Vera Reitzer’s life encompassed extreme contrasts—she survived Auschwitz, was liberated by American forces, resettled in Israel, and later supported a system of racial segregation in South Africa. Her story illustrates the unpredictability of human choices and the complex ways in which individuals respond to historical trauma.

Early Life and Holocaust Survival

Vera Reitzer (née Schon) was born in Hungary in 1921 into a Jewish family. She was a niece by marriage to the renowned psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, through her mother’s side. Like millions of other European Jews, her life took a tragic turn during World War II. In 1944, she, her mother, and her sister Rosi were deported to the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. This deportation was part of the mass roundup of Hungarian Jews, who were among the last groups to be sent to Nazi extermination camps.

At Auschwitz, Vera and her family endured brutal conditions, facing the constant threat of death. The camp, known for its gas chambers and inhumane medical experiments, subjected prisoners to forced labor, starvation, and disease. After surviving eight months in Auschwitz, Vera and her family were transferred to a German munitions factory located between Leipzig and Dresden. There, they were forced to work under grueling conditions, filling artillery shells with gunpowder—work that was both dangerous and exhausting.

On 26 April 1945, as World War II was nearing its end, Vera and other prisoners were liberated by American soldiers. Fluent in five languages, she served as an interpreter, bridging communication between the American liberators and their German captors. The horrors of her experience during the Holocaust, however, did not deter her from seeking a new life after the war.

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Post-War Years and Relocation to Israel

Following the war, Vera sought to rebuild her life. In 1948, she moved to the newly established State of Israel, which had declared its independence that year. The birth of Israel provided a homeland for many Jewish survivors who had lost their families and communities in the Holocaust. It was in Israel that Vera married Mirko Reitzer, a fellow Jewish immigrant. Like many others, they aimed to establish a fresh start after years of suffering and displacement.

Although Israel was meant to be a refuge for Holocaust survivors, life was not without its difficulties. The newly formed state faced economic hardship, political instability, and an ongoing conflict with neighboring Arab nations. It is unclear what motivated Vera and her husband to leave Israel, but in 1952, they made the decision to relocate to South Africa.

Move to South Africa and Support for Apartheid

Upon arriving in South Africa, Vera and Mirko settled in Johannesburg, a city with a significant Jewish population and a growing economic sector. South Africa at the time was under the rule of the National Party (NP), which had come to power in 1948 and had begun implementing the apartheid system—a set of laws designed to enforce racial segregation and white minority rule.

In 1950, just two years after their arrival, Vera joined the National Party. Her decision to align herself with the governing party was notable, considering her background as a Holocaust survivor who had experienced racial persecution firsthand. The NP was at the height of enacting its apartheid policies, which restricted the rights of non-white South Africans, controlled their movement through pass laws, and enforced separate development policies.

While Vera’s exact reasons for supporting apartheid remain unknown, some survivors of totalitarian regimes have paradoxically aligned themselves with other authoritarian systems, often out of fear, ideological shifts, or a desire for stability. It is possible that, as an immigrant in South Africa, Vera found comfort in aligning with the ruling elite. South Africa’s Jewish community had complex interactions with apartheid; while some opposed it, others, particularly those who had fled European persecution, sought security by integrating into the dominant social order.

Family Life and Later Years

Vera’s mother, who had survived Auschwitz alongside her, lived with her in Johannesburg for over four decades, passing away in 1995. Vera’s sister, Rosi, moved to Brazil, where she lived until her death in 2003. Despite being scattered across different continents, the family remained connected through their shared history of survival.

Vera and Mirko had two sons, and by the time of her death in 2006, she was a grandmother to six grandchildren. Her later years were spent in South Africa, witnessing the fall of the apartheid system that she had once supported. In 1994, the country transitioned into a democracy with the election of Nelson Mandela, and the National Party, which had once dominated South African politics, was eventually dissolved in 2005.

It is not documented how Vera felt about the end of apartheid or whether her views shifted later in life. Her personal legacy remains a complex one—on one hand, she was a Holocaust survivor who endured one of history’s greatest atrocities, yet she also supported a political system that institutionalized discrimination against another group of people.

Reitzer’s legacy remains a controversial one, highlighting the paradoxes of history, where victims of persecution sometimes become supporters of systems that oppress others.

A Controversial Legacy

Vera Reitzer’s life is a study in contradictions. She was a victim of the racist policies of Nazi Germany, yet she later supported the apartheid regime, which imposed severe racial restrictions and injustices on non-white South Africans. Her journey from persecution to becoming part of a ruling system that oppressed others raises profound moral and psychological questions.

Some survivors of oppression, rather than adopting a universal stance against injustice, find security in aligning with dominant powers. In Vera’s case, her immigration to South Africa might have influenced her outlook. Having endured instability, she may have sought a sense of belonging and security by identifying with the ruling political structure, despite its racial policies.

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Her story also reflects the complexities of South Africa’s Jewish community under apartheid. While many Jews in the country opposed apartheid and were active in the anti-apartheid movement—including figures like Joe Slovo, Helen Suzman, and Albie Sachs—others chose to integrate into the white ruling class, distancing themselves from racial struggles. Vera’s choice to join the National Party suggests she aligned with the latter group.

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Questions and Answers about Vera Reitzer

What was Vera Reitzer’s background?

She was born in Hungary in 1921 and was a Jewish Holocaust survivor who later moved to South Africa.

How did she survive the Holocaust?

She was deported to Auschwitz in 1944 with her mother and sister and later transferred to a German factory, where they were forced to fill shells with gunpowder until being liberated by American soldiers in April 1945.

What role did she play during her rescue?

Fluent in five languages, she acted as a translator between American soldiers and German officials.

When and why did she move to South Africa?

She moved to South Africa in 1952 after living in Israel for a few years with her husband, Mirko Reitzer.

What was her political affiliation in South Africa?

She joined the National Party in 1950, supporting the apartheid regime as it implemented racial segregation laws.

What was her family connection to Sigmund Freud?

Her mother was a niece of Sigmund Freud.

Where did her family settle after the war?

Her mother lived with her in Johannesburg until her death in 1995, while her sister Rosi settled in Brazil and passed away in 2003.

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