Marc & Francesca Berkowitz (Czechia, 1932)
Marc Berkowitz (M / Czechia, 1932) and Francesca Berkowitz (F / Czechia, 1932) were twins and child survivors of the Holocaust.
- KEYWORDS : <Auschwitz> <Mengele Twins> <Errand Boys>
NOTES : Marc & Francesca Berkowitz were born in Czechia in 1932. Since 1941 they were subjected to force labor. In March 1944 they arrived in Auschwitz, where they were selected for medical experiments by Josef Mengele. Mengele took a special interest in Marc and often used him as an errand boy, although this did not exempt him from medical experiments. Marc and Francesca survived until the camp was liberated on January 27, 1945.
A famous picture shows Marc together with other children at Birkenau, when the camp was evacuated one month after liberation. Among those pictured are Tomasz Szwarz; Alicja Gruenbaum; Solomon Rozalin; Gita Sztrauss; Wiera Sadler; Marta Wiess; Boro Eksztein; Josef Rozenwaser; Rafael Szlezinger; Gabriel Nejman; Adek Apfelbaum; Hillik (later Harold) Apfelbaum; Marc Berkowitz (a twin, in the forefront); Pessa Balter; Rut Muszkies (later Webber); Miriam Friedman; and twins Eva & Miriam Mozes wearing knitted hats.
After the war Marc and Francesca were sent to America as orphans.