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Peter Kubicek

Goodreads Author

Born

Trenčín, Slovakia

Died

December 14, 2017

Genre

Biography, Nonfiction

Member Since

July 2009

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Peter Kubicek (1930-2017) – Holocaust survivor, author in New York

Peter Kubicek was born in Trenčín in northwestern Slovakia in 1930. His father, Andrej, owned a drugstore in town and his mother, Ilka, who was from the Sudeten part of Moravia, often worked there. Peter attended a Jewish school in Trenčín; he says that only a handful of his middle-school classmates survived WWII. In August 1939, Peter’s father traveled to Geneva for the World Zionist Congress. As a result, he was not in Slovakia when WWII officially broke out. He made his way to France and Portugal and, in March 1941, to New York. His attempts to obtain visas for his family were unsuccessful and, by December 1941, travel to the United States was impossible. Peter, his mother Peter Kubicek (1930-2017) – Holocaust survivor, author in New York

Peter Kubicek was born in Trenčín in northwestern Slovakia in 1930. His father, Andrej, owned a drugstore in town and his mother, Ilka, who was from the Sudeten part of Moravia, often worked there. Peter attended a Jewish school in Trenčín; he says that only a handful of his middle-school classmates survived WWII. In August 1939, Peter’s father traveled to Geneva for the World Zionist Congress. As a result, he was not in Slovakia when WWII officially broke out. He made his way to France and Portugal and, in March 1941, to New York. His attempts to obtain visas for his family were unsuccessful and, by December 1941, travel to the United States was impossible. Peter, his mother and his grandmother were deported to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in October 1944.

Peter was separated from his family and transferred to six different camps before ending up in Sachsenhausen in the spring of 1945. With the Soviet Army approaching, the Germans liquidated Sachsenhausen and started the prisoners on a forced march. Peter says that he and his compatriots were given food packets by the Red Cross which kept them alive during the 12-day march. On May 2, his group was liberated, and they made their way to Schwerin (in northern Germany) where American troops had taken over the city. With the help of an American soldier, Peter made contact with his father who, in New York City, had not heard from his family for several years.

Although Peter’s grandmother died in Bergen-Belsen, he found his mother on the streets of Prague shortly after liberation. Peter had contracted tuberculosis while in the concentration camps and spent one year in a sanatorium. In November 1946, he and his mother moved to New York City and were reunited with his father. Peter studied European history at Queens College and attended graduate school in Lausanne. He joined the import/export business that his father had started and, when his father died in 1963, took over the company. Peter and his wife Edith (a Czech émigré who was born in Prague) have two daughters and three grandchildren. After retiring in 2001, Peter became a docent at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2012, he published his memoirs, titledMemories of Evil: A World War II Childhood. Today Peter lives in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens with his wife. ...more

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I've just finished reading your book and really enjoyed it. I read lots of Holocaust memoirs but not many about the Jews in Slovakia. I'm very interest to here about what your biggest challenges were in adapting to normal life in the US after everything you went through. Best wishes, Ruby

Peter Kubicek Hi, Ruby,

You are not the first person to ask me this question. There is a hint about this in the first paragraph on page 77 where I write about our po…moreHi, Ruby,

You are not the first person to ask me this question. There is a hint about this in the first paragraph on page 77 where I write about our post-traumatic stress syndrome. I quote further: "Ultimately, each of us had to find his or her own path of return to normalcy, an often circuitous road, strewn with obstacles."

The back page of my book, entitled "About the Author" also has relevant information.

All that said, here some more specifics. When I arrived in this country my initial decision was to forget about what I called "my previous life." Smart decision? Hardly. Besides, it doesn't work. Psychology 101 teaches that repressed memories are bad for your psyche.

It took a long time for me to realize this. My first step was my decision to write a short memoir for my twin daughters.

My second step was to write my expanded memoir entitled "1000:1 ODDS."
This process was a real catharsis and I could not wait to write "Finis." A few years later I realized that I had been too hasty and my current memoir "Memories of Evil" was the result.

Of course, the problem of living with one's traumatic memories is never fully resolved. Many Holocaust survivors simply refused to speak of their memories and took them to their grave, much to the chagrin of their children who were eager to hear about their roots. Some recent studies indicate that children of survivors are also traumatized to some extent.

To sum up, this process continues for the rest of one's life. That is not say that when I wake up every morning, I think of the Holocaust, but it is always there below the surface of my consciousness.

I trust you my above musings throw some light on your question.

Regards,

Peter(less)

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What are you currently working on?

Peter Kubicek During a number of past years I have written a lot about the Holocaust. I have contributed to various blogs; and continually make comments on whatever…moreDuring a number of past years I have written a lot about the Holocaust. I have contributed to various blogs; and continually make comments on whatever I find written about the topic. In particular, I pounce on whatever mistakes I find in the writing of other people. Some of my comments are graciously accepted, while other writers attack me ferociously in return. I take things as they come.

What bothers me in particular is that some comments only show the abysmal ignorance of writers who presume to write about the Holocaust. Without any false modesty, I am by now a mine of information on the subject. I have been very active in the effort to debunk the fake and phony, wherever if found it. My object has always been to stick to authentic, truthful and historically accurate and verifiable facts.

Anyone who wants to learn more about me can simply Google "Peter Kubicek" and you will find pages of references to me.
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Average rating: 4.42 · 132 ratings · 25 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

Memories of Evil

4.42 avg rating — 132 ratings — published 2012 — 7 editions

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Debunking Holocaust Denial Theories

by James Morcan (Goodreads Author)

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read in August 2016

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Peter said: " This is a most important book. Spoiler alert: I actually contributed some material to the authors and they generously mention my name in the Acknowledgements. See also page 56 where they quote from my book "Memories of Evil: Recalling a World War II ...more "

Aug 09, 2016 09:33AM · see review