Anna Ornstein |
Anna Ornstein, M.D. is a Professor Emerita of Child Psychology at the University of Cincinnati and a Lecturer on Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She is a Holocaust survivor, and has written a memoire titled, "My Mother's Eyes," along with a collection of psychoanalytic articles. In her articles, she examines psychoanalytic psychotherapy, child psychotherapy, and the process of post-Holocaust recovery.
Early Life
Anna Brunn Ornstein was born on January 27, 1927 in Szendro, Hungary [1]. She was born to Wilmos (b. 1883) and Zsofi (b. 1898) Brunn. Anna had two brothers, Paul (b.1922) and Andrew (b. 1924) She lived in Szendro, a small agricultural village located in Northern Hungary. [2] The village accommodated a meager 4,000 people, many of whom were peasants or gypsies. The village was segregated by religion: Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant. Anna's family was, comparatively, fairly well-off. Her father, a prominent figure in town, owned a hardware store. The family was Orthodox-Zionist, [3] but spoke Hungarian at home.
Anna was, first, educated in a one-room Jewish schoolhouse. After the sixth grade, however, Anna’s mother oversaw her continuing education. In 1942, at age fifteen, Anna relocated to Debrecen[4]. There, she attended the Jewish gymnasium, a college-preparatory institute. In Debrecen, Anna met her husband, Paul Ornstein.
World War II
In March 19, 1944, the Germans invaded Hungary. [5] After arriving in Budapest, the German’s advanced to Debrecen, issuing orders “for [all] Jews to remain wherever they were.” Shortly thereafter, Anna was briefly reunited with her brother, Paul, who had been summoned to a forced-labor camp. At the train station, their designated meeting-place, Anna saw her brother for the last time. At this point, Anna went with Tibi Ornstein, Paul’s twelve-year-old younger brother, back to his home in Hajdunanas. [6] After the Sabbath, Anna learned of the German’s impending arrival in Hajunanas. She traveled to Debrecen, and from there, returned to Szendo.
Anna’s father, in April 1944, was under house arrest. Andrew, meanwhile, had been summoned for deportation. In May, 1944, Szendro’s Jewish families were relocated to a small ghetto. [7] Anna, her mother, and her father, lived in one of three buildings, which they shared with Szendro’s entire remaining Jewish population. In June, the state police arrived in full force. The Jewish families were relocated Miskolc, [8]where they remained, stranded and starved, at a local steel factory. The next morning, they were brought to Auschwitz. [9] After exiting the cattle-wagons, they were ushered onto the platform, where the selection process began. Anna’s father and grandmother were, tragically, condemned to death. Meanwhile, she and her mother were selected for work. They lived, with Anna’s cousin, Margit, on the dirt floor of a barn-like structure.
From Auschwitz, Anna and her mother were transferred to Plashov. [10] They spent about six weeks in Plashov, laboring in the quarry. This entailed, among other things, intense physical labor. Also, in Plashov, Jewish woman were subjected to sever beatings, starvation, and sleep deprivation. In Plashov, Anna’s mother became very weak. She underwent many beatings, and the physical strain was crushing.
In September, they returned to Auschwitz. In Auschwitz, Anna received her tattoo, A-B-20071. In the barracks, she slept with 1000 other women. In the morning, they were given bread, and at night, they were fed thin soup. The inmates were roused, before dawn, and forced to endure hours of roll-call. They stood, thin, weak, and scantily clothed, exposed to the elements. In Auschwitz, the second time, Anna and her mother were almost killed. One night, they were taken to the gas chambers. The number of inmates, however, outstripped the chambers’ capacity. Anna and Zsofi were, miraculously, spared.
In 1944, after a brief stop, Anna was taken to Parscnitz, another labor camp. In Parscnitz, [11] the conditions were abominable. At night, inmates were plagued by bed-bugs, lice, and acute hunger pains. After head-count, they were transported to a local factory. At the factory, the younger, healthier-looking inmates operated machinery. Meanwhile, the older, sicklier inmates remained outdoors, doing menial tasks. In January, 1945, Anna became ill. She remained there, under the supervision of an S.S. nurse, until she recovered.
Liberation
On May 8th, 1945, Anna was liberated from Parschnitz. A week later, Anna, her mother, and nearly fifty other inmates, left Parschnitz. The journey, which they originally undertook on foot, was arduous and physically strenuous. The latter part of their journey, however, was swifter. One day, in the midst of their journey, Anna and her mother celebrated the unanticipated arrival of a train. Fortunately, this train, filled with boisterous Yugoslav partisans, was scheduled to pass through Budapest. After a comfortable journey aboard the train, Anna and her mother arrived in Hungary. Once there, they sought out Anna’s aunt, her mother’s sister. In the following weeks, Anna was re-admitted to the gymnasium in Debrecen, and was reunited with Paul Ornstein, who had also survived the war.
