Last Stop Auschwitz: My Diary of Survival in World War II¿s Most Infamous Concentration Camp

by Eddy de Wind, John Boyne (Afterword)

Written in Auschwitz itself and translated for the first time ever into English, this one-of-a-kind, minute-by-minute true account is a crucial historical testament to a Holocaust survivor's fight for his life at the largest extermination camp in Nazi Germany.


"We know that there is only one ending to this, only one liberation from this barbed wire death." -- Eddy de Wind



In 1943, amidst the start of German occupation, Eddy de Wind worked as a doctor at Westerbork, a Dutch transit camp. His mother had been taken to this camp by Nazis but Eddy was assured by the Jewish Council she would be freed in exchange for his labor. He later found out she'd already been transferred to Auschwitz.




While at Westerbork, he fell in love with a woman named Friedel and they married. One year later, they were transported to Auschwitz. Upon arrival, Friedel and Eddy were separated -- Eddy forced to work as a medical assistant in one barrack, Friedel at the mercy of Nazi experimentation in a nearby block. Sneaking moments with his beloved and communicating whenever they could, Eddy longed for the day he could be free with Friedel . . .



Written in the camp itself in the weeks following the Red Army's liberation of the camp, Last Stop Auschwitz is the raw, true account of Eddy's experiences at Auschwitz. In stunningly poetic prose, he provides unparalleled access to the horrors he faced in the concentration camp. Including photos from Eddy's life before, during, and after the Holocaust, this poignant memoir is at once a moving love story, a detailed portrayal of the atrocities of Auschwitz, and an intelligent consideration of the kind of behavior -- both good and evil -- people are capable of. Never before published in English, this book is a vital and enduring a testament to the strength of the human spirit, and a warning against the depths we can sink to when prejudice is given power.

Genres: Nonfiction, World War II

240 pages, Paperback

Published January 19, 2021

About the author

Eliazar (Eddy) de Wind was een Nederlandse arts, psychiater en psychoanalyticus van Joodse afkomst. De Wind was een overlevende van de Holocaust uit het kamp Auschwitz.

===

Eliazar (Eddy) de Wind was a Dutch-Jewish doctor, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. He was a Holocaust survivor from the Auschwitz camp.

Eddy de Wind on Wikipedia (only available in Dutch).

Reviews

[Tom Darrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read several Holocaust narratives and diaries, but this one was pretty different than most of the others. First, it isn't a true diary, in that he wrote these stories from memory after the war was over. A critical and nitpicky reader might focus too much on this and miss the overall importance of the story. Second, de Wind had a relatively "privileged" and unique Holocaust experience. Obviously he experienced horrors that no human should ever have to, but his story shows two different aspects of the Holocaust, that of a person who is in a somewhat protected position as a camp doctor and also as a man who has his wife in the same camp and has somewhat frequent contact with her. The third element of this story that is different is one more for literary critics and psychologists. De Wind creates a coping mechanism of talking about his experiences by referring to himself, and his wife, by different names. Not saying that that makes his story any less important or real, but it is a wrinkle that makes this book different than other narratives.

[wrtnbytata · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I had seen death and lived to tell the tale. I have to tell it, and I will tell it.”
— Very Raw and Authentic

A story about how people support and love each other during the most extreme events, retaining freedom mentally and a story of intolerance and extreme sense of superiority that can lead to the most unimaginable deeds.

This story forms from a diary of a person who directly involved in the camp. About what happen during and the trauma after it ends. It offers his perspectives with the addition of some essays to complete the story.

“How far is it to those hazy blue mountains? […] For us it is farther, much farther, infinitely far.”

[Sarah Mckeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book written while the author was actually in Auschwitz, not based on memories afterward. I also loved the afterward which discusses the psychological trauma experienced in the camps.

[Max Koitela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely depressive, but it is intriguing how you get apathetic about what's happening throughout reading