Judith
Natt nee Moldovan is the wife of Walter Natt's brother Bernard. She was born on August
24th, 1932 in Ungvar, which at this time belonged to Czechoslovakia, but a few years later
was ceded to Hungary, and lived there until 1944 with her parents Magda nee Ratz and
Andrew Moldovan. Her father was manager of the "Ungvar Brick and Tile Factory",
which was owned by the Moldovan family. Roof tiles and bricks were manufactured there.
After the occupation of Hungary by the
German Army, the Moldovan family, just like all other Jews, was forced to wear at all
times a yellow star on their clothing, the "Jew Star". The factory was then
appropriated by the German command and used as collection camp for Jews to be shipped to
the concentration camp at Auschwitz.
In 1939 Andrew Moldovan had received
documents from the Hungarian Interior Ministry protecting him and his family from any
arrests. Since these documents had expired by 1944 the family traveled to Budapest, the
capital of Hungary, to have same renewed. Once there, they were denounced to the
authorities. They all were arrested at 3 o'clock in the morning and returned to the
collection camp for Jews, which formerly had been their factory and home. After a week's
stay they were loaded onto railroad cattle cars together with many other Jews for
transport to the Auschwitz concentration camp. At the border to Germany the Hungarian
guards were replaced by German soldiers on the train. During this short interruption the
names of abt. 25 people were called out to be taken off the train, the Moldovans among
them. Judith had to be lifted over the heads of the other prisoners to get out of the
cattle car.
Now it was back again to the collection camp
for Jews and they were not permitted to leave the buildings at any time. Magda Moldovan
had to sneak out in the black of the night to scrounge up some food for the family to keep
them alive. As the Russian armies approached about 2 months later, they were sent to
Budapest where they stayed in hiding until arrested again 2 months later in October 1944
to be marched on foot to the far away concentration camp Buchenwald. Fortunately an agent
of Raoul Wallenberg, a friend of the family, recognized Magda Moldovan and obtained her
release. Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat stationed in Hungary who heroically saved
tens of thousands of Jewish lives from certain death. He was later abducted by the Russian
army and most likely perished in Russia.
Andrew Moldovan was marched to Buchenwald
where he was kept prisoner for 7 months under terrible conditions and was released by the
end of the war.
Magda Moldovan with Judith had to hide in
Budapest without shelter, food or friends. Conditions were horrible since large parts of
the city had been destroyed during the war and fighting was going on in the streets. It
took many years to overcome the health consequences of this terrible year.
Many members of the family were murdered
during these years of the German occupation, amongst them Magda Moldovan's parents, a
sister with 2 children and a sister-in-law.
