About
Date of Birth: January 1, 1924
Date of Death: January 5, 2006
Nationality: Polish
Religion: Jewish
Date of Death: January 5, 2006
Nationality: Polish
Religion: Jewish
Before the Holocaust
Eva Galler was born in Oleszyce, Poland, on January 1, 1924. She was the eldest of eight children in her family. Eva's father was a Jewish businessman and head of the Jewish community in their town. Eva's family were relatively well off compared to others. Eva, unlike most Jewish girls at the time, went to high school, educated herself and got employed at a local office as a secretary.
During the Holocaust
In September 1942 an announcement was made in Eva's town. All the Jews of the town were to take what they could carry and march seven kilometres to a ghetto in the next town of Lubaczow. In Eva's description of the Ghetto she recounts that "the Ghetto was the size of one city block for 7000 people. We slept 28 people in a room. It was like a sardine box..."
On January 4, 1943, when Eva was only seventeen, the Gestapo began deporting the Jews from the Ghetto. Eva and her family were forced onto a cattle train bound for the Belzec death camp. She managed to escape from the train and from the subsequent Nazi gunshots aimed at her. Two of her siblings, Berele (aged 15) and Hannah (aged 16), also escaped from the train. Though only Eva survived.
After her fortunate escape, Eva boarded a train to Krakow, Poland, where she was found by authorities with other orphans but assumed to be a Gentile. She then was sent to a market in Vienna, where German farmers went to pick up workers. Eva ended up at a farm in the Sudentenland, on the German-Czechoslovakian border, and worked there until the end of the war.
On January 4, 1943, when Eva was only seventeen, the Gestapo began deporting the Jews from the Ghetto. Eva and her family were forced onto a cattle train bound for the Belzec death camp. She managed to escape from the train and from the subsequent Nazi gunshots aimed at her. Two of her siblings, Berele (aged 15) and Hannah (aged 16), also escaped from the train. Though only Eva survived.
After her fortunate escape, Eva boarded a train to Krakow, Poland, where she was found by authorities with other orphans but assumed to be a Gentile. She then was sent to a market in Vienna, where German farmers went to pick up workers. Eva ended up at a farm in the Sudentenland, on the German-Czechoslovakian border, and worked there until the end of the war.
Above: The identification Eva got to hide her Jewish identity after fleeing the train.
Life After the Holocaust
When the war was over, Eva returned briefly to Wroclaw, Poland. She discovered that only 12 out of the 3000 Jewish people in Oleszyce had survived the war. Of those few was a friend of hers who had been sent to Auschwitz instead of Belzec. Through her friend she met her future husband, Henry. She and Henry married and lived in Sweden for 8 years, first living in abject poverty off of a single dishwashers’ salary and slowly working their way up. Henry was able to get a high school degree and find work as a foreman; Eva worked at a factory making blouses. Her first child was born after they had lived in Sweden for 3 years.
Eva and her husband immigrated to the United States in 1954, and lived in New York for 7 years. She finally settled down in New Orleans. She had 3 daughters, and 8 grandchildren. Eva Galler died on January 5, 2006, aged 84.
Eva and her husband immigrated to the United States in 1954, and lived in New York for 7 years. She finally settled down in New Orleans. She had 3 daughters, and 8 grandchildren. Eva Galler died on January 5, 2006, aged 84.