Roald Hoffmann, a Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor, delivers a deeply personal account of his family's survival in a small town in modern-day Ukraine during World War II. He begins by framing his story within the region's turbulent history of shifting borders and violent conflict, drawing poignant parallels between the destruction he witnessed and the current war in Ukraine. The narrative follows his family from their pre-war life in Złoczów to their internment in a forced labor camp, where his father was ultimately killed after a betrayed resistance attempt. The core of his story focuses on the period from 1943 to 1944, when he, his mother, and three other relatives were hidden by a Ukrainian schoolteacher, Mykola Duke, and his family. Hoffmann provides vivid details of their hiding place in the schoolhouse attic and a small storeroom, enduring extreme cold, constant fear, and utter dependence on their rescuers. He concludes with his liberation by the Red Army, the family's post-war renewal and journey to America, and a solemn reflection on the immense scale of personal and communal loss.
A Survivor's Story: Roald Hoffmann on Hiding and Hope in WWII Ukraine
00:02:02 Shifting Geography: Hoffmann explains that his birthplace, Złoczów, has been part of Austria-Hungary, Poland, the Soviet Union, and now Ukraine, highlighting the region's history of violent conflict and "ethnic cleansing."
00:04:40 Parallels to the Current War: He draws a direct connection between the current war in Ukraine and his own experiences, describing the unforgettable and distinct smell of a bombarded and ruined city, which he first witnessed in Warsaw in 1945.
00:11:35 Occupation and Escalation: After the 1939 Soviet occupation, the Nazis invaded in 1941. In the first week, his grandfather was murdered by an SS battalion, marking the family's first loss.
00:16:16 Life in a Forced Labor Camp: The family spent 1942 in a forced labor camp. Hoffmann describes a system where guards were bribable with vodka for small favors and gold for larger ones, like escape. His father, a civil engineer, was valuable for his knowledge of local roads and bridges.
00:22:00 A "Good Man" Offers Sanctuary: Recognizing the escalating danger, his parents arranged for a Ukrainian schoolteacher, Mykola Duke, to hide them in the nearby village of Univ.
00:26:04 The Hiding Place: Five family members were hidden in the unfinished attic of the village schoolhouse where the Duke family lived. They were completely dependent on Mr. Duke, who brought them food and removed their waste once a day.
00:29:34 Father's Resistance and Death: Hoffmann’s father remained in the labor camp to organize an armed breakout. The plot was betrayed by another Jewish prisoner, and his father was executed in June 1943.
00:30:45 Surviving a Brutal Winter: The uninsulated attic was too cold to survive the harsh Ukrainian winter. For the coldest months, the family of five crowded into a tiny 6x9 foot storage room and sometimes hid in a small dugout space under the floorboards when there was a danger of being discovered.
00:33:42 Liberation and Renewal: The family was liberated by the Red Army in June 1944. Hoffmann shares a post-war photo of his mother in a new coat and fur hat, calling them powerful "symbols of renewal" and of "human beings coming back."
00:35:39 The Scale of Loss: Hoffmann was one of only three Jewish children to survive from his town of Złoczów, where approximately 90% of the 4,000-strong Jewish population was murdered.
00:25:37 Enduring Connection: He notes that his family has remained in close contact with the descendants of the Duke family, who risked their own lives to save them.