Child of the Holocaust, Inge Auerbacher

Story by Amy Elston

This is Inge’s second time at USF and as a survivor of the Holocaust, Inge Auerbacher now lives to continue to tell the story behind the jews of the yellow star.

The main purpose of this video was to, as Joe Obermueller, USF Theatre Director says, “We want everyone who comes to see the show to have to the experience to meet you and talk to you.”

“It’s important to remember so that we don’t repeat the mistakes in the past and I think that’s something she says a lot and the primary purpose on why she’s here,” told by USF student and pen pal of Auerbacher, Correena Spangler.

After the last performance of I Never Saw Another Butterfly, Sophomore Alecia Martinez, sat down with College Daily to share her experience.

“Having Inge here was incredible, not just for us actors, but having her here was great for the community for them to see and to also have that connection with the story.”

As Inge travels the world, she still remains positive while recalling the tragic events she went through.

“I am a positive person.  To me, I’m turning a symbol [the star] into something positive, I am a star. I am still a human being and I want everyone to believe they are a star. Everybody has the right to live and to be happy.

After the day Auerbacher was liberated from Terezin, she ripped off the star.

“It was given to her to make her feel ugly and useless but now she has it and it’s what she bases her story off of.  It wasn’t something that made her ugly but it’s what makes her who she is.”

Auerbacher only has one thing to say to those she meets, “Think about what you are seeing and what you can do to better this situation in the world.  You yourself, be sensitive.  It’s not only them, but you that these terrible things could happen too.

Last but not least, Spangler says, “To me Inge is my portal to the past and my hope to the future.  She is an incredible human being who I can learn to relate to through her experiences and that I can go into the future having incorporated her knowledge and experiences and carrying that with me to continue her legacies and her lifetime here.”