Margot Friedländer, Holocaust Survivor and Advocate, Passes Away at 103

Margot Friedländer, who spent decades in New York before returning to Germany to promote Holocaust awareness, has died at the age of 103. Her advocacy for tolerance and democracy inspired many, particularly the youth, after she began recounting her traumatic history following her husband's death.

Margot Friedländer, a Holocaust survivor who spent over sixty years in exile in New York City, has passed away at the age of 103 in Berlin. Following the death of her husband, Friedländer returned to Germany in 2010, where she became a key advocate for Holocaust remembrance. Her commitment to sharing her story and promoting tolerance made her a notable figure among young Germans, culminating in a feature on the cover of German Vogue last year.

Announcing her death, the Margot Friedländer Foundation, which she established to promote democracy and tolerance, highlighted her passion for storytelling. “It helps me to talk about what happened,” she once expressed to a UNICEF Club in 2023. “You young people help me because you listen. I share my story for all of you.”

Friedländer and her husband, Adolf—known as Eddie in America—arrived in New York in the summer of 1946 after surviving internment camps. Settling in Kew Gardens, Queens, they raised their family but remained silent about their pasts. However, following her husband's passing in 1997, Friedländer began to contemplate her legacy and what had been lost. Encouraged by a memoir-writing class at the 92nd Street Y, she started to share her childhood memories and harrowing experiences, becoming a beacon of hope and education in a world that often forgets.

Her journey of remembrance and advocacy not only illuminated her life story but also opened dialogues about resilience and the importance of tolerance, leaving an indelible mark on those who were fortunate enough to hear her speak.