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Surviving the Holocaust - Freddie Knoller's War

In a disarmingly frank interview, Holocaust survivor Freddie Knoller, now in his 90s, tells his personal story of being a young Jewish man during World War II.

In a disarmingly frank interview, Holocaust survivor Freddie Knoller (now in his 90s) tells his personal story of being a young Jewish man during World War II. Speaking directly to camera and accompanied by extensive archive footage, he relives his past and draws on intense memories to navigate the extraordinary adventure of his early life. Freddie's story is a dramatic - and often surprisingly funny - real-life account.

It takes us from his family life in 1930s Vienna through the German occupation of Austria and his flight to Belgium. Then on to Nazi-occupied Paris, where Freddie lived and worked in red-light Pigalle, entertaining German officers and socialising with dancing girls, before an interrogation by the Gestapo meant he had to move on again. After a brief spell in the Resistance, the war eventually caught up with him and his life in Auschwitz began.

1 hour

Last on

Sat 27 Jan 201820:00

Credits

RoleContributor
DirectorSimon Winchcombe
ProducerSimon Winchcombe
Executive ProducerCameron Balbirnie
ParticipantFreddie Knoller

Broadcasts

  • Thu 22 Jan 201521:30
  • Sun 25 Jan 201522:00
  • Mon 26 Jan 201523:25
  • Sat 27 Jan 201820:00

Holocaust Memorial Day

Holocaust Memorial Day

A season of programmes across the BBC marking this significant moment.