling conditions of overcrowding she describes were a result of mass transfers of inmates in the East to camps in Germany which did not have have enough capacity, and the destruction of supply lines for food and medicines by Allied carpet bombing. The German fought a constant battle against lice, typhus and dysentery (both of which she mentions) but in the end there were no more resources because of Allied bombing. At least she admits that Allied planes fired indiscriminately on trains carrying civilians, but she makes no mention of the mass rapes and murders and atrocities committed by the Red Army - that ordinary Germans were starving too - or burned to death by merciless fire bombing of German cities In summary: a very one sided and decontextalised story. It also ignored a major question: if he Germans were such evil exterminators why did they even bother to provide any type of food at all - however meagre - instead of just killing camp inmates like her, her family and fellow inmates?

[@Anglo_Saxon1]

@@acharyarajmu she was a frightened 9yr old child you sick fuck! She's talking about the horrific, petrifying, soul destroying experience that your fellow nazi's put her through. So how the hell would she of known about the soviet war crimes that you mentioned. She was just a little girl.

[@attilakohbor3360]

​@NZfabrock you are total bullshit , like they were not suffering of hunger under ss guards before you are a disgraceful bullshit and probably neonazi

[@90_sGirl]

What an amazing story.

[@truecynic1270]

A very strong message and oratory. I am so sorry that all these atrocities happened to anyone, let alone this family. I am also terribly sorry about the use of GS dogs since, with great truth, this breed is actually very, very intelligent and compassionate. I am the proud owner of a wonderful GS dog who is a certified, registered therapy dog. In ten years, this amazingly interactive dog has NEVER shown any aggression toward any other living being. Indeed, when his life is done, my will be as well

[@attilakohbor3360]

german shepherd and rottwiler was used to butcher people by nasty nazis , in fact in some countries you need a special permit to have gs , similar permit to weapon permit

[@michaelaowens8345]

Wow what a story 😢

[@dallasmcmillian5821]

God bless you darling

[@RositaAHuff]

Those who did that to people.... are not human....I hope very much that there will be hell for all of them.....

[@driekkus1]

Hell is waiting....they wish they never born

[@jeremytaylor206]

That's why it's so important because it wasn't monsters or animals, it was people killing people. Its th human condition, there's 2 things we've become excellent at since we came outta the ocean 10 billion years ago: killing each other and saving each other

[@attilakohbor3360]

Some perpetrators were executed with agonies , thank goodness.....

[@cherylg63]

Wow! What a strong and resilient woman, and so courageous! She was at Bergen Belsen at the exact same time as Ann and Margot Frank. I’d be very interested to know if she crossed paths with them at any point.

[@marilynbloch3825]

I took some courses in Hofstra towards my BA in Adelphi in the 70's.

[@MrThinkrichpinoy]

Can people survive this kind of treatment?

[@deerheart87]

No toothpaste no soap no showers they must have absolutely stunk to high heaven , no toilet paper , insane , crawling with bugs ...😢😢😢

[@jenniferdnoseworthy2348]

My heart goes out to all who have survived this horror. Those who are gone are out of their misery. I don't have enough words to express my emotions and describe how this makes me feel. Heartbreak. I will never understand wth gave one group the right to think they were better than another. We cannot forget that this happened, we cannot forget that one man started and continued this, we cannot forget that we can stop this if, God forbid, it happens again.....Donald Trump 😕 omg, need I say more? I'm sorry for my American friends. IMO

[@attilakohbor3360]

trump is ethnically german , an unwanted fascist import

[@allurach1746]

Why were people kept in the camps alive? Seems like they weren’t put to any use

[@allurach1746]

Women stayed alive because of their physiology. Period.

[@jackspratt4343]

I know this was filmed 5 years ago, but are you sure you are old enough luv, to have been a victim of the 'Holocaust TM'. Just sayin.

[@jamesmurrell3917]

Very true these so called survivors seem to live a long time and don't show any signs of aging mentally 🤔🤔

[@missJolie85]

She was 80 here at time of filming, have you watched Judge Judy or Joy Bahar from the view lately luv? They are the same age and as quick in the head as you get them. Actually they remind me a bit of each other, as wise jewish women. What about Dame Judy Dench who is 87 - I just watched an interview with her and louis theroux 1 hour ago, were she mentioned the war and that they took care of 17 cats at that time. She looked pretty fresh and able I would say. It is also a matter of survival of the fittest, the strongest bodies and minds are most likely the ones who managed to survive. Btw luv I’m not jewish, I dont have any head in this game, facts are facts.

[@jackspratt4343]

@@missJolie85 "survival of the fittest , strongest bodies"....you have a point there, as that was one of the prerequisits for re-settlement to Palestine in 1948. In fact the powers that be, orchestrated a "purim" at the end of the war, to cull the herd so to speak. You will know this as the "shoah".

[@nirmalan5590]

Bergen belsen survivor is alive today? What crap are you blabbering? Me, I died in Bergen belsen and returned ,TO HEAR THIS CRAP?

[@malcolmdale]

Nirmala n - She was born in 1935. When this was made she was 80 years old. So what is your problem?

[@johnryng2412]

My father was a slave farm laborer near the camp and at times delivered food from the farm to the camp. His stories convey the truth of the atrocities committed at Bergen Belsen.

[@missJolie85]

Do you have some sort of mental disorder?

[@nirmalan5590]

@@missJolie85 Why? Do you have mental dusorder to recognise it in others?

[@missJolie85]

@@nirmalan5590 No, Silly girl - mental patients dont reconize each miss indian wall flower. I know it might be hard for you to imagine, but the strongest bodies and minds are usually the ones that manage to survive these things, survival of the fittest. She was 80 here. I know that might be a very high age for you, but if you have good living conditions, access to good health care, and good genes, you can actually become pretty old. The Queen of England was almost 10 years older than this woman, she helped out during WW2 and she died like a month ago. Plz do keep on dying and returning, it might be your karma for being such a nasty human being.