She was born in Krakow in 1923 and was named Marilla Sperling. Her father, Henrik, a banker, was murdered in the Krakow ghetto. Her younger brother was murdered in Auschwitz. During the war she moved to many camps with her mother Rosa. "Every time that they separated us she ran away. She was getting beaten, but would find a way to join me, "she said.

At 1943 they were transferred to Plaszow. "One night they caught her and brought her to the camp for transports. I ran to everyone I knew, I tried to find her. The next day she came back and told me that at night she dug with her nails - she always kept her nails long - under barbed wire - and made it through. "Resourcefulness accompanied mother in the future." Birkenau took us to the block of death. Away've got only one way., And my mother said: "There is a window, if we would be creating a pyramid of women, we could escape".

The pink flush was also with them at Auschwitz. "When we got there, my mom was to me a symbol of health. Looked good, had good teeth, blue eyes. But suddenly a woman of 50 was considered old. She was just 47 years old but very thin. a Worker who was cleaning them before selection whispered to us:" Be good, because Dr. Mengele is very sensitive to good behavior. "They used a little rouge, and waited." I do not know if because of the flush Mother looked better than the others, but the fact that none of the others he stopped but mom, "she said.

When Mengele went by, he asked s mother what she was doing before the war. She said "painter." The answer pleased him, and they were sent to work as artists in print, where they were forging paintings by famous artists.

After the war, in Paris, studying art, married to Dr. Arnon Nick - a Jew from Lvov - and has given her only daughter, violet. At 1949 immigrated to Israel with her ​​mother. Country worked teaching art and was a researcher and curator of the Department of testimony at the Museum of Ethnography and Folklore Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv.

She has published nine books as an illustrator and writer. The most important is "March of styles - History of garment due to currents in art" - who dress in art history. The others have to mention the "Secret Diary of Hamlet" - which resurrected hero of Shakespeare's tragedy lived a second life, an imaginary universe, where he writes his diary.

Her mother ran a workshop in "rehabilitates" employed the mentally handicapped. In 1979 - passed away. Mary, who died in late December, leaving behind her daughter, three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Obituary published in Haaretz family "reads:" Rest was prisoner No. A26551 Auschwitz concentration camp survivor seventh and two death marches, painter, illustrator and author of the books ". מרים ניק