Salamo Arouch | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Salamon Arouch January 1, 1923 |
| Died | April 26, 2009 (aged 86) |
| Nationality | Greek and Israeli |
| Other names | The Ballet Dancer |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Stance | Southpaw |
Salamo Arouch (Greek: Σολομόν Αρούχ; Hebrew: סלמו ארוך; January 1, 1923 – April 26, 2009) was a Jewish Greek boxer, the Middleweight Champion of Greece (1938) and the All-Balkans Middleweight Champion (1939), who survived the Holocaust by boxing (over 200 bouts) for the entertainment of German Nazi officers in Auschwitz Concentration Camp.[1] His story was portrayed in the 1989 film Triumph of the Spirit, starring Willem Dafoe as Arouch.[2][3]
- ^ Barak, Roy (2009-04-30). "Auschwitz Inmate Who Survived by Boxing Dies Aged 86". Haaretz. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
- ^ Hevesi, Dennis (May 3, 2009). "Salamo Arouch, Who Boxed for His Life in Auschwitz, Is Dead at 86". The New York Times. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
- ^ Atlas, Teddy; Peter Kaminsky; Peter Alson (2006). Atlas: From the Streets to the Ring : a Son's Struggle to Become a Man. HarperCollins. p. 141. ISBN 0-06-054240-3.
The movie was based on the true story of Salamo Arouch, a Greek Jew who was sent to Auschwitz during World War II and literally had to fight for his life in boxing matches with other concentration camp inmates.