Maya Lee

Magda Hellinger

The extraordinarily moving memoir by Australian Slovakian Holocaust survivor Magda Hellinger, who saved an untold number of lives at Auschwitz through everyday acts of courage, kindness and ingenuity.

In March 1942, twenty-five-year-old kindergarten teacher Magda Hellinger and nearly a thousand other young Slovakian women were deported to Poland on the second transportation of Jewish people sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. The women were told they'd be working at a shoe factory.

At Auschwitz the SS soon discovered that by putting Jewish prisoners in charge of the day-to-day running of the accommodation blocks, camp administration and workforces, they could both reduce the number of guards required and deflect the distrust of the prisoner population away from themselves. Magda was one such prisoner selected for leadership and over three years served in many prisoner leader roles, from room leader, to block leader – at one time in charge of the notorious Experimental Block 10 where reproductive experiments were performed on hundreds of women – and eventually camp leader, responsible for 30,000 women.

She found herself constantly walking a dangerously fine line: using every possible opportunity to save lives while avoiding suspicion by the SS, and risking torture or execution. Through her bold intelligence, sheer audacity, inner strength and shrewd survival instincts, she was able to rise above the horror and cruelty of the camps and build pivotal relationships with the women under her watch, and even some of Auschwitz's most notorious Nazi senior officers including the Commandant, Josef Kramer.

Based on Magda's personal account and completed by her daughter Maya's extensive research, including testimonies from fellow Auschwitz survivors, this awe-inspiring tale offers us incredible insight into human nature, the power of resilience, and the goodness that can shine through even in the most horrific of conditions.

A New York Post‘Must-Have’ Book

‘A vivid, remarkable tale of courage and resilience in the face of human-made horror.’ Spectrum

‘A poignantly illuminating Holocaust memoir.’ Kirkus Reviews

‘Hellinger has written an important perspective of the Holocaust, of a kind that we rarely see. A standout memoir’ Library Journal 

‘Magda’s own words, completed by her daughter’s copious research, create an unputdownable account of resilience and the power of compassion.’ Booklist

‘Magda Hellinger survived three years in Auschwitz and served as camp leader, saving lives including her own, wherever she could. This may be one of the final first-hand Holocaust accounts to be published as a book.’ Politico

‘[R]are and fascinating personal accounts of infamous SS guards and personnel help to make The Nazis Knew My Name unputdownable, while Magda’s enduring choice to save who she could will hopefully inspire kindness and selflessness in another generation.' Glam Adelaide

‘[A] harrowing, heroic story of a woman in an impossible position who devoted her energies to doing what she could with the scraps of power and influence she managed to construct.’ BookBub

‘[V]aluable, interesting, and thought-provoking.’ New York Journal of Books

‘[A] compelling and seamless portrait of a young woman who managed to survive and save others through cunning bravery and compassionate leadership… an extraordinary portrait of one woman who fought for others in the midst of unimaginable horror.’ BookPage