Homage to the ancient "Mother of Israel" In October 1992 I began for the first time to deal more intensively with the Shóah in Greece, after meeting Dr. Jacques Stroumsa through his autobiographical lecture in Konstanz. This soon led to his book Geiger in Auschwitz – Ein jüdisches Überlebensschicksal aus Saloniki 1941-1947, which we published in fall 1993 in our Shoah & Judaica/Jewish Studies series. We subsequently also published an English translation, Violinist in Auschwitz - From Salonica to Jerusalem 1913-1967 (1996). On a visit to Jerusalem in early September 1995, Dr. Stroumsa gave me a copy of Erika Kounio-Amariglio's Thessaloniki survival story. I immediately read it and found it thoroughly fascinating and deeply moving. We simply had to include this survival document in our series: Damit es die ganze Welt erfährt - Von Saloniki nach Auschwitz und zurück 1926-1996 appeared shortly later in the summer of 1996. The author was able to visit Konstanz in November 1996 to introduce her book and was accompanied by her husband. Her book has in the meantime appeared in an English translation by her daughter entitled From Thessaloniki to Auschwitz and Back. Memories oi a Survivor from Thessaloniki (2000). – The intensive co-operative editing work and the first personal meeting with Erika Kounio-Amariglio soon developed into a very special friendship which also includes her husband, Rudolf (Rolly) Amariglio. Since 1997 we have made several incredibly rewarding visits to Thessaloniki and Northern Greece. … We met Erika's mother, Hella, and discussed Auschwitz with her as though it were only yesterday; she is surely one of the oldest living Auschwitz survivors, an extraordinary person. We have also had several chats with Erika's brother, Heinz Kounio, who was still a boy when the family was deported to Auschwitz (cf. H.S. Kounio 1982), in Greek. He is now the president of the Jewish community of Thessaloniki (2001) and personally guided us through the moving exhibition "Thessaloniki: The Metropolis oi Sephardic Jewry”.weiterlesen