Member-only story

Vicky Peterwald: Survivor

Barry Bryant

·8.3k Followers· Follow

Published in Vicky Peterwald: Survivor (Vicky Peterwald 2)

5 min read · 1 month before

401 View Claps

41 Respond

Save

Listen

Vicky Peterwald: Survivor (Vicky Peterwald 2)

Vicky Peterwald: Survivor (Vicky Peterwald Series Book 2)

by Mike Shepherd

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2280 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	344 pages

Vicky Peterwald was born in Czechoslovakia in 1924. Her childhood was happy and carefree, but everything changed when the Nazis invaded her country in 1939. Vicky and her family were forced to live in a ghetto, and in 1942, they were deported to Auschwitz. Vicky's parents and younger sister were killed upon arrival, but Vicky was spared because she was young and strong. She was forced to work as a slave laborer for the Nazis, and she witnessed firsthand the horrors of the Holocaust.

Despite the unimaginable suffering she endured, Vicky never lost hope. She clung to the belief that she would one day be free. In 1945, the Soviet Army liberated Auschwitz, and Vicky was finally able to return home. She weighed only 70 pounds and was suffering from typhus, but she was alive.

After the war, Vicky immigrated to the United States, where she met and married her husband, Ben. They had two children, and Vicky dedicated her life to raising her family and sharing her story with others. She spoke to school groups, churches, and community organizations, and she wrote a memoir about her experiences, entitled "Survivor."

Vicky Peterwald's story is a testament to the power of the human spirit. Despite the horrors she endured, she never gave up hope. She is an inspiration to us all, and her story is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for a better future.

Excerpt from "Survivor"

"I remember the day the Nazis came to our town. It was a beautiful summer day, and I was playing in the park with my friends. Suddenly, we heard the sound of marching boots, and we looked up to see a group of Nazi soldiers marching down the street. We were all terrified, and we ran home to our parents. My parents told us that the Nazis were rounding up all the Jews in town, and that we had to go into hiding. We spent the next few weeks hiding in a secret room in our attic. We were all very scared, but my parents did their best to keep us calm. We knew that if we were caught, we would be killed."

"One day, we heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. We all froze in fear. The footsteps stopped outside our door, and then we heard a knock. My father opened the door, and there was a Nazi soldier standing there. The soldier asked my father if there were any Jews hiding in the house. My father said no, and the soldier left. We were all so relieved, but we knew that we couldn't stay in hiding forever. The Nazis were searching every house in town, and it was only a matter of time before they would find us."

"My parents decided that we had to escape. We packed a few belongings, and we snuck out of the house in the middle of the night. We walked for hours, until we reached the forest. We hid in the forest for several days, but we knew that we couldn't stay there forever. We had to find a way to get to a safe place."

"One day, we saw a group of people walking through the forest. We approached them cautiously, and we asked them if they could help us. The people were kind, and they agreed to help us. They took us to a nearby village, where we were able to find a safe place to stay. We stayed in the village for several months, until the war ended. We were finally free."

Legacy

Vicky Peterwald dedicated her life to sharing her story with others. She spoke to school groups, churches, and community organizations, and she wrote a memoir about her experiences, entitled "Survivor." Vicky's story is a testament to the power of the human spirit. Despite the horrors she endured, she never gave up hope. She is an inspiration to us all, and her story is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for a better future.

Vicky Peterwald passed away in 2019 at the age of 95. She is survived by her two children and her grandchildren. Her legacy will live on through her memoir and through the countless lives she touched with her story.

### Image with descriptive alt text:

[Image of Vicky Peterwald speaking to a group of students]

**Alt text:** Vicky Peterwald, a Holocaust survivor, shares her story of resilience and hope with a group of students.

Vicky Peterwald: Survivor (Vicky Peterwald Series Book 2)

by Mike Shepherd

4.4 out of 5