I was a Doctor in Auschwitz

Gisella Perl’s memoir offers a brutally honest and deeply emotional account of women’s struggle to survive Auschwitz, making it one of the earliest and most powerful Holocaust testimonies by a female survivor. She recounts her life before, during, and after the camps, shedding light on the gendered atrocities faced by Jewish women under Nazi rule. Perl’s narrative is notable for its vivid depictions of horror, including her forced work with Dr. Josef Mengele, where she secretly used her position to save fellow prisoners. Her memoir also stands out for addressing taboo topics like abortion and infanticide, which were long excluded from Holocaust narratives. Additionally, she includes rare insights into Roma victims and female Nazi personnel. This newly republished edition secures her testimony’s vital place in Holocaust memory and education.