A Dark Chapter of History
In 1944, three pregnant Jewish women — Anka, Priska, and Rachel — were sent to the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp during the Holocaust. In the eyes of the Nazis, their pregnancies were a death sentence. Desperate to avoid certain execution, the women concealed their growing bellies beneath baggy clothing, hoping against hope to survive in the inhumane conditions of the camp.
They were later transferred to a slave labor camp in Freiberg, Germany, where they faced unimaginable hardships. Despite the constant threat of death and the brutal reality of their circumstances, these three women found the strength to carry their pregnancies to term, defying all odds in a place designed for suffering and extermination.
Against All Odds: Birth in the Shadow of Death
Amidst the horrific conditions of the labor camps, each woman gave birth to a child. Priska, in the labor camp at Freiberg, gave birth to her daughter, Hana Berger-Moran, on a factory floor. Rachel, in a sick car surrounded by dying prisoners, brought her son, Mark Olsky, into the world. And Anka, in the Mauthausen concentration camp, gave birth to Eva Clarke.
Their children’s births were moments of defiance, life against the death that surrounded them. And miraculously, all three babies survived the atrocities of the camp, with their mothers finding ways to protect them even as the Nazis tried to erase all evidence of the camps by executing those who were no longer deemed useful.
Liberation and Survival
In 1945, as the Nazis attempted to eliminate all traces of their crimes, including gassing slave laborers, the babies and their mothers were spared — their births occurring just before the Nazis ran out of gas for the chambers. The families were eventually liberated by Allied forces, marking the end of one of history’s darkest chapters for these women and their children.
The Long-Awaited Reunion
Following their liberation, the families were separated, with the mothers returning to their respective countries. The babies grew up in different parts of the world, unaware of each other’s existence. It wasn’t until 2010, more than 60 years later, that the three survivors discovered each other online. The reunion was a powerful moment, bringing together not only three long-lost siblings but also the painful history of their mothers’ survival.
As they met for the first time as adults, they shared their stories, recounting the hardships, the survival, and the incredible strength that had been passed down from their mothers.
A Memoir of Survival and Legacy
In A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides, Gisèle Clarke, along with Hana Berger-Moran and Mark Olsky, recount the miraculous story of their survival. The memoir delves into the horrors their mothers faced and the courage they demonstrated in the face of insurmountable odds. It is a tribute to the strength of these women, who refused to be broken by the horrors they endured.
The three now 80-year-old survivors continue to honor their mothers’ legacy. They have stayed close friends, bound by their shared past and the miraculous survival they experienced together. Despite the years that have passed, they are still affectionately referred to as “the babies of Auschwitz,” a term they embrace with pride, symbolizing the resilience of those who were born into unimaginable circumstances but fought for life.
Legacy of Strength and Unity
The bond between Clarke, Berger-Moran, and Olsky transcends the trauma of their early years. It is a bond forged in the most unimaginable of circumstances — and one that remains strong today. Their story is not only a testament to their mothers’ strength but also to the enduring human spirit that refuses to be crushed by hate and violence.
As they continue to share their story, they carry forward a powerful message: that even in the darkest of times, there is room for hope, for survival, and for life.
