Krakow
Poland
Teofila Silberring
Teofila Silberring, nee Nussbaum, was born in 1925 Kraków, to a well-off Jewish family. She had one brother – Henryk Nussbaum, born in 1921.
Teofila Silberring
Teofila Silberring, nee Nussbaum, was born in 1925 Kraków, to a well-off Jewish family. She had one brother – Henryk Nussbaum, born in 1921.
Their parents were Gustawa and Juda Nussbaum. They lived in the district of Kazimierz, close to the Tempel Synagogue. Gustawa and Juda Nussbaum had large families - many close and distant relatives lived in Kraków. Teofila and Henryk had a happy childhood, and received good education. They attended the Hebrew Gymnasium in Kraków – a renowned Jewish school. Teofila described herself as a “spoiled child” – her parents fulfilled all her wishes and whims. The Nussbaum family was not particularly religious. Juda Nussbaum often did not observe the Sabbath. They celebrated the most important Jewish holidays; Teofila as a child was very fond of Sukkot and Purim. Teofila belonged to a Jewish scout organization with a Zionist and secular profile.
Teofila Silberring with her school friend Lusia Helzel
Shortly after the outbreak of the war, Gustawa Nussbaum, Teofila's mother, was murdered. Juda Nussbaum was left alone with fourteen-year-old Teofila and eighteen-year-old Henryk. They received help and support from their extended family. In March 1941 the family was forced to move to the ghetto in Podgórze. They managed to avoid the deportations in 1942, and stay together until the liquidation of the ghetto in March 1944. Teofila worked for some time in Oskar Schindler's factory, but was not transferred with his other employees. From the Plaszow camp she was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, which she left on a death march. She was liberated in the Ravensbrück camp.
After the war ended, Teofila returned to Kraków. It turned out that her father and brother had not survived. Their apartment was occupied by a Polish family who would not let Teofila in. After much effort, she managed to regain part of the family fortune, including real estate. Thanks to this, she was able to support herself and get an education.
Teofila and Adam Silberring during their honeymoon
In 1947, Teofila married Adam Silberring, also a Holocaust survivor. They had a son Jerzy Silberring, who was born in 1949 in Kraków. After completing his studies (chemistry and physics at the Jagiellonian University) and obtaining his doctorate, he decided to leave Poland - he emigrated to Sweden, where he lectured at the University of Uppsala. After many years, he returned to Poland, although he maintained ties with Sweden. The Silberrings were not religious, they did not uphold tradition. But they never hid their roots. During the antisemitic campaign in 1968, Adam Silberring was fired from his job at the Polfa pharmaceutical plant. However, he found another job. Despite antisemitism, the Silberrings did not decide to leave Poland. They remained in Krakow until the end of their lives.
