Interview with Elizabeth Koenig,

Interview Summary

Elizabeth Koenig describes her hometown of Vienna, Austria in the 1930s, particularly the anti-Semitism that her father faced at work and she faced at school, which eventually forced her family to flee Austria first to Paris, where they were treated as Austrians and enemies rather than refugees, then to southern France. She describes her stay at Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France, a village whose residents united in sheltering Jewish children during the war, and talks about the history of the village. She describes her journey from Le Chambon to join her father and her brother in leaving to the United States. She emphasizes how impressed she was with the efforts of the people of Le Chambon.

Interview Keyword

Anti-Semitism Emigration and immigraion Holocaust survivors. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Jewish children Jewish refugees. Le Chambon-sur-Lignon (France) Paris (France) Vienna (Austria) World War Two World War, 1939-1945--Jews.

Interview LC Subject

World War, 1939-1945.

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.