Leo Luster
Born1927
Vienna, Austria
DiedJanuary, 2017
Israel

Leo Luster (1927–2017) was an Austrian Holocaust survivor. He was taken to Theresienstadt Ghetto in 1942 and deported to Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944. After the Holocaust, Luster moved to Israel and served on the Central Council of Jews from Austria in Israel.

Early life

Leo Luster was born to a Jewish family from Vienna. His parents were Moshe Luster (born 1891 in Jarosław) and Golda. They were married in 1920 and settled in Leopoldstadt, the second district of Vienna. Leo had at least one older sister, Helene. He went to school at Malzgasse. After the occupation of Austria by Nazi Germany, his father lost his job and the apartment in Schreygasse where the family lived. Luster had his bar mitzvah in 1940.

Holocaust

On October 1, 1942 Luster and his parents were deported to Theresienstadt concentration camp. On September 29, 1944 he and his father were deported to Auschwitz concentration camp. His father was murdered by the Nazi regime. Luster was sent on a death march, but survived. He was liberated by the Red Army. During his stay at a camp for displaced persons he helped many of the other inmates.

Later life

His mother and his sister survived. In 1949, he and his mother emigrated to Israel. He became the driver of the Ambassador of Austria, married Shoshana had two children, Nava and Moshe, and three grandchildren. He was elected as a board member of the Central Council of Jews from Austria in Israel. After his retirement he continued to help Jews from Austria with their pensions and financial support for their care. He worked closely with Gideon Eckhaus, another Jew from Austria who had come to Palestine in 1939. They ran a club for retired Jews from Austria. During his visit to Israel, Austrian chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer came to see Luster and Eckhaus. In 2003 Luster visited Vienna.[1]

The National Fund of the Republic of Austria for the Victims of National Socialism was looking to locate Holocaust survivors in order to provide them with compensation. Luster was of great help to Hannah Lessing, its secretary general. Shortly before his death he donated three of his manuscripts to the National Fund. They are available on the Fund website.[2]

  • Driven out of Theresenstadt ....
  • Night shift
  • Free again.

Recognition

References

  1. ↑ Eckstein, Tanja (August 2010). "Leo Luster". Centropa. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
  2. ↑ National Fund of the Republic of Austria for the Victims of National Socialism: Leo Luster: Die Feuer von Auschwitz lodern und brennen, with 23 photographs showing Leo Luster, his family friends, retrieved on May 16, 2018
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