Gerda Weissmann Klein | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Klein in 2011 | |
| Born | Gerda Weissmann May 8, 1924 Bielsko, Poland |
| Died | April 3, 2022 (aged 97) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer, human rights activist |
| Notable works |
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| Spouse |
Kurt Klein
(m. 1946; died 2002) |
| Children | 3 |
Gerda Weissmann Klein (May 8, 1924 – April 3, 2022) was a Polish-born American writer and human rights activist. Her autobiographical account of the Holocaust, All But My Life (1957), was adapted for the 1995 short film, One Survivor Remembers, which received an Academy Award and an Emmy Award, and was selected for the National Film Registry. She married Kurt Klein (1920–2002) in 1946.
The Kleins became advocates of Holocaust education and human rights, dedicating most of their lives to promoting tolerance and community service. A proud naturalized U.S. citizen, Gerda Weissmann Klein founded Citizenship Counts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that champions the value and responsibilities of American citizenship. She has served on the governing board of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which features her testimony in a permanent exhibit.
On February 15, 2011, Klein was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.