Ruth Klüger's Life

1. May 1944: Ruth and her mother are deported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp.

1.1. 1944 Ruth's father transported from Dracy to an extermination camp..

1.2. Upon arrival, Ruth's mother suggests suicide.

2. June 1944: Ruth and her mother are selected for relocation to a labor camp near Christianstadt.

2.1. Ruth manages to be selected for this by misrepresenting her age to the SS selection people.

2.2. October 1944: Ruth turns 13 and celebrates Yom Kippur.

3. 7 July 1944: Those left in the Theresienstadt Family camp were Ruth spent nearly 2 years are murdered in the gas chambers.

4. January 1945: Ruth is starving in the labor camp, is assaulted by an SS officer.

5. February 1945: Ruth, her mother, and Susi escape from the prison guards who were conducting a relocation of the prisoners due to approaching Russian forces.

5.1. Early 1945: They obtain IDs from a priest in East Germany.

5.2. Early 1945: They wind up in Straubing via train.

5.3. April 1945: American forces arrive in Straubing, the town surrenders.

5.4. Summer 1945: Ruth is relocated to a mansion in Straubing.

6. Spring 1947: Ruth and her mother relocate to Regensburg.

6.1. Ruth attends Catholic university in Regensburg, meets Martin Walser.

7. Late 1947: Ruth and her mother immigrate to the United States via New York.

7.1. Ruth begins attending Hunter college in NYC.

8. Summer of 1949: Ruth attends the University of Vermont, becomes lifelong friends with some fellow Hunter students.

9. 1950: Ruth graduates from Hunter University.

10. 1951: Ruth leaves New York for California.

10.1. Ruth gets married here, relocates to Connecticut and has a child.

10.1.1. Ruth eventually winds up separating with her husband.

11. 1955: Ruth's mother attempts suicide and is committed to a psychiatric institution.

11.1. With help from Susi, Ruth's mother is eventually relocated to California where she lives in her own home, works, and gets married.

12. Late 1980's: Ruth suffers a traumatic brain injury while teaching in Germany.

12.1. Ruth recovers after a few weeks.

13. 30 October 1931: Born in Vienna

14. 1937: Ruth begins Schooling.

15. 1940: Ruth's father returns from first stay in prison.

15.1. March 1940: German invasion of Czechoslovakia.

15.2. 1940: Ruth sneaks into a showing of Snow White which Jews are banned from viewing.

16. 12 March 1938: Annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany.

16.1. 9-10 November 1938: Kristallnacht, Ruth's father explains to her the implications for their family and other Jews, "we cannot shop here anymore."

17. September 1941: Jews in Vienna are mandated to beigin wearing theStar of David armband.

17.1. 1941: Ruth and her mother begin moving around to different houses in Vienna.

17.2. Winter 1941: Ruth's brother Schorschi is murdered in Riga.

18. September 1942: Ruth and her remaining family members in Vieanna are deported from Vienna to the Theresienstadt concentration camp.

18.1. September 1942-May 1944: Ruth and her mother live in the Theresienstadt concentration camp.

19. 2000: Ruth's mother Alma Hirschel, dies.

19.1. Ruth, describes the relationship between her granddaughter and her mother.