Lola Mozes

Lola Mozes

Lola was born in Katowice, Poland. Her childhood ended abruptly in 1939, when Nazi bombs fell on her town. At just nine years old, she was thrust into a terrifying new reality—one that would see her family forced into the Bochnia ghetto, struggle to survive in hiding, and ultimately deported to Auschwitz.

Lola’s father built a secret bunker to protect the family during Nazi roundups, but in 1943 he and Lola’s older brother were captured and executed. Lola, her mother, aunt, and cousin were spared—for a time—and became part of the last group of Jews forced to dismantle the ghetto. From there, they were deported to Plaszów, a brutal labor camp, and then to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where Lola and her mother endured unspeakable cruelty, including time inside a gas chamber from which they miraculously emerged alive.

In January 1945, during a death march through the snow, Lola’s mother collapsed. Lola begged a Nazi guard to let her rest—“You have a mother,” she pleaded. The soldier smiled, drew his pistol, and shot her. Lola walked on alone. She would eventually survive Ravensbrück and Malhof, witnessing both the worst of humanity and the fierce love of a parent who gave everything to protect her child.

After the war, Lola rebuilt her life. She married a fellow survivor and raised four children. She dedicated her life to sharing her story—not only to remember the horrors, but to remind future generations that no one has the right to live at the expense of another.