Paul’s Survival
Like Anna’s eldest brother, Paul Ornstein had been recruited to perform forced-labor service. [12] In 1944, Paul escaped. He returned to German-occupied Hungary, and from there, traveled to Rumania. [13] Unable to escape to Palestine, Paul remained in Rumania, where he enrolled in medical school. In 1945, after two semesters, Paul returned to Budapest. [14] There, he was reunited with Anna, who had returned from Parschnitz. Shortly thereafter, Paul’s father returned from Mauthausen.
Post-War
In March, 1946, Anna and Paul were married. A mere three weeks later, Paul and Anna attempted to flee Communist [15] On their first attempt, they were apprehended, given a warning, and released. With the help of the Zionist Underground Movement, Anna and Paul traversed safely into Vienna [16] after their second attempt. After a brief stay in Vienna, they proceeded to Bavaria. [17] From there, they journeyed to Heidelberg, Germany, [18] where they began their medical studies. Two years later, in 1948, Anna’s mother left Hungary. After a perilous journey, she joined Anna and Paul in Heidelberg. They lived, and studied, contentedly in Heidelberg until 1952. In 1952, Anna and Paul immigrated to the United States. [19]
When they arrived, with their medical diplomas, Anna and Paul sought employment. “In the 1950’s,” Anna recounts, “internships were not yet combined with residency training programs,” [20] and Anna and Paul needed both. At Beth Israel Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, [21] Anna and Paul secured a rotating internship. In 1953, their first child, Sharon, was born in Newark. Shortly after Sharon’s birth, Anna’s mother joined them in the United States. Anna and Paul eventually moved to Cincinnati, [22] where they took the State Board Exam. At the time, only five states, including Ohio, [23] offered this opportunity for foreign graduate students. Nonetheless, at the University of Cincinnati, [24] Anna trained as a Child Psychiatrist. She and Paul remained at the University of Cincinnati, and both progressed from Instructors in Psychiatry to professorships. Eventually, at different points in their careers, both Anna and Paul commuted to the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis, [25] where Anna graduated as a Psychoanalyst in 1971.
Meanwhile, Paul and Anna had two more children, Miriam and Raphael. They were born in 1958 and 1960, respectively. Anna was a vivacious, engaged, and loving young mother. To this day, she is very proud of her children, and highly involved in their lives. While Anna worked at the University of Cincinnati, all three of her children, at some point, attended medical school there. Following in their parents’ footsteps, Sharon and Raphael became psychoanalysts, and Miriam became a child psychiatrist. After their retirement, Anna and Paul relocated to Boston, where Raphael and Miriam live with their families. Today, Anna and Paul reside in Brookline, Massachusetts. [26]
Early Life
Anna Brunn Ornstein was born on January 27, 1927 in Szendro, Hungary [1]. She was born to Wilmos (b. 1883) and Zsofi (b. 1898) Brunn. Anna had two brothers, Paul (b.1922) and Andrew (b. 1924) She lived in Szendro, a small agricultural village located in Northern Hungary. [2] The village accommodated a meager 4,000 people, many of whom were peasants or gypsies. The village was segregated by religion: Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant. Anna's family was, comparatively, fairly well-off. Her father, a prominent figure in town, owned a hardware store. The family was Orthodox-Zionist, [3] but spoke Hungarian at home.
Anna was, first, educated in a one-room Jewish schoolhouse. After the sixth grade, however, Anna’s mother oversaw her continuing education. In 1942, at age fifteen, Anna relocated to Debrecen[4]. There, she attended the Jewish gymnasium, a college-preparatory institute. In Debrecen, Anna met her husband, Paul Ornstein.
World War II
In March 19, 1944, the Germans invaded Hungary. [5] After arriving in Budapest, the German’s advanced to Debrecen, issuing orders “for [all] Jews to remain wherever they were.” Shortly thereafter, Anna was briefly reunited with her brother, Paul, who had been summoned to a forced-labor camp. At the train station, their designated meeting-place, Anna saw her brother for the last time. At this point, Anna went with Tibi Ornstein, Paul’s twelve-year-old younger brother, back to his home in Hajdunanas. [6] After the Sabbath, Anna learned of the German’s impending arrival in Hajunanas. She traveled to Debrecen, and from there, returned to Szendo.
Anna’s father, in April 1944, was under house arrest. Andrew, meanwhile, had been summoned for deportation. In May, 1944, Szendro’s Jewish families were relocated to a small ghetto. [7] Anna, her mother, and her father, lived in one of three buildings, which they shared with Szendro’s entire remaining Jewish population. In June, the state police arrived in full force. The Jewish families were relocated Miskolc, [8]where they remained, stranded and starved, at a local steel factory. The next morning, they were brought to Auschwitz. [9] After exiting the cattle-wagons, they were ushered onto the platform, where the selection process began. Anna’s father and grandmother were, tragically, condemned to death. Meanwhile, she and her mother were selected for work. They lived, with Anna’s cousin, Margit, on the dirt floor of a barn-like structure.
