Through the First Person program, Holocaust survivors have the opportunity to share their remarkable personal stories of hope, tragedy, and survival with thousands of visitors at the Museum. This program was recorded June 14, 2018. It features Susan Darvas, who was born Susan Lakatos on April 24, 1934, in Budapest, Hungary. She grew up in a Jewish family. In March 1944, Germany occupied Hungary and began forcing Jews who lived outside of Budapest to relocate to ghettos in city centers. In late 1944, through his connections with non Jews in Hungary, Susan’s father Manos was able to secure an affidavit that allowed the family to move into an area of the city under the protection of the Spanish government. In April 1945, Hungary was liberated by Soviet troops.
Shortly thereafter, a communist regime began in Hungary. Susan escaped communist Hungary with her husband in 1956 and they eventually made their way to the United States.
