On Trial: The testimony of Halina Strnad at the Bruno Dey Trial
Event description
To mark the 60th anniversary of the Eichmann Trial, we invite you to join us for our On Trial event series.
We are honoured to host the first event in this series: The testimony of Halina Strnad at the Bruno Dey Trial.
Halina Strnad is a Melbourne-based Holocaust survivor of Lodz ghetto, Auschwitz and Stutthof. In early 2020 she appeared as a witness in the trial of Bruno Dey. Dey was a Nazi guard at Stutthof concentration camp at the same time that Halina, of similar age, was a Jewish prisoner. As Dey was a minor at the time he was stationed at Stutthof, the trial was held in the Hamburg Children’s Court. Survivors from around the world testified, and Halina related her experiences and witnessed events via video link. Dey was found guilty of 5,232 counts of accessory to murder and given a suspended sentence.
Halina Strnad will appear in conversation with long-time friend Dr John Rogers as she describes her participation in the 2020 trial, as well as her experiences from wartime. Halina will describe the long-term effects that these events from the Holocaust have had on her life and views, as well as her sense of duty to testify. Halina will express her views on justice, and why testimony remains paramount in today’s world.
About Halina Strnad
Halina Wagowska was born in Posnan, Poland, an only child in a modern family. When the war broke out, she and her parents were first incarcerated in the Lodz ghetto, then deported to Auschwitz. Halina last saw her father. In Auschwitz, she was forced to transport corpses and undertake inhumane tasks, as a young teenage girl. A few months later, Halina and her mother were deported to Stutthof concentration camp. The conditions were more dire and disease-ridden, and her mother died of typhus in her arms. Halina has described her experiences in Stutthof as being worse than in Auschwitz. After the war, she completed her high school studies in Lodz and migrated to Australia in 1948. Halina worked for many years in the medical science field. She has given numerous talks about her experiences in the Holocaust, has published two books and recorded her testimony, and is a strong advocate for human rights.
Important information
Prior to the event, we will provide information on how to join the live stream.
For more information, email bookings@jhc.org.au