“You think only one thing: Survive” | Stanley Bernath | Last Chance Testimony | USC Shoah Foundation

Published 2023-07-02
Holocaust survivor Stanley Bernath was born in Transylvania, Romania in 1926. Then a teenager, Stanley survived the Oradea ghetto, the Auschwitz II-Birkenau death camp, and the Ebensee, Mauthausen, and Melk concentration camps. Stanley was liberated by United States armed forces at Ebensee concentration camp.

Stanley was interviewed by USC Shoah Foundation in 2017 as part of our Last Chance Testimony Collection Initiative.

USC Shoah Foundation’s Last Chance Testimony Collection Initiative is a surge to film survivor/witness testimonies.

We continue seeking Holocaust survivors (and other witnesses) who have not yet recorded their stories with USC Shoah Foundation to be interviewed for the Collection. There are Holocaust survivors/witnesses living in the United States today who have never shared their stories. Their voices must be heard.

To schedule an interview for yourself or somebody you know, please complete the form located at sfi.usc.edu/last-chance.

In-studio interviews are available in Los Angeles, West Palm Beach, and Washington DC. In-home interviews are available across the USA.

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All Comments (21)
  • @linmorell1813
    I love his 2 birthdays, the jobs he does at 91, and helping others. Another incredible person who preaches respect, and his sense of humour.
  • I have listened to many of these interviews, This one really got to me every detail, I was born in 1957 my Uncle was a British Soldier in a concentration camp when he came home he was 66 lbs and walked like a Mummy, My Mum watched her home blown to pieces in the London blitz and fled the underground to Nottingham and stayed in a church with the Nuns. This was so real to listen to, what a great man this man was, he certainly had a purpose in life. I am so grateful to all that are able to share their story, we know it is not easy for them!!
  • Oh my gosh!! When he said the name of the window company I almost fainted. He seems to have lived 5 lives. How his broken body survived 91yrs and so successful. I am in total awe of every bit of his life. I wish I could not hate. As a tribute to him I will learn
  • I still struggle to understand how much strength one would need to survive this monstrosity of a war. I’m currently reading as many books as I can about the subject. Brave, brave man ❤
  • Stanley died March 2019 a few days before his 93rd birthday. Rest in peace Zoltan! 🙏🏼
  • @lkj7296
    What a darling, darling man. So happy he came to America, found a good wife and has those twin daughters and even grandchildren.
  • What an inspiration Stanley is. So loving, so active in living, so bright and intelligent with so much character.
  • @zxy78267
    This is definitely one of my favorite interviews. His beautiful heart brought me to tears. Happy tears, and also a profound sadness at what happened to all these innocent people. He survived a horror, and came out on the other side without losing himself. One can clearly see that he has so much love and respect for his family and friends. God bless him and his loved ones. He's so sharp for a man his age. I lost my dear father when he was 91. He was also very sharp , and he loved my mom and my brother and sister so much. Thank-you so much for doing this important work preserving the history of what happened to these survivors.
  • @teemarie5478
    I love every single interview not because of the horrors that they went through but just to hear what their lives were like, and what ended up happening. I’m so glad that this specific video the volume is louder then most, thanks for that. These video’s are so helpful to give people the full story of how fast, traumatic their lives changed and how most didn’t survive the Holocaust.
  • @aqeel3274
    Stanley was a great surviver with great memories.
  • @helenh493
    This man, Stanley Bernath had not only endured beatings and starvation and so much more, and had survived the various work and death camps, yet he had not only lived and survived it all, he "owned-it".. he got out of it, and left the Holocaust horrors behind him, not letting those days and months of horror and death defining him nor his life. He looked and forged ahead, with a family of his own and a very full and enterprising life. "Way-To Go" Stanley! and Bless you and yours, for your interesting story of Surviving and of living a full, long life.
  • @tinasmith770
    one of the best interviews ive ever seen.....i wished i could give him a huge hug!!! thank you Sir:):):)
  • This is one of the best interviews I’ve watched . An amazing 91 year old survivor - completely articulate with his memories and full of service to others to make this world a better place! And the sweet interviewer was professional but full of compassion and excellent skill in steering the interview! - well done!
  • An American Soldier picked him up.🇺🇸😢🇺🇸❤️🙏💪👍Thank you for your service Stanley.💕RIP🙏
  • @Aeriyana123
    To the family of Mr. Bernath I am so grateful for your father giving his testimony. He seems to have been a very vibrant and loving man. I wish I could have had the honor to meet him. He gave an outstanding testimony and his memory was so sharp and on point. Despite that Demon Hitler and his minions he endured and then survived and was able to move beyond his hardships. May God bless your family and this beautiful human being. I can only hope I live a life as well as he did after facing so much adversity. Blessings.