Helena Citronová

Helena Citronová

(Helena in her Auschwitz Prisoner’s Uniform taken by Wunsch during the War and Wunsch when he served at Auschwitz.)

Helena Citronová was born on August 22, 1922 in Humenné, Czechoslovakia (Present-Day: Humenné, Slovakia.)

Her Father was a Cantor (a Person who leads People in singing and prayers in a Synagogue.)

In March 1939 Germany invaded Czechoslovakia.

Germany split Czechoslovakia into two:

The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (in what used to be the Czech Republic) and was run by the Germans themselves.

The Slovak Republic (in what used to be Slovakia) and was run by a Catholic Priest Dictator, Jozef Tiso, who was a German Collaborator and Leader of the Slovakian Nazi Hlinka Party.

Tiso and his Hlinkas created the same Anti-Jewish Laws in Slovakia as Nazi Germany.

Starting in April 1939 Jews were forced to hand over their Land, their Businesses, the Net worth to the Hlinkas.

In 1940, Ústredňa Židov (or Jewish Centers) were created across the Slovak Republic to enforce the Hlinka’s Anti-Jewish Laws.

On September 9, 1941 the Hlinka created the “Jewish Code” based on Nazi Germany’s Nurenberg Laws and which contained 270 Anti-Jewish Articles.

All Jewish Men, Women and Children over 6 years old had to wear the Yellow Star of David, had a Curfew, could not live in certain areas, etc.

Tiso and the Hlinka made an agreement with Hitler and the Nazis to pay them 500 Reichsmarks ($4,137 in 2026 US Dollars) per Person that was deported out of the Slovak Republic and sent to Germany or any other German-Occupied Territory.

Helena was 21 years old when she arrived at the Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland on the first Transport from German-Occupied Slovakia on March 26, 1942.

Of the 997 Girls and Women who were sent with Helena on the First transport from the Slovak Republic to the Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland only 20 survived the War.

Helena was forced to work at Kanada (a Large Area of the Camp where all the belongings of those sent to Auschwitz were sorted, cleaned and then shipped to Families in Nazi Germany.)

In September 1942 Helena was forced to sing at an SS Guard’s Birthday

She sang the only German song she knew: “Liebe war es nie: ('It was never love'.)

It was Franz Wunsch’s Birthday and he noticed her singing and immediately fell in love with her.

Wunsche was a Guard at Kanada as well as at the Selections where the Men, Women and Children were selected to live as Forced Laborers or die by gas.

Wunsch started sending Helena presents and love letters.

Some time later Helena’s Sister, Roza, arrived at Auschwitz with her Husband and two Children (her 9 year old Daughter, Aviva and Infant Son.)

Helena sent Wunsch a secret letter and told him about her Sister and her Family.

Wunsch went to the Gas Chamber and removed Roza, but not her two Children who were gassed to death.

Wunsch was not able to save Helena’s Parents when they arrived and they were also gassed to death.

In January 1945, with the Soviet Red Army nearby, the Germans forced 58,000 Prisoners-  including Helena - on a Death March out of Auschwitz.

Before she left Wunsch gave her warm clothes to wear during the Death March (since it was cold and snowy.)

After the War Helena and Roza returned to Humenné which was now part of Czechoslovakia again.

In July 1945 they emigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine (Present-Day: Israel.)

The Catholic Priest Nazi Jozef Tiso was found guilty of Treason and Nazi Collaboration and hanged in 1947.

Helena married an Israel Defense Forces Soldier, David Tahori, changed her name to Zippora Tahori and had two Children.

Wunsch tracked Helena down in Israel and tried to contact her several times, but eventually gave uo and married someone else.

In 1972, Wunsch was put on Trial (in the Vienna Auschwitz Trial) for his role at Auschwitz and his Wife begged Helena to testify at his Trial.

Helena testified that she received help from Wunsch, but that she also witnesses him committing crimes on other People.

Wunsch was eventually released because the Statute of Limitations for his Crimes had expired in Austria.

In 2003 the Israeli Documentary “Love In Auschwitz” was released bringing Helena’s and Wunsch’s Story to the World.

Helena Citronová/ Zippora Tahori died on June 4, 2007 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

She was 84 years old.

Franz Wunsch died in Vienna, Austria on February 23, 2009.

In 2020, a Movie titled “Love Ot Was Not” was received about their Story.