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107 Year Old Holocaust Survivor
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Greg Carr
Nov 14, 2012, 5:42:40 PM11/14/12
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http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_21983668/107-year-old-holocaust-survivor-jehovahs-witness-is
107-year-old Holocaust survivor, Jehovah's Witness is star of 'Ladder
in the Lions' Den' documentary By Bob Strauss, Staff
Writerdailynews.com
Posted: 11/13/2012 08:03:20 AM PST
November 14, 2012 1:44 AM GMTUpdated: 11/13/2012 05:44:13 PM PST
107-year-old Holocaust survivor and Jehovah's Witness Leopold
Engleitner looks on following a screening of a new documentary,
"Ladder in the Lion s Den," in Encino, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 12,
2012. The film depicts Engleitner s life as a Jehovah s Witness in
Nazi concentration camps. Engleitner is the world s oldest known male
Nazi concentration camp survivor. (Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer)
IF YOU GO
Ladder in the Lions Den plays Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 12:30
p.m. at the Laemmle Town Center 5 at 17200 Ventura Blvd., Encino.
310-478-3836. laemmle.com.
An unusual Holocaust documentary has brought near-capacity afternoon
crowds to the Laemmle Town Center 5 for almost a week.
They've come not only to see "Ladder in the Lions' Den," but to meet
its subject, 107-year-old Austrian survivor Leopold Engleitner.
Sitting quietly in his wheelchair outside the theater, the frail but
remarkably resilient Engleitner met adoring fans from all over
Southern California after Monday's screening of the 40-minute-film. It
recounts the Jehovah's Witness' refusal to join Hitler's army during
World War II and subsequent imprisonment in three Nazi concentration
camps.
"It's really something that everybody should know about but very few
people do," said Dave Butler, a Jehovah's Witness who drove down from
Bakersfield to see the movie and meet the man. "Leopold doesn't speak
English, I'd love to talk to him, but I think he's awesome. He's
expending his limited strength and resources to come out and meet
people and do this tour; it's amazing. It's very generous of him."
Born in 1905 with a bent spine and raised in a lakeside village not
far from where Hitler grew up, Engleitner was appalled by the
slaughter of World War I and joined the pacifist Jehovah's Witnesses
in the early 1930s. When Austria joined the German Reich in 1938,
members of the religion were rounded
up. They could get out of the camps if they signed a paper - the
ladder of the title - renouncing their religion and accepting the
Nazis' warlike ways.
According to the film, the Austrian Witnesses, including Engleitner,
refused to do so. Many, of course, paid with their lives.
Through narration and re-enactment, the movie recounts Engleitner's
harrowing ordeal, which included the time when, starving on a march
back to camp from a work detail, his testicle was crushed by an SS
guard's boot, which prevented him from ever fathering children.
Decades later, Engleitner met a young Austrian, Bernhard
Rammerstorfer, in a park in his hometown. Taken by the older man's
story, Rammerstorfer wrote a book about Engleitner, "Unbroken Will,"
and produced an earlier documentary about him as well as "Ladder in
the Lions' Den."
Independent up to age 105, Engleitner has lived with Rammerstorfer,
his wife and their young daughter in their home country for the last
two years.
"He deserves it," Rammerstorfer said. "His last period of life should
not be in a nursing home, but in a family. So it was important to give
him a warm family environment, and he enjoys it very much."
Obviously, though, the old guy still gets around. Indeed, Engleitner's
racked up 95,000 travel miles in less than two decades, making
appearances and speaking to audiences throughout the world.
"I like it very much," Engleitner said, with Rammerstorfer
interpreting. "Now I've found open ears and can tell my story through
the film. One of the most important things to me is to teach people
tolerance, humanity and peace.
"I especially appreciate that the youth are so interested and open,"
Engleitner continued. "I like to speak to youth because they are not
prejudiced and they are open to everyone."
Andrew Sanchez, 22, is an example of that. He came up from San Diego
with several fellow Jehovah's Witnesses to see the film Monday.
107-year-old Holocaust survivor and Jehovah's Witness Leopold
Engleitner looks on following a screening of a new documentary,
"Ladder in the Lion s Den," in Encino, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 12,
2012. The film depicts Engleitner s life as a Jehovah s Witness in
Nazi concentration camps. Engleitner is the world s oldest known male
Nazi concentration camp survivor. (Andy Holzman/Staff
Photographer)heard about this movie talking about his faith in
action," Sanchez said. "It changes your perspective when you meet
someone in person who you talk about in school and read about in
history books.
"It drives it home for you, makes you feel a little more a part of
it."
"I hope that educators will pick it up and realize the important
message that is there," the film's narrator, Sun Valley resident Fred
Fuss, said. "Leopold did a very significant thing: he just said no.
When he was being bullied, browbeaten, threatened with his life to
give up his principles, he didn't, because of his conscience. Isn't
that the message we try to give our young people?"
While not suggesting that it was in any way easy, Engleitner said that
his stubbornness in the face of evil was, quite simply, inevitable.
"It's important that you live your life according to just principles,"
Engleitner explained. "I found them in the Bible, and that's what also
gave me strength - my strong belief in God."
bob.s...@dailynews.com
818-713-3670
twitter.com/bscritic
Copyright 2012 LA Daily News. All rights reserved.
