Gisella Perl (Books)

Gisella Perl Books

December 10, 1907 – November 24, 1988

Gisella Perl was a Romanian Jewish gynecologist deported to Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944. In the camp's inhumane conditions, lacking even the most basic necessities, she served as an inmate gynecologist, aiding hundreds of women. After surviving the Holocaust, she emigrated to New York and became one of the first to publicize her experiences in English in her 1948 memoir.

I Was a Doctor in Auschwitz

140 pages
5 hours of reading

4.7(29)Add rating

The memoir offers a powerful and candid account of women's struggles to survive Auschwitz, highlighting the extreme measures taken in the face of dehumanization. Perl's narrative encompasses her life before and during imprisonment, as well as her efforts to rebuild afterwards. It uniquely addresses the gendered impact of Nazi policies on Jewish women and includes the experiences of Roma victims. Notably, Perl's interactions with Dr. Josef Mengele reveal her attempts to save fellow prisoners, addressing sensitive topics often overlooked in Holocaust literature. This new edition reaffirms the importance of her testimony in Holocaust education.