An Unbroken Chain - Dr. Henry Oertelt

Dr. Henry Oertelt•www.kvsc.org

As a young Jewish teenage boy, Henry Oertelt lived with his mother and brother in Berlin, Germany as the storm clouds of Hitler’s Nazi hatred, discrimination and violence toward Jews grew darker. Henry avoided arrest by the Gestapo until 1943, when at age 22 he began his amazing saga of surviving five Nazi concentration camps. His story of the 18 cliff-hanging events which led to his Nazi death camp survival is told in his book, An Unbroken Chain. In a world premiere podcast here at KVSC, Dr. Oertelt tells his astounding story of survival, human dignity and perseverance. Dr. Oertelt has a long history of involvement with SCSU, and with Holocaust remembrance activities. He is the recipient of many honors, among them an Honorary Doctorate from SCSU in 2006, and an Honorary Doctorate from Southwest State University in Marshall in 2007.

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Episodes

An Unbroken Chain - Part Twelve

Epilogue Part 2 and Acknowledgements: Finally, Henry is back in Berlin only to discover the family’s apartment has been given to Nazi party loyalists. He reunites with some family and tried to adjust to his freedom. We learn the details of Henry’s emigration to the United States and the splendid news of his wife and new family. Acknowledgements: Henry Oertelt thanks all the people in his life who inspired him to write his story of survival of the Nazi Holocaust.

Nov 20, 2007•23 min

An Unbroken Chain - Part Eleven

Epilogue Part 1: Henry is liberated and left wondering who is left in his family. There was no mode of transportation available as it nearly all forms were destroyed in the war. He runs into trouble with Soviets on his attempt to return to Berlin including forced labor again.

Nov 20, 2007•26 min

An Unbroken Chain - Part Ten

Chapter 15: This episode is the 18th Link in the Unbroken Chain. The American troops are nearby as heard through machine gun fire and bombs. But on April 20, 1945, the Nazis order all remaining prisoners out of the barracks. Henry was put on a death march with all his fellow inmates. American liberators find those still standing after 3-days of constant marching with no food, water or rest.

Nov 12, 2007•12 min

An Unbroken Chain - Part Nine

Chapters 12, 13, 14: Henry puts his life in the hands of an SS Doctor. He describes the harrowing ordeal of surgery - and the conditions of "recovery". A non-Jewish political prisoner befriends Henry and saves him from another death camp. For the first time they hear the bombings from the front lines. Hope for freedom begins, it’s April 16, 1945.

Nov 12, 2007•14 min

An Unbroken Chain - Part Eight

Chapters 9, 10, 11: This episode deals with four more links in the events that helped Henry Oertelt survive the Nazi Holocaust. Henry’s optimism and profession as a fine furniture designer helped him survive. He was now sent to another death camp, Flossenburg in Bavaria. The camp was horribly overcrowded and daily beatings of prisoners was the norm. Henry’s brother Kurt is sent to a different camp, which was devastating, but also led to another link that helped him live. He needed medical help....

Nov 05, 2007•20 min

An Unbroken Chain - Part Seven

Chapter 7 and 8: Henry’s ability to work certainly helped save his life. His slight stature and youth also contributed. The brothers are sent to yet another concentration camp, Golleschau. You hear about the value and heartache of just one piece of bread, and Henry’s new job to create a custom desk, under the watchful eye of an SS Guard. Henry begins to have alarming health problems.

Nov 05, 2007•21 min

An Unbroken Chain - Part Six

Chapter 5 and 6: Henry describes the devastation of being turned down by the consulate to leave Germany (prior to their imprisonment), but recognizes that the late date (June 1943) for being sent to the death camps helped save his life. Henry and his brother Kurt are sent to Auschwitz in October 1944. The train car ride was indescribably inhumane. Henry and Kurt are tattooed, their names no longer allowed in the records.

Oct 29, 2007•20 min

An Unbroken Chain - Part Five

Chapter 4: SS Nazi Guards break down the door to Henry’s family apartment and tell them to prepare to leave. Henry, his brother Kurt and Kurt’s girlfriend Sonja are sent to Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia. They were processed and sent to live in horrid conditions. Henry describes the meager food offerings and how to try to gain nourishment through other means. The Nazi’s use this camp to spread propaganda to the international community.

Oct 29, 2007•42 min

An Unbroken Chain - Part Four

Chapter 3: It’s now 1943, Henry’s mother had been working in a forced labor camp, but she is now imprisoned full-time. There is a terrifying experience with SS Guards hunting down friends while Henry flees and is just feet away from being captured.

Oct 22, 2007•21 min

An Unbroken Chain - Part Three

Chapter 1 and 2: In this episode, Henry describes working at a weapons factory illegally nearly starting the factory on fire. You’ll also hear how Henry’s skills as a furniture maker were put to use but nearly at the expense of being sent to a place called Auschwitz-Berkinau.

Oct 22, 2007•15 min

An Unbroken Chain - Part Two

Introduction Continued: The listener is introduced to Henry’s family in Germany and the events that led up to their imprisonment in concentration death camps. Henry describes his teen years and the continual humiliation and intimidation of Jews prior to the start of World War II. You’ll hear about the 1938 Kristallnacht event that furthered Hitler’s attacks on the Jews, slave labor camps, the infamous yellow star and incredible restrictions of daily life placed on Jews.

Oct 15, 2007•22 min

An Unbroken Chain - Part One

Prologue and Introduction: Henry Oertelt describes the reasons why he chose to share his very personal story and why he continues to speak publicly about his survival of the Nazi Holocaust. He was inspired by his children and grandchildren among many others to publish the events that saved his life from Hitler’s murderous regime.

Sep 12, 2007•15 min

An Unbroken Chain - Intro

Meet Dr. Henry Oertelt.

Sep 05, 2007•1 min

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