Dear Friends,
It is with great
sadness that I inform you that Klaus Stern passed away yesterday
evening. He was one of the founders of our Holocaust Center, a speaker
in our Speakers Bureau, a long time Board member, a strong advocate for
Holocaust education and for many of us, a dear friend. He will be
missed.
We send peace to his family in their time of sorrow and to all who mourn.
Tributes can be made to the Klaus Stern Holocaust Education Fund by going to
www.wsherc.org or by mail to 2031 Third Avenue, Seattle WA 98121. The fund will support speaker outreach throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Please call the Center if you have any questions (206) 774-2201.
Dee Simon
__________________________________
Klaus
and Paula Stern established their permanent home here in Seattle in
1946. At a time when people where discouraged from talking about the
Holocaust, Klaus spoke out, telling his personal story to others. For
over 40 years Klaus has informed and educated local, national and
international students and communities.
A
longtime member of the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource
Center's Speakers Bureau and one of the Center's founders, Klaus served
the Center's mission to inspire teaching and learning for humanity in
the schools and communities of this region through study of the
Holocaust. Klaus educated students and the community about his
experiences during the Holocaust, encouraging generations of young
people to speak out for what is right, to respect others, and about the
tragic consequences of intolerance. He travelled throughout the Pacific
Northwest to tell his story, and was hosted by the German government to
share his experiences. He was a member of the Jewish Club of Washington,
and of Emmanuel Congregation in Seattle.
Born
in 1921 in Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland), Klaus grew up in
Berlin. He and Paula were married in 1942 in the midst of Nazi
deportations. Fearing for their future, the couple agreed that if they
were separated, they would meet in Paula's hometown, Ahrnstadt, after
the war. They were both deported to Auschwitz nine months after their
wedding and were separated for 25 months, never knowing if the other was
alive.
Klaus
survived Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, Flossenburg, Leonberg, Mühldorf, and
the death marches. Liberated in May of 1945 by American troops, Klaus
wrote a note to Paula and sent it with several soldiers heading in the
direction of Paula's hometown. After three months in an Allied hospital
Klaus regained his strength and traveled for three weeks through
war-ravaged Europe to joyfully reunite with Paula in her home town of
Ahrnstadt. They immigrated to the United States the next year and became
the first Holocaust survivor family to settle in Seattle. Klaus worked
for Langendorf Bakeries in Seattle for 36 years, while Paula raised
their two children, Marion and Marvin. They were married for 71 years.
Always
sources of strength to each other, both Klaus and Paula said that it
was their love for each other and the hope of being together again that
kept them going in horrible circumstances.
Survived
by his beloved wife Paula, his two children, and four grandchildren,
Klaus passed away due to complications from pneumonia.
View a brief biography and timeline of Klaus' life, and view three short video clips here.
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