Loris Sušický

Loris was born on November 11, 1918, the very day that marked the end of WWI. He was Erica's and Noemi's favourite cousin. He was almost like a brother to them, being slightly older than Noemi. He lived with his parents Irene and Gustav in Prague 2, Biskupsky Dvur 1 (or 2), in a lovely villa in the Strasnice Quarter. Loris was handsome, funny, had a great sense of humour and was a gifted sculptor. He also played the accordion.The Krons travelled from Trieste to Prague to visit Loris and his parents when Erica was 8 and Noemi - 12. The Susickys (especially Irene and Loris) often spent summer holidays with the Krons in Grado and in Baden-bei-Wien, where the Krons owned a summerhouse.

Loris liked kayaking. Erica remembers an enthusiastic letter he wrote after returning from a kayaking trip to Yugoslavia, with friends.

The last time his cousin Erica Kron saw him was in 1938, about a year before she made Aliya. She told him about her plans and suggested that he, too, join her and Noemi her sister in Palestine. Loris refused.

He moved to Vlkanov, a village and municipality (obec) in Domažlice District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic, possibly, according to Erica, this was where his sculpting teacher lived.

According to Holocaust.cz his last residence before deportation was Vlkančice.

On June 5, 1942, aged 23, he was number 264 on

Transport AAB from Kolin to Theresienstadt.

According to "Beit Terezin" archives, Loris participated in Terezin's Cabaret. He may have appeared in the movie made by the Germans,about Theresienstadt, intended to present it as a "Paradise for Jews". THE PHOTO OF HIS PROFILE was found in the archives of the Theresienstadt Martyrs Remembrance Association (in Kibbutz Givat Haim-Ihud) in the CABARET file.

On September 6, 1943, aged 24, he was number 1339 on Transport DI from Theresienstadt to Auschwitz (and sent to the "Theresienstädter Familienlager" at Camp Birkenau).

For half a year, a part of Auschwitz concentration camp was organized like a ghetto. In September 1943, transports with 5,006 Czech Jews from the Theresienstadt ghetto, including Loris , arrived in Auschwitz. These transports were not selected, but altogether directed to a special part of the Birkenau quarantine camp. Women, men and children were indeed housed in separate blocks, but able to move freely in that part of the camp. The social relations among the prisoners could thus be maintained. For that reason, this camp section was also called "Theresienstädter Familienlager "(Theresienstadt Family Camp.)

The committal orders were affixed with the note "Sonderbehandlung (SB, meaning: gassing) - six months", which meant, that the Theresienstadt Familiy Camp inmates were deceived in their life expectation for six months because they did not know anything about the note and, due to the rather good treatment, thought that they were to be kept alive.

The Czech Jews in the Familienlager were not assigned to labour commands. They were allowed to receive parcels and to write letters - they were even asked to inform their relatives. But despite that privileged treatment, many of them died within these six months in the Theresienstadt camp section. After the time limits had ended, all those who had stayed alive, including Loris, were killed on March 9, 1944 in the gas chambers.

The Theresienstadt family Camp can be seen as SS-stage-production for the world outside the camp.Its function was to reassure the population of the ghetto in Theresienstadt and to maintain that image of preferential treatment. In order to deceive the International Red Cross delegation, which had announced a visit, this so-called "Klein Theresienstadt" ("Little Theresienstadt") was erected in Birkenau.

And that was the bitter end of Erica and Noemi's beloved cousin.

Holocaust.cz (Terezin archives)

LORIS SUŠICKÝ

• Born 11. 11. 1918
• last residence before deportation: Vlkančice
• Transport AAb, č. 264 (05.06.1942 Kolín -> Terezín)
• Transport Dl, č. 1939 (06.09.1943 Terezín -> Auschwitz)
• Murdered