The conditions in the ghetto led inhabitants like Ed to find whatever means to provide for their families and themselves. You will now hear from Bernard Offen, who describes how he acquired food for his family.
About the Interviewee:
Bernard Offen, son of Jacob and Rochma, was born on April 17, 1929, in Kraków, Poland. He had two brothers, Samuel and Nathan, and one sister, Miriam. After the German invasion of Poland, life began to change for the Offen family. In 1941, after the establishment of the Kraków ghetto, the family’s home became part of the ghetto. Bernard was sent to Plaszow, a labor camp outside of Kraków. Bernard was later deported to Mauthausen, Auschwitz and Dachau. He was liberated by Americans in Wolfratshausen, Germany, on May 5, 1945. After the war, Bernard was reunited with his brothers. He immigrated to the United States, where he married and had two children. This interview took place on March 28, 1997, in Middleton, California.