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Eighty years after the Holocaust, a serious concern emerges as Holocaust denial and downplaying of its severity continue to rise. This alarming trend was highlighted by Merrill Eisenhower Atwater, the great-grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. His comments coincided with global commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
On May 8, 1945, Nazi Germany officially surrendered to the Allied powers, concluding a brutal conflict that claimed an estimated 40 million lives. Among them were six million Jews, victims of a systematic genocide that must never be forgotten.
Last month, Eisenhower Atwater participated in the March of the Living on Holocaust Remembrance Day, an event that memorializes the victims while honoring survivors and liberators. The march follows the route from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the notorious Nazi death camps in occupied Poland, fostering a poignant connection to history.
Reflecting on his experience, Eisenhower Atwater shared, “When you’re sitting with 80 Holocaust survivors and both you and they are crying because of how special the moment is—and they tell you, ‘Without your great-grandfather, this never would have happened’—I say, without your bravery, this never would have happened.”
This emotional exchange underscores the weight of history, where personal dedication has a profound impact on collective memory.
Commemorating Lives and Legacies
Among participants in the march was Israel Meir Lau, a former chief rabbi of Israel and a child survivor of Buchenwald. Rabbi Lau had a personal connection to Eisenhower, as he met the general during the liberation of the camp, adding another layer of significance to the event.
Chaim Herzog, the father of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, also participated in the memorial. During World War II, Herzog was a British army officer involved in liberating the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. His own father, Yitzhak Isaac Halevi Herzog, who served as a chief rabbi of Israel, engaged with General Eisenhower in 1946 to support Jewish survivors in postwar Europe.
Eisenhower Atwater described being part of such historical gatherings as “humbling,” emphasizing that the march allowed him to connect with unsung heroes of history.
The Impact of Individual Stories
One survivor who left a strong impression on Eisenhower Atwater was Eva Clarke. He described her as one of the kindest people he has ever met. Clarke’s story is unique; she was born on April 29, 1945, at the gates of Mauthausen concentration camp and is one of only three known babies to have survived birth there.
Clarke’s mother, Anka Kauderova, endured extensive suffering in various concentration camps, including Theresienstadt, Auschwitz, and the Freiberg labor camp. After being transported under harsh conditions, Anka gave birth to Eva at a time when brutal realities surrounded her.
“My parents were in Theresienstadt for three years, which was unusually long. They were young, strong, and able to work. To some extent, it was a transit camp to a death camp,” Clarke recounted in an interview. She revealed how perilous her mother’s pregnancy was, emphasizing the risk involved in secretly meeting her father in the camp.
A Fragile Survival
Due to unfortunate circumstances, Anka never saw her husband again, becoming aware of his tragic fate only through eyewitness accounts. Clarke believes that her survival hinged on a matter of timing, noting that she was born just as the Nazis faced logistical failures.
On April 28, the Nazis ran out of gas, and Clarke arrived a day later. Adolf Hitler committed suicide a mere day after her birth, and the camp was liberated by American forces shortly thereafter.
Clarke reflected on the bittersweet reality of her birth amidst such hardship, stating that the emotional weight of their experiences is hard to articulate.
Shared Kinship Amidst Tragedy
Interestingly, Clarke formed a bond with Eisenhower Atwater, expressing how remarkable it felt to connect with someone linked to a historical figure who played a critical role in ending the war. She expressed gratitude for his presence, acknowledging that survivors of her circumstance view his family legacy as part of their shared story.
As Clarke prepares to return to Mauthausen to mark the 80th anniversary of its liberation by U.S. forces, she looks forward to attending with two other babies who share similar beginnings. Reflecting on their collective gratitude, she indicated that words fall short of capturing their feelings.
Timeless Moral Lessons
In his reflections, Eisenhower Atwater emphasized the importance of recognizing our shared humanity. He stated, “We all know right from wrong. It is wrong to kill people, wrong to put babies in ovens, and wrong to put people in gas chambers. That’s clear.”
The issue of Holocaust denial often arises from disbelief and the difficulty in comprehending the vast scale of the atrocity. Eisenhower Atwater acknowledged the challenges in discussing such painful truths, stressing the need to confront uncomfortable realities.
He firmly stated, “Nazi Germans killed 10,000 people a day—it’s well-documented. They documented it themselves, and the Allied forces saw it first-hand. Nobody really wants to talk about the death of six million people over a five-to-six-year period, but it’s the truth.”
As we reflect on the legacy of the Holocaust and the continued battle against denial, it becomes crucial to honor the memories of those lost and uphold the lessons of history for future generations.
