Oskar Knoblauch

Oskar Knoblauch was born in Leipzig, Germany to a family of five. Throughout his childhood, Oskar played with everyone no matter their religious background. While he was a kid the climate in Germany was changing and the Knoblauch family realized it was time to move. They eventually acquired visas to move in with family in Poland, unfortantly that move would be costly. The Nazis invaded Poland and Jews were no longer created equal. The Knoblauch family had to work hard to survive the ghettos and work camps they were transported to.


After World War II had ended in Europe, Oskar and the family immigrated to Canada. He picked up the pieces and started a new life with his future wife, Lila. The two moved throughout North America before settling in Phoenix to be around their three children.


Oskar has inspired many people today with his stories and messages. In 2014, Oskar wrote a book, "A Boy’s Story A Man’s Memory," about his experiences during the Holocaust. He has visited over hundreds of schools in the Phoenix area and taught his message to thousands of students.


Now travel back in time to experience the journey that Oskar went through during the Holocaust. Learn about the different ghettos and work camps that the Knoblauch family experienced.

Before The War

Oskar Knoblauch was born in 1925 in Leipzig, Germany to Ruzia and Leopold. Oskar was the youngest of three children, which included his sister, Ilse, and his brother, Siegmund. The Knoblauchs lived in an apartment house and Oskar’s uncle Adolph lived…

Evading the Nazis

In 1936, the Knoblauch family including Uncle Adolph were given visas, so that they were able to immigrate to Poland. Oskar’s parents had relatives in Poland that they were able to live with and they settled down in the city of Krakow. The only…

Life in the Ghetto

In 1941, the Knoblauch family was relocated to the Krakow Ghetto along with the other 15,000 Jews in the area. The sign above the entrance to the Krakow Ghetto read, “Welcome to the New Jewish City.” The Knoblauchs were moved into a three-bedroom…

Loss of a Loved One

In 1943, the Nazis decided to “liquidate” the remaining population of the Krakow Ghetto. As a result, Oskar’s mother was taken from the family and sent to the notorious labor camp of Plaszow, depicted extensively in the movie Shindler’s List. Oskar…

Immigrating to Canada

Oskar’s uncle Adolph had survived the war as was able to immigrate to Ontario, Canada. He immediately began working on getting sponsorship for the rest of the family. In June 1949 after receiving sponsorship, Oskar and the family immigrated to…

Life in America

The new family moved to St. Augustine Florida at the start of 1953. In Florida, Oskar ran a small general store and one of the proudest moments of his life came in December 1956 when he became a Naturalized Citizen of the United States of America.…

Teaching Future Generations

In July 1970, Oskar and Lila decided to follow their daughter Linda out to the wild west while she studied interior design as Arizona State University. As the family finally settled into Arizona life, tragically Lila passed away due to cancer on…