Against All Odds: Born in Mauthausen with Eva Clarke

Published 2018-07-01
What does it mean to be born in a concentration camp, arguably one of the most inhospitable places on earth? Eva Clarke was one of three “miracle babies” who saw the light of day in KZ Mauthausen in Austria. Nine days after her birth, the Second World War ended. As a newborn, Eva’s chances of survival were extremely slim; against all odds, she lived, making her and her mother Anka the only survivors of their extended family. In 1948, they emigrated from Prague to the UK and settled in Cardiff, Wales. Eva regularly addresses audiences, and her remarkable story has been featured in the British and American media. She and her mother are among the protagonists of Wendy Holden’s book Born Survivors: Three Young Mothers and their Extraordinary Story of Courage, Defiance, and Hope (Harper, 2015). Recorded on 05/30/2018. [7/2018] [Show ID: 32849]

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All Comments (21)
  • @MinaMcKay
    It just is incredible how a 3lb baby born to a starving mother managed to survive. I'm so glad she did.
  • @Jack-ye6fm
    To think her mum was not just able to survive but grow a healthy baby whilst undergoing such immense stress, starvation, lack of hygiene etc is amazing. Just goes to show the miracle of the human body and spirit. Such a horrific story for her family you couldn't imagine anything worse if you tried. I can't believe this took place just eighty years ago and at the hands of other human beings.
  • @irenec2863
    The farmer who gave her mother a glass of milk...Eva said her mother said that probably saved her life. How powerful one simple gesture of humanity can be. 💕
  • My third child was born prematurely and weighed 4 pounds. He seemed so tiny and helpless, but he received excellent care in the hospital and is fine now. I cannot even begin to imagine giving birth to a 3 pound baby on a cart in a concentration camp with (very) limited medical help. The fact that the baby survived, and eventually thrived, is such a testament to the bravery of her mother. It is amazing what love can do in desparate circumstances.
  • @janresendez7991
    I’m glad that her story is being recorded. Because before too long all those who lived through the Holocaust and lost family members won’t be here anymore. We need to keep passing these stories around so people learn from the past. Thank you for your story
  • My dad was with the 11th Army that liberated Mauthausen Prison Camp. I am SO proud that he was part of those that set so many survivors free. Glad that you were one of those so that you could give is such a stirring first-hand account of what you and your family lived through. God blest your mother with the strength of her spirit.
  • Incredible story, her Mother was a very courageous woman. I have visited Mauthausen, Terezin and Dachau. As painful as it is to visit these places, it is our duty to do so as a reminder to what these poor people endured.
  • @debbie3447
    Eva Clark is the best presenter I have ever seen. She's very pleasant, she speaks to you as if your in her living room, she gets the audience involved, and she's very honest. Love her.
  • @tori9557
    Her mother was a strong woman. Unbelievably strong. I wish I could have heard her speak.
  • @ashleydavis3207
    I love this story and how you told it. My grandfather was in the 11th Armored Division that liberated Mauthausen and I love hearing stories from the people whom he saved. It gives me more of an idea of how the liberation happened and how everyone felt.
  • Both my parents lived through the Second World War. My mother was born in Alsace-Lorraine in 1922 where she met my father after the war in her hometown. He had been a soldier in the Italian army .He was taken as a political prisoner for two years in a town in Germany, Salzgitter. To this day, I have kept his I.D. card : Arbeit mit Frei. Both lived to be very old; my father was 99 and a half when he passed in 2015 and my mother lived until she was 98 years old 2020.
  • @marcificht4013
    I can't understand why there are so few views of this video. This woman is amazing and is relaying a family history that we all need to hear. I was unable to stop watching from the minute she started talking...she IS a miracle.
  • @phunkboxx
    She is so elegant and composed. Respect.
  • @bilgyno1
    How there are 210 people that give this video a thumbs down is beyond my comprehension. Thank you for sharing your amazing life story of survival!
  • She reminds me of my sister's mother in law. She was an elegant, kind lady who married an American rabbi working with the American government to help the refugees from the camps. She never wanted to talk about it, she hid the tattooed numbers on her arm... until she was interviewed for her Holocaust experiences and urged to write a book. She did... Lala's story. 💞 Love to all of you.
  • @lsrose
    I’m a little late to the party but I have never heard a more eloquent speaker in my life. And one who speaks of such a horrible time in the history of the world I such a manner that it really breaks your heart to hear what her mother and her family went thru. God bless Eva Clark.
  • @marleylab51
    I am so amazed at how well she spoke about this most horrific event in man's history . I was so transfixed on every word and my heart broke at every word. Her mother was so strong and very determined to survive. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
  • @sistermaria5587
    Wow. What a story. And I just love the way this lady told her stoy
  • @lsammans5028
    Wow. What a powerful story and she relayed it so well. She is so proud of her mother as she should be!