Protective Custody: Prisoner 34042: A Holocaust Survivor Memoir

by Susan E. Cernyak-Spatz

Susan Cernyak-Spatz was born in Vienna in 1922. In the following twenty-three years she experienced many of the terrors of her fellow European early Nazi oppression in Berlin; post-“Anschluss” Vienna; Nazi occupied Prague; and deportation to Theresienstadt in 1942. But the true horrors of the Nazi “Final Solution” awaited her in Birkenau, the woman’s concentration camp where she survived her internment, beginning in January, 1943, for two years. These months of hell were followed by a “Death March” and incarceration in Ravensbrück from which she and a group of fellow inmates walked away to freedom. As Professor Emerita in German literature at UNC-Charlotte, Dr. Cernyak-Spatz continues to teach and to lecture about the Holocaust. This book is a rare firsthand testament of a Holocaust survivor.

Genres: Holocaust, History, Memoir, Nonfiction, Survival, World War II, Autobiography

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2005

About the author

Dr. Susan E. Cernyak-Spatz, a Holocaust survivor, is a professor emerita in the Foreign Language Department at the University of North Carolina.

Reviews

[BrokenTune]

This is not a book you want to like.

And it is not important whether I rate this book 5 stars or none, it’s a book that needs to be read not rated.

Most books I read are about the human experience, are about what it feels like to be alive and to be an individual person. Protective Custody is an account the total dehumanisation of individuals that was orchestrated by the Nazis and their helpers in Europe.
Susan Cernyak-Spatz gives a very open account of at first being persecuted across the continent and later of her experience as prisoner in Auschwitz. It is the frankness of her recollections that make this book an important witness of what still is probably the most horrific act of violence and organised indifference committed against other human beings.
And still what I carry with me from the book – after I purge the images of death and violence from my mind – is neither sympathy nor hatred, but an urge to deny ignorance or indifference the chance to flourish.
Easier said than done.

[Toni Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this only 2 stars not because it isn't good, but more because it was disappointing to me. It was really sad to see this lady abandon her faith and God because she of the hardships she experienced during the war. There was miracle after miracle in her life and she chose not to see any of them. God protected her again and again, yet she chose to blame Him. It is sad that she chose to forfeit peace and comfort for bitterness and resentment. She could have had so much more in her life.

[Teresa Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seriously

The book as a matter of education is well written. However, it is my opinion that a Jewish woman obviously spared the torture and pain that too many of her counterparts endured, has the audacity to deny the existence of God. She was so very fortunate in her experiences as compared to millions of others, how could it be that she considered herself anything but blessed by God to have survived.

[Mindy Steinman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Protective Custody

When I started reading this book I thought it would be a bit more dramatic. Much to my surprise it wasn't dramatic at all. It read like she was writing a very long letter explaining her absence from life. Don't get me wrong, I totally enjoyed it, even the slow areas, because I could totally believe that that was the life she led. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it,, especially if your looking for something different to read.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest. Raw. Tough to put down

I liked the way the author described her mother and first husband. I appreciate her brutal observations. I have been devouring holocaust survival books on Kindle for a few years. I think we owe it to survivors to continue sharing their truths and experiences.

[Analiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before Susan’s death last year, I had the opportunity to attend one of her talks in 2016 right after the election. To hear her story and for her to have the courage to share it, both in person and through this book, is an experience I will treasure and remember for the rest of my life. Susan signed my book, “Never Forget.”

May we never forget the horrors and violence from the Holocaust and may we never allow ourselves to be silent and do nothing in the face of injustice.

[Craig Hobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved her honesty

In my opinion her recollections and honesty make this a must read for those intrigued by what humans can do to other humans by dehumanizing them. Sounds like a lesson we could learn today

[Leslie Rawls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impossible to rate, impossible to ignore

Not just historical, personal. I am not equipped in any way to judge this offering. Another editor would have corrected many things and lost her voice. Powerful. Important.

[Debbie Trammell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book

This is a very real account of what this prisoner/survivor went through. I very much admire her honest telling of the facts. And applaud her herorism. And am truly proud she found a peaceful existence in the US.

[Mary Burtchett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

Very interesting read.I have always wanted to read about what went on in this historical occupation and this was very informative. Great read

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a compelling and interesting story, one that as others have stated deserves to be read and added to the voices telling the story of the holocaust. As a read it's fine, it just doesn't immerse the reader the way others do. The writer seems detached from the events, which is perhaps understandable but makes for a less engaging read. The details are thin in lots of places (just one chapter for example on the whole of her experiences in Berkenau) and there is a fair amount of repetition.

[Caffeinated Weka · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a challenging read. The book isn't well written and it's quite distracting at times, as is its reliance on assumed knowledge about particular historical chronology, geography and other key events. However, the story is one that needs to be told. Fascinating, horrifying and educational all at once, this autobiography of a Jewish woman's first-hand experiences as a survivor in Nazi prison camps during WWII is hugely compelling.

[Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a biography of a Holocaust survivor, Susan Spatz. She volunteers a the library where I work, which is why I chose to read this book. While not the best written memoir I've ever read, it is a powerful book. Susan describes in detail her life leading up to the war and the two years she spent in Auschwitz.

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are reading this to gain insight into the survival mechanisms required in a few camps during the Holocaust from a prisoner's perspective, this may be worthy of a 4 star rating. The book is centered more on logos than pathos. However, the author does reveal her beliefs and upbringing sporadically.

[Teri Kuiper]

This book is actually written by Susan Cernyak-Spatz. Autumn and I saw her speak at Davidson College, where we purchased her book. As she signed our copy of the book, she asked Autumn to please never forget what she had heard.

[Libraryscat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was often very difficult to read; the detail often so clear. The author has done an excellent job in breathing life into what had to be a nightmare. She reaffirms what many survivors have said - that sometimes luck played an important role in survival. Beautiful!

[Christine Robak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jewish atoey

I read this book fairly fast . It basically a story about a woman in a concentration camp. I was not impressed , it had the same format as the other books I Have read

[Kailey Purvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Susan, if only there were words for your book... I will NEVER FORGET!

[Chantille Fair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Honest portrayal of the those bleak times. The author, however, adds a touch of humor and refreshing vitality that I do not often see to her wonderful memoir.