Pyle-Fields 1 Wendi Pyle-Fields Mr. Neuburger Eng.

Comp 101-130 25 March 2012 Holocaust Survivor Testimony Brigitte Altman Brigitte Altman was born on August 15, 1924 in Memel, Germany which is now known as Klaipda to her father, Eliasfriedmann, and mother, Dina-Malka. Before the war her father was a businessman, he owned a flour/lumber mill, later a textile mill, and a tavern and her mother stayed at home. Her family had servants to help and a full time live in maid that had a fully furnished room in the attic. Brigitte grew up in a close knit and well educated Jewish community. Before the Jews were forced to live on the Ghettos, Brigittes family had a chance to escape to Canada, where her father had had assets transferred to, but couldnt as her mother suffered a stroke forcing Brigittes family was forced to live in the Ghettos in unsanitary conditions. Brigittes mother was ill often and had a hard time recovering from her stroke while they lived in the Ghettos. Since there was very little or no schooling in the Ghettos, Brigitte got a job working at a nursery/greenhouse where they grew out of season vegetables like carrots, asparagus, and even potatoes. One day Brigitte was sent home from work by her boss, Kapit, to recover from a cold. This saved her from the infamous children elaxion.1
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I could not understand exactly the word Brigitte used for the removing of children from

the Ghetto. I tried many internet searches but couldnt find anything close to different forms of spelling for word she used. Im spelling it exactly as it sounds.

Pyle-Fields 2 After the removal of many children from the Ghetto, her father decided it was time to try finding a way to remove his daughter from the Ghetto. Elaborate preparations were made to leave the Ghetto and it was a bit of a gamble because they didnt know who they could trust as they would have to have the cooperation from some of the Germans to help smuggle them out. Her family was able to help her escape from the Ghettos and Brigitte was able to stay with a woman named Meta Darl (Dorloff) where she hid under the alias as a live in maid on the farm. In the summer time, Brigitte was unsure of what month, she was out late at night when she came upon a Russian soldier who brought news of the Liberation of the Jews. This brought great joy to many of the Jewish people that were hiding out on the farm and many left after hearing the news. Brigitte left the farm two weeks later after hearing the news. The farm she had hid on was used for a medical unit and headquarters by the Russians. Brigitte was able to find a job as an assist food inspector at the railroad station in Kovno located in central Lithuania. She heard that there was a way to escape from behind the iron curtain into Israel, what was then Palestine. A Jewish agency organized this venture to any person willing to apply and try to enter Israel or to get Jewish people to a safer area. Brigitte had to go through a series of applications and background checks in order to be allowed to get help through the agency. The idea was to get the people to Austria and then over the Swiss Alps. Brigitte ended up arriving in a town on the Austrian-Italian border where she found out that every day a small group of refugees would be able to cross the Alps into Italy. Brigitte was reunited with her father in Italy and was able to see her Grandfather. Brigitte and her family arrived in 1949 in Dallas, Texas. Brigitte enrolled in a medical technology course and later married her husband in Chicago on August 21, 1951 who had a career as an Air Force Officer. She and her husband

Pyle-Fields 3 made a home in Fort Worth, Texas. They had three sons, Lewis, Dean, Michael and daughter Leslie. Brigitte was able to move on from the traumatic events of the holocaust and live a fruitful life. Brigitte wanted to give her testimony not only to document what had happened but to let people think about how wrong the Germans were to do these things to these people. She wanted to immortalize all the people that perished.

What happened when Germans invaded: There were Russian Troop Movements. They (the Jews) left in great haste. The railroad stations were spilling over with people trying to escape the imminent German invasion. It was a state of great confusion and uncertainty. At least as long as we were living under the Soviets we knew that our lives were still safe. But rumors had already trickled down to us about German slave labor camps and death camps. So there was great uncertainty about what would happen to us under the German occupation. It was very, very strict and ruthless on guidelines effecting the Jewish population. That handwriting was on the wall and very easy to read. On if she talked about the holocaust to her children: I really dont think so. For one reason I was so busy conducting a household and being a mother and a wife and taking part of officers wives activities and PTAs. And there was very little time to think back. Also I wanted to blend them into the American mainstream as quickly as I could.