The Stable Boy of Auschwitz: A heartbreaking true story of courage and survival

Product Information

One hot, humid day in July 1944, the Gestapo abducted fifteen-year-old Henry and his mother, forcing them onto cramped cattle cars in the Lodz Polish Ghetto. Like so many Jews before them, they had been selected to disappear – they were being sent to Auschwitz. The first three chapters are primarily about the history of the Jewish people and how Adolf Hitler came to be in power. The next fifty-four are an account of Henry’s horrific story, how he coped and how he endured and survived the Holocaust. Told from a very personal viewpoint, The Stable Boy of Auschwitz is just one man’s account. Never forget that, sadly, there were hundreds of thousands more like Henry. This book was excellent and the audio was also excellent. I immediately found myself immersed in the story of Henry Oster, just a young boy of barely 5 years old when Hitler first took control of Germany in 1933. I have read my share of WWII historical fiction books, as well as memoirs from that time, but I don't think I've ever read such a well detailed account of one's personal hell during the Holocaust. Henry’s wife explains at the end the importance of keeping this history alive to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. To this day I still simply cannot comprehend how those atrocities ever occurred, how it was that Hitler had followers and some people in Germany in that day followed. I can’t imagine any human being doing such things and truly hope it never ever could happen again. I think it is important that everyone is aware of international history and not preferring an ‘ignorance is bliss’ approach to these atrocities, I have a lot more to learn myself and I think we can all play a role in keeping the memories alive of the innocent lives lost and being aware of how radical racial and/or political views (among others) can lead to very dangerous people.

This was a truly heartbreaking recount of Henry’s days in the Holocaust. However, it was inspiring to hear that after surviving his time in Auschwitz, he moved in with his uncle in America, and then got into optometry school. This story is about one of the 2,011 jewish people named Heinz Oster who was arrested and moved by the Gestapo from Cologne. What I think people might not realize is he survived 2 Jewish Ghettos that were essentially meant to starve these people and different concentration camps to include Auschwitz/Birkenau and Buchenwald. He survived air rades agasints train cars, death marches, 12 hour shifts, he escaped mass firing squads, starvation and he lived on a wooden pallet for 10 years total! By the time the American forces liberated him he was now only 1 out of 30 of the originally captured Jewish people from Cologne. This book is a great, personal account of not only the depravity of some but also the power of resilience in others. It is also a relatively short book so you're not overwhelmed by the harrowing nature of the topic. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in WW2 non-fiction, biographies, and concentration camp survivors. Really, it is a must, so we never forget. The Stable Boy of Auschwitz is a WW2 memoir, but it is different from the many others I have read. Heinz/Henry Oster and his family were Jews living in Cologne. The story begins in 1933, when he is only five years old and Hitler has just come to power. When his father dies from starvation, he is forced to take care of his mother and he proves to be a smart and resourceful young man. Henry and his mother were relocated to a Ghetto in Łódź, Poland, but they were still together. By 1943, the ghettos were being cleared out and they were moved Auschwitz. Separated upon arrival, Henry was alone and had to do whatever he could to survive. Henry, at 15, was able to get a job working in the stables with two mares who took their commands in German and of course, Henry was fluent. From the 2,011 Jewish people that had resided in Cologne before World War II only 23 survived, including Henry. I found myself in the Auschwitz stables, and I felt an ember of hope. If I could make myself useful, helping these horses, maybe I could stay alive.”Exhausted after hours of traveling, they finally emerged from the stifling, filth-ridden cattle car. Already devastated at having lost his father to starvation, Henry clutched his mother's frail hand, knowing she was all he had left in the world, and that he was the only one left to protect her. In a flash, he felt them being brutally torn apart.

Early in the book, Henry explains some of the political aspects, which I really appreciated being included and learning about. Toward the end, it tells us what Henry went on to do when he was eventually safe (including trying to adjust - a story of resilience). While reading this book I felt so much anger and sadness that this happened to so many people. But I also felt a distance to the author. The writing style, the violence and explicit language was something that I disliked a lot and I couldn’t feel any inspiration out of it. In the darkest moment of history, one child found the courage and strength to survive the unimaginable. This is Henry's true story. Ripped apart from his mother in the shuffling river of children, women, and men stepping off the train, for the first time in his life, Henry was completely alone.This was a heartbreaking story. I can’t begin to imagine what Henry went through and still survived. It’s appalling to think that this was allowed to happen. In today’s world I can almost see parts of it happening again. stars This is my second memoir about the Holocaust this year and it never gets old. There is always something new to learn. In this one, the author shares his terrifying and heartbreaking experience as a German Jew living in Cologne when the Holocaust starts. He identified as a German yet was betrayed by his country. He was one of the only Jews from Germany to survive, since they were the first people taken to the death camps. There is a lot of information covered in this book, and the author has a way of writing that makes you feel like you are sitting in a room with a friend having a conversation.