Introduction

Max Rodrigues Garcia	Date: May 9, 2002 Location: The Urban School, San Francisco, California Interviewers: Interviewers: Oral History Class (whole class group interview), with Howard Levin and Deborah Dent-Samake Date: April 10, 2003 Location: At the home of Max Garcia. San Francisco, California Interviewers: Molly K. ('05), Marisa S. ('05), Jason G. ('05), with Howard Levin
Max R. Garcia was born in 1924 in Amsterdam, and moved to Antwerp, Belgium in 1935. In 1939, the family returned to Amsterdam in reaction the the increasing anti-Semitism - they believed Holland would be neutral in the impending war as it had been in World War I. In 1940, Holland was defeated by Germany and Max went into hiding. He was arrested and sent to Westerbork and then Auschwitz. While in Auschwitz, he befriended Lex, who was instrumental in Max's survival. Max was among the last to leave Auschwitz suffering forced marches and transport in open boxcars to Mauthausen, Melk, and then marched to Ebensee where he was liberated on May 6th, 1945. Max spent time with American troops as an honorary member and then was sent to the United States as a displaced person. Max is a retired architect in San Francisco and co-founder of the Holocaust Center of Northern California. Auschwitz, Auschwitz... I Cannot Forget You, As Long as I Remain Alive, The Story of Max Rodrigues Garcia as told to Pricilla Alden Thwaits Garcia, was recently republished by Think Social Publishing.
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May 9, 2002 April 10, 2003