Human identity is a complex thing. In addition to the division into religious and national Jews, Most's Jewry was also divided into old and young, conservative and progressive, religious and non-religious, poor and rich, and linguistically into Czechs and Germans - although until 1918 they were all Austrians.
Now, watch an excerpt from the testimony of Most native Frank Weiss.
Brief biography of the witness
Frank Weiss was born in June 1909 in Most. His father, Alfred Weiss, came from Třebechovice pod Orebem and was the director of the Most distillery, officially the Spiritus und Pottasch fabrik. The spirit was produced from beet molasses and the molasses residue was then processed into potassium salt of potash, which was used in the production of glass, textiles, soap and paper.
The Weiss family lived directly on the factory premises. After his father's unexpected death in 1930, František founded his own company, and after the occupation of Sudetenland he fled to Prague. From Prague he was deported to the ghetto in Terezín. He survived the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp and other camps, Blechhammer and Gleiwitz. His mother Vilemína, originally from Milevsko, was murdered in Auschwitz-Birkenau in October 1944.
After liberation, František married and emigrated to Australia, as far away from Europe as possible.
The interview was recorded on February 22, 1995 in Castle Cove, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
What was the most interesting thing you learnt from the Frank Weiss testimony? Answer in the space below this text.