Holocaust Speaker Series: Mark Heiman

The Holocaust Speaker Series, held each Wednesday at 11:00 am, features Holocaust survivors and descendants of survivors sharing stories of life before, during, and after the Holocaust. Join us on Wednesday, September 1 at 11:00 am via Zoom with Mark Heiman.

Mark tells the story of his family, originally from Demmelsdorf, a small farming community in Bavaria. Mark’s grandfather, Karl, served in the German army in WWI. He later moved to Munich where he established a textile business and raised a family. Mark’s father, Paul, was 12 years old when he witnessed his Jewish school being burned down the day after Kristallnacht. Arrested on Kristallnacht, Karl was interned in Dachau concentration camp. After 30 days, Karl left Dachau and was given 48 hours to leave Germany. The journey took the family to Switzerland, France, England, and finally to Cincinnati where they settled and thrived. Mark also discusses events leading to the Holocaust and its relevance today.