MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN)- Martin Lowenberg spoke to students at the Kaufmann Auditorium on Tuesday, Nov. 12 to tell his story about living through the Holocaust and the emotional experiences he faced.
Martin grew up in Schenklengsfeld, Germany with his mother, father, his two sisters, and his twin brothers. Jewish people are no longer there, according to Lowenberg. They were driven out during the Holocaust.
Lowenberg was just 10 years old when he and his family were taken to concentration camps.
Today he is 91-years-old and lives to tell his stories and hardships that he faced during the Holocaust in World War II.
“What is hate? It’s a really bad word. It’s the worst word in the dictionary. [Hate] happened to me in the Holocaust, it happened to me in the beginning. So many, many people hated me,” said Lowenberg.
He recalls Kristallnacht, or the “Night of Broken Glass” on November 8th and 9th in 1938 when the Germans set fire and destroyed Jewish homes, schools, and synagogues.
1.4 million children died at Auschwitz, two of those children were Martin’s 9-year-old twin brothers.
Lowenberg was 17 years old when he was liberated in Sweden in 1945.
He weighed only 76 pounds.
Hallee Fox, a student at Marquette Alternative High School, said Martin’s story was a learning experience for her.
“I learned to respect people and respect your parents and just live life better than it was back then. [A memorable moment] was when he [spoke] about his siblings because I have siblings. He said his siblings weren’t able to be there with him through all that so that really got to me.”
Although Martin lost nearly everything and experienced such hatred and hardships, he never lost hope.
He wants people to live their lives with love, and to never lead with hate.
“Think of love. Love heals. When you put those two together, especially with the word of love. You’d be surprised how many friends you can make and how wonderful it is to be loved.”
