Terezin Diary

Terezin Diary of Helga Pollak

Sad NEWS: Helga Pollak-Kinsky died on 14 November 2020. Please visit Farewell to Helga in the BLOG. For German readers: see: Nachrufe in den Medien und Nachrufe von Freunden auf der Seite des Vereins Room 28 e.V..

The story of young Helga Pollak is a model case of remembering the fate of the European Jewish children during the Holocaust. Her autobiographical notes are comparable to those of Anne Frank. Her story will move many more generations to come.

Peter Gstettner in his Epilogue to the book "Mein Theresienstädter Tagebuch 1943-1933 und die Aufzeichnungen meines Vaters Otto Pollak (My Terezin Diary and the notes of my father Otto Pollak) by Helga Pollak Kinsky.

Helga's Theresienstadt diary is a personal account providing more than just an insight into the world of Room 28. Above all, her notes convey the subjective inner world of a 12-14-year old Jewish girl in Theresienstadt ghetto. Reading Helga's diary, sharing her experiences, reflections and descriptions means coming close to her and getting a better understanding of the life and fate of the children in the ghetto.

Two diaries. A clarification

Often people mix up the diary of Helga Pollak with the diary of Helga Weissová from Prague. Both lived in the Girls' Home L 410, both kept diaries. The diary by Helga Weissová was published under the title "Helga's diary". This led to many misunderstandings and confusions ever since. Therefore it was necessary to shed light on both diaries and give some background information. This was done for the English Compendium to the Room 28 Educational Project. You are free to download these pages here.

Download pdf: Helga's Diary

Czech Edition 2019: The Terezin Diary of Helga Pollak

Helga Pollak. Theresienstadt Diary

Helga was born in Vienna on 28 May 1930, the daughter of Frieda and Otto Pollak. Her father was the owner of the concert Caféhouse Palmhof, located in the heart of the City. She grew up in that very same building in a large flat above the café.

In July 1938, after Nazi-Germany had annexed Austria, Helga was sent to live with her relatives in Kyjov, a Czech town in Moravia. In 1939 her mother fled to England. Her parents got her on a list for a children's transport to England. But then the war broke out and the plan was crossed.

In 1941 Helga's father could join her in Kyjov. Together they were transported to Theresienstadt Ghetto in January 1943, along with their family and the Jewish population of Kyjov and of the surrounding area.

Helga#s diary starts with the day before transportation in Kyjov and chronicles her experiences during her life in the Girls' Home in Room 28.

The Girls of Room 28. Book

The lasting echo of Helga Pollak's diary is closely linked to the book The Girls of Room 28 by hannelore Brenner published in 2004 by Droemer Verlag, Munic. An American edition was published in 2009 by Schocken Books, New York.

The book tells the story of Jewish girls who, between 1942 and 1944, lived in Room 28 in the Girls Home L 410 in Theresienstadt, a small fortress town near Prague. They were among the 75,666 Jews from the ‘Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia’ who were deported to what was officially named a Ghetto...

Elie Wiesel:

"The beautiful evocation of heartwarming friendship in the darkest of times is unforgettable".

The Girls of Room 28. Exhibition

... Under the guardianship of their carers they played, sang, painted and learned or took part in the staging of the opera Brundibár. They founded a little organization called Ma’agal, created their own hymn and a flag. Ma’agal, is Hebrew for circle and, in a metaphorical sense, perfection; this was their goal.

The destination of the transports was Auschwitz-Birkenau. Most of the girls, and with them about 14,000 children, were killed in the gas-chambers. From Room 28 fifteen girls survived.

Stones of Remembrance

Our friends in Theresienstadt and all those we loved and lost in the Holocaust have no grave where we can leave a stone in remembrnce. That's why we wanted the book, and that's why we wanted the exhibtion - as our stones of remembrance.

Helga Pollak-Kinsky

"Terezin diary" by Zuzana Justman

The diary of Helga Pollak with its wealth of details is a completly authentic and moving account of a girl's life in the Terezin ghetto. For my documentaries it became the most important inspiration

Zuzana Justman

There are two films by the American film-maker Zuzana Justman: Terezin Diary and Voices of the Children. In both films, Helga Pollak-Kinsky plays a pivotal role. Zuzana Justman spent herself two years in Terezin. Her film Voices of the Children was awarded "Emmy Winner Best of Historical Documentary". Zuzana herself kept a diary, It was partly pubished in September 2019 by "The New Yorker".

Impressum

Theresienstadt.