About the movie

"I was born in 1913 in Germany, in Berlin. We were a Jewish family," Alex Deutsch told at the beginning of the documentation pupils of comprehensive schools Marpingen. Over an hour there is silence in the classroom. What people can do with hatred and delusion, which would witness the youth report. He talks about his hard times in the Jewish orphanage in Berlin, his bakers and teaching of the increasing danger for Jews in the Third Reich. The mother, a brother and his wife managed to escape just in the beginning of 1939 to America. "When I had 43 left on 27 February` the house, I did not come back again. "The witness recalled. Alex Deutsch, his wife Thea and the two-year-old son Dennis Deutsch were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Osttransporten. Wife and son were gassed immediately upon arrival in camp.

Alex Deutsch traveled in June 2007 with his present wife Doris Deutsch back to the place where he lost his family about 60 years ago. Difficult to imagine how difficult it must be like today the 94-year-old to enter the former place of horror again. For Alex Deutsch, the former concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau is a unique large cemetery in Poland. Outside the entrance to the track, Alex Deutsch recalls the moment when he learned of the death of his family: "When I found out, I wanted to survive to avenge me." His eyes rested thoughtfully on the tracks. Crammed into cattle cars then came to over 1.6 million people to destruction. This was followed by 2 ½ years of forced labor in stock of IG Farben. Fear, hunger, torture and hard work given the camp life: "... I was no longer a man you can imagine if you do not have the will to survive what one can do everything," says the 94-year-old.

Who Alex Deutsch learns fate would expect bitterness and hatred, but exactly the opposite is the case. After the liberation in 1945, Alex Deutsch lived 30 years in St. Louis, Missouri. There he built himself a new life at age 32 with a grocery store on. But here too he encounters racism, discrimination and violence. "And in a free country like America!" Alex Deutsch adds, shaking his head. His business was raided again. Until he had to abandon it in 1972. Since 1978, Alex Deutsch moved back to Germany. Love has taken him to Wiebelskirchen. Since his return he has dedicated his life to the work of reconciliation. Since 2001, Advanced Realschule Wellesweiler Alex Deutsch bears names. That it the title "School without Racism - School with Courage" since September wears is certainly merit in large parts of the witnesses. In August 2007, Doris and Alex Deutsch traveled to the wedding of his great-nephew to St. Louis. As the head of the family was the young married couple his blessing. Repeatedly looking family members and friends, the conversation with the uncle from Germany. "It is a story of peace and love that Uncle Alex told," says Judy Deutsch from St. Louis.

The movie: Alex Deutsch - I survived Auschwitz