We talk with Wendy Holden, author of The Teacher of Auschwitz.
Amid the horrors of Auschwitz, Fredy Hirsch created a sanctuary of hope for hundreds of children. In a wooden hut painted with cartoons, he offered lessons, songs, and plays—shielding young lives from despair even as danger loomed.
Wendy Holden, bestselling author of Born Survivors, brings Fredy’s remarkable story to life in her new novel, The Teacher of Auschwitz. Meticulously researched and profoundly moving, the book honours Fredy’s bravery and the legacy of hope he built in the darkest of times.
In this Q&A, Wendy shares insights into Fredy’s life, the inspiration behind her work, and the enduring power of his story.
A&U: What initially drew you to Fredy Hirsch’s story, and what inspired you to write this book?
WH: In 2017 I was in Prague researching and writing One Hundred Miracles, the memoir of the Czech musician Zuzana Ruzickova who first met Fredy Hirsch in Terezin and then worked with him in the Children’s Block in Auschwitz. She spoke so movingly about him, and it was one of the few times I saw her cry that I never forgot his name and vowed to one day write his story, especially when I learned that he had been largely ignored since the war.
A&U: How did you ensure that the story’s fictional elements didn’t overshadow its historical authenticity?
WH: As a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a speaker for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the UK Holocaust Educational Trust among others, authenticity is vital to my work but there simply wasn’t enough archive material to write this as a non-fiction book. I decided to turn Fredy’s story into a novel, written in the first person but based on rigorous research. Even the personal elements I created for narrative purposes are based on historical fact, so nothing is far from the truth. To clarify matters for the reader, I have listed those characters which are real and those which are fictional at the end of the book.
A&U: Were there any moral questions or dilemmas you wrestled with while fictionalizing elements of his story?
WH: As was the norm at the time of Nazi persecution of the Jews in the 1930s, from his teenage years Fredy was persuaded into becoming a Zionist who believed in a ‘Promised Land’ in what was then known as British Mandate Palestine. In the novel, I show how his views on that gradually changed as he grew up and learned more and – especially in the camps - came to realise that he no longer believed in ardent ideology of any kind.
A&U: How did you decide which real testimonies or archives to incorporate, and how did they shape the novel?
WH: Almost everything in the novel is inspired by real testimonies and archives so to begin with I included much more of them, so determined was I to back up the story with facts. With the help of my brilliant editor, however, I learned to let go of some of those where they interrupted the flow and allow the narrative to be freer and less influenced by my historical background.
A&U: What do you hope readers take away about Fredy’s legacy from this fictional retelling?
WH: As the Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust reminded me, Fredy’s story serves as ‘a powerful and timely reminder that we can all make the choice to stand up for others, and we do not have to be silent in the face of hate.’ World geopolitics is in a most perilous state currently and the parallels with what happened to trigger WWII are alarming. I would hope that readers finish the book inspired by Fredy’s courage and moral strength and use it to illuminate their lives and those of others with kindness, compassion, and love.
A&U: Which parts of the story were the most challenging to write, and why?
WH: No matter how many times I revisit WWII and the Holocaust in my work – and this is my eleventh book that features war – writing about man’s inhumanity to man never fails to move and distress me. And so it should, or I wouldn’t be human and couldn’t move my readers in the way that they tell me I do. As a former war correspondent, I draw on my experiences to search for the humanity in the inhumanity and find some redemptive quality in the hearts of those who choose to shine some light in the darkness.
A&U: Were there any specific moments or events that inspired certain scenes or character actions?
WH: Too many to mention, and to that end I have listed a Timeline at the end to catalogue Fredy’s journey and the chronology of the war.
A&U: Were there any historical figures or events you wish you could have included but didn’t?
WH: Not really as I have included all the key players, but there are several characters that I would love to give more airtime too in the future, such as Freidl Dicker-Brandeis, the selfless art teacher; Frank Kafka’s sister Ottla Kafkova; Miriam Edelstein, the wife of Jakob; and young Heinzek Prossnitz, all of whom went above and beyond to help people at enormous risk to themselves.
A&U: What advice would you give to other authors attempting to fictionalize real historical events?
WH: Develop a tough outer skin against those quick to find fault or who don’t fully understand the notion that fictionalising something that happened gives the author the permission to mould details if it helps bring a dead story to life. I fact-check everything as best I can, and then I check it again, and am painfully aware of those who try to deny that the Holocaust ever happened and are ready to pounce on writers like me.
The Teacher of Auschwitz is available from 7 January 2025.
The Teacher of Auschwitz
by Wendy Holden
A powerful and moving story about a gay teacher in Auschwitz, who saved hundreds of children from death by providing hope under the darkest conditions imaginable . . .
Commentaires