The Apprentice of Buchenwald- Oren Schneider

𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝑹𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒚

Happy Pub Day to The Apprentice of Buchenwald by Oren Schneider!

This true story is an incredible firsthand account of a young man’s harrowing experience of survival as a prisoner of Buchenwald; Germany’s largest concentration camp.

Alexander was a highly educated young man coming from an affluent and indulgent upbringing, wanting for nothing. Their wealth and connections with the mayor even managed to procure protection for his family in the early stages of World War II. Eventually, however, the luck of the Rosenbergs ran out. Not even all the money in the world could save them from being captured by the Gestapo.

Alexander experienced a complete culture shock coming into Buchenwald. It is thanks to his father’s ingenuity that he and Alexander were able to survive the glacial nights and harsh conditions. Alexander is eventually put to work in an arsenal factory where he is approached by a fellow prisoner. Having access to the production of fire arms was their chance to sabotage the Germans and Alexander happily took it.

An air bombing interrupts this successful operation. Upon his father being carried away from the bombing sustaining severe injuries, Alexander must further tap into his ingenuity and cleverness in order to uphold the promise he made to his mother, to keep his father safe.

The Apprentice of Buchenwald is a heart-racing and informative story of a young man who dared to fight back. I adore Alexander’s character. While being brave and of pure heart, he was also a witty teenage boy with a lactose intolerance. Even after surviving this heinous ordeal, he still chose to fight and give back. He didn’t allow the events of his dark adolescence to stop him from living a full life. Alexander instilled the importance of remembering the past while remaining optimistic into his grandson, Oren Schneider, who wrote this book. To quote Schneider’s dedication to his children: “…never stop asking and challenging us, never forget the past; and never be indifferent to those suffering around you; make your voices heard.”