From Auschwitz, Anna and her mother were transferred to Plashov. [10] They spent about six weeks in Plashov, laboring in the quarry. This entailed, among other things, intense physical labor. Also, in Plashov, Jewish woman were subjected to sever beatings, starvation, and sleep deprivation. In Plashov, Anna’s mother became very weak. She underwent many beatings, and the physical strain was crushing.
In September, they returned to Auschwitz. In Auschwitz, Anna received her tattoo, A-B-20071. In the barracks, she slept with 1000 other women. In the morning, they were given bread, and at night, they were fed thin soup. The inmates were roused, before dawn, and forced to endure hours of roll-call. They stood, thin, weak, and scantily clothed, exposed to the elements. In Auschwitz, the second time, Anna and her mother were almost killed. One night, they were taken to the gas chambers. The number of inmates, however, outstripped the chambers’ capacity. Anna and Zsofi were, miraculously, spared.
In 1944, after a brief stop, Anna was taken to Parscnitz, another labor camp. In Parscnitz, [11] the conditions were abominable. At night, inmates were plagued by bed-bugs, lice, and acute hunger pains. After head-count, they were transported to a local factory. At the factory, the younger, healthier-looking inmates operated machinery. Meanwhile, the older, sicklier inmates remained outdoors, doing menial tasks. In January, 1945, Anna became ill. She remained there, under the supervision of an S.S. nurse, until she recovered.
Liberation
On May 8th, 1945, Anna was liberated from Parschnitz. A week later, Anna, her mother, and nearly fifty other inmates, left Parschnitz. The journey, which they originally undertook on foot, was arduous and physically strenuous. The latter part of their journey, however, was swifter. One day, in the midst of their journey, Anna and her mother celebrated the unanticipated arrival of a train. Fortunately, this train, filled with boisterous Yugoslav partisans, was scheduled to pass through Budapest. After a comfortable journey aboard the train, Anna and her mother arrived in Hungary. Once there, they sought out Anna’s aunt, her mother’s sister. In the following weeks, Anna was re-admitted to the gymnasium in Debrecen, and was reunited with Paul Ornstein, who had also survived the war.
Paul’s Survival
Like Anna’s eldest brother, Paul Ornstein had been recruited to perform forced-labor service. [12] In 1944, Paul escaped. He returned to German-occupied Hungary, and from there, traveled to Rumania. [13] Unable to escape to Palestine, Paul remained in Rumania, where he enrolled in medical school. In 1945, after two semesters, Paul returned to Budapest. [14] There, he was reunited with Anna, who had returned from Parschnitz. Shortly thereafter, Paul’s father returned from Mauthausen.
Post-War
In March, 1946, Anna and Paul were married. A mere three weeks later, Paul and Anna attempted to flee Communist [15] On their first attempt, they were apprehended, given a warning, and released. With the help of the Zionist Underground Movement, Anna and Paul traversed safely into Vienna [16] after their second attempt. After a brief stay in Vienna, they proceeded to Bavaria. [17] From there, they journeyed to Heidelberg, Germany, [18] where they began their medical studies. Two years later, in 1948, Anna’s mother left Hungary. After a perilous journey, she joined Anna and Paul in Heidelberg. They lived, and studied, contentedly in Heidelberg until 1952. In 1952, Anna and Paul immigrated to the United States. [19]
When they arrived, with their medical diplomas, Anna and Paul sought employment. “In the 1950’s,” Anna recounts, “internships were not yet combined with residency training programs,” [20] and Anna and Paul needed both. At Beth Israel Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, [21] Anna and Paul secured a rotating internship. In 1953, their first child, Sharon, was born in Newark. Shortly after Sharon’s birth, Anna’s mother joined them in the United States. Anna and Paul eventually moved to Cincinnati, [22] where they took the State Board Exam. At the time, only five states, including Ohio, [23] offered this opportunity for foreign graduate students. Nonetheless, at the University of Cincinnati, [24] Anna trained as a Child Psychiatrist. She and Paul remained at the University of Cincinnati, and both progressed from Instructors in Psychiatry to professorships. Eventually, at different points in their careers, both Anna and Paul commuted to the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis, [25] where Anna graduated as a Psychoanalyst in 1971.
Meanwhile, Paul and Anna had two more children, Miriam and Raphael. They were born in 1958 and 1960, respectively. Anna was a vivacious, engaged, and loving young mother. To this day, she is very proud of her children, and highly involved in their lives. While Anna worked at the University of Cincinnati, all three of her children, at some point, attended medical school there. Following in their parents’ footsteps, Sharon and Raphael became psychoanalysts, and Miriam became a child psychiatrist. After their retirement, Anna and Paul relocated to Boston, where Raphael and Miriam live with their families. Today, Anna and Paul reside in Brookline, Massachusetts. [26]