107-year-old Holocaust survivor, Jehovah's Witness is star of 'Ladder
in the Lions' Den' documentary By Bob Strauss, Staff
Writerdailynews.com
Posted: 11/13/2012 08:03:20 AM PST
November 14, 2012 1:44 AM GMTUpdated: 11/13/2012 05:44:13 PM PST
107-year-old Holocaust survivor and Jehovah's Witness Leopold
Engleitner looks on following a screening of a new documentary,
"Ladder in the Lion s Den," in Encino, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 12,
2012. The film depicts Engleitner s life as a Jehovah s Witness in
Nazi concentration camps. Engleitner is the world s oldest known male
Nazi concentration camp survivor. (Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer)
IF YOU GO
Ladder in the Lions Den plays Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 12:30
p.m. at the Laemmle Town Center 5 at 17200 Ventura Blvd., Encino.
310-478-3836. laemmle.com.
An unusual Holocaust documentary has brought near-capacity afternoon
crowds to the Laemmle Town Center 5 for almost a week.
They've come not only to see "Ladder in the Lions' Den," but to meet
its subject, 107-year-old Austrian survivor Leopold Engleitner.
Sitting quietly in his wheelchair outside the theater, the frail but
remarkably resilient Engleitner met adoring fans from all over
Southern California after Monday's screening of the 40-minute-film. It
recounts the Jehovah's Witness' refusal to join Hitler's army during
World War II and subsequent imprisonment in three Nazi concentration
camps.
"It's really something that everybody should know about but very few
people do," said Dave Butler, a Jehovah's Witness who drove down from
Bakersfield to see the movie and meet the man. "Leopold doesn't speak
English, I'd love to talk to him, but I think he's awesome. He's
expending his limited strength and resources to come out and meet
people and do this tour; it's amazing. It's very generous of him."
Born in 1905 with a bent spine and raised in a lakeside village not
far from where Hitler grew up, Engleitner was appalled by the
slaughter of World War I and joined the pacifist Jehovah's Witnesses
in the early 1930s. When Austria joined the German Reich in 1938,
members of the religion were rounded
up. They could get out of the camps if they signed a paper - the
ladder of the title - renouncing their religion and accepting the
Nazis' warlike ways.
According to the film, the Austrian Witnesses, including Engleitner,
refused to do so. Many, of course, paid with their lives.
Through narration and re-enactment, the movie recounts Engleitner's
harrowing ordeal, which included the time when, starving on a march
back to camp from a work detail, his testicle was crushed by an SS
guard's boot, which prevented him from ever fathering children.
Decades later, Engleitner met a young Austrian, Bernhard
Rammerstorfer, in a park in his hometown. Taken by the older man's
story, Rammerstorfer wrote a book about Engleitner, "Unbroken Will,"
and produced an earlier documentary about him as well as "Ladder in
the Lions' Den."
Independent up to age 105, Engleitner has lived with Rammerstorfer,
his wife and their young daughter in their home country for the last
two years.
"He deserves it," Rammerstorfer said. "His last period of life should
not be in a nursing home, but in a family. So it was important to give
him a warm family environment, and he enjoys it very much."
Obviously, though, the old guy still gets around. Indeed, Engleitner's
racked up 95,000 travel miles in less than two decades, making
appearances and speaking to audiences throughout the world.
"I like it very much," Engleitner said, with Rammerstorfer
interpreting. "Now I've found open ears and can tell my story through
the film. One of the most important things to me is to teach people
tolerance, humanity and peace.
"I especially appreciate that the youth are so interested and open,"
Engleitner continued. "I like to speak to youth because they are not
prejudiced and they are open to everyone."
Andrew Sanchez, 22, is an example of that. He came up from San Diego
with several fellow Jehovah's Witnesses to see the film Monday.
107-year-old Holocaust survivor and Jehovah's Witness Leopold
Engleitner looks on following a screening of a new documentary,
"Ladder in the Lion s Den," in Encino, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 12,
2012. The film depicts Engleitner s life as a Jehovah s Witness in
Nazi concentration camps. Engleitner is the world s oldest known male
Nazi concentration camp survivor. (Andy Holzman/Staff
Photographer)heard about this movie talking about his faith in
action," Sanchez said. "It changes your perspective when you meet
someone in person who you talk about in school and read about in
history books.
"It drives it home for you, makes you feel a little more a part of
it."
"I hope that educators will pick it up and realize the important
message that is there," the film's narrator, Sun Valley resident Fred
Fuss, said. "Leopold did a very significant thing: he just said no.
When he was being bullied, browbeaten, threatened with his life to
give up his principles, he didn't, because of his conscience. Isn't
that the message we try to give our young people?"
While not suggesting that it was in any way easy, Engleitner said that
his stubbornness in the face of evil was, quite simply, inevitable.
"It's important that you live your life according to just principles,"
Engleitner explained. "I found them in the Bible, and that's what also
gave me strength - my strong belief in God."
bob.s...@dailynews.com
818-713-3670
twitter.com/bscritic
Copyright 2012 LA Daily News. All rights reserved.
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