Gemacht: The Incredible True Story of Jacques Bodner

By Lawrence Bodner

Lawrence Bodner, is the author of Gemacht, a biography about the fascinating life of his father, Jacques Bodner. Jacques Bodner survived the Holocaust, and his escape from Austria is nothing short of astounding. Gemacht covers almost nine decades of an unusual life that encompassed every possible high and low that can occur in a lifetime.

These incidences include the most heinous and brutal acts perpetrated by one human being on another. Yet at the same time Jacques experienced the most precious and unexpected gifts attainable. In truth, the contents of this story show that a person placed in an appalling situation can eventually triumph against all odds.

This book takes the reader on an incredible journey. Jacques was an indomitable person. He can be classified as a true outlier.

Jacques was born into a middle class Jewish family in Austria in 1920. Post World War I, Vienna remained in a state of change. The city had separated from Lower Austria and became a state of its own. Jacques's father had a good job and as a result the family did not want for anything.

This tranquil lifestyle slowly decayed into darkness as Hitler's Brown Shirts made their presence known. Every leisurely activity that had previously been open and available to the general public was taken away.

Jacques's older siblings were able to escape Austria prior to the Anschluss, but Jacques remained trapped in a land he could no longer call his own. His unbelievable journey to freedom is documented in Gemacht, with photos, and documents, which we assume he may have sewn into his clothing. His story ascends into darkness and ascends in an unlikely way.

Jacques's experiences as he is forced to flee his country closely parallel what the people of the Ukraine are living through in 2022. It is inconceivable that we are re-living history and elements of the Holocaust. We are witnessing what Jacques and millions of others went through almost a century ago.

The horrors of World War II are only one part of Jacques's story. His life takes many unique and fascinating twists and turns. This educational story provides useful information about the value of humanity. Gemacht was written with the hope that we can embrace the concept that our utmost responsibility is to ensure the survival and progression of our species.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jun 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667844374

Book preview

This book is for all the survivors of the Holocaust, to the brave people carried on for the rest of their lives despite the horrors and traumas of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Syndrome Disorder).

GEMACHT is posthumously dedicated to Hiram Bingham, IV, for making my life possible by saving the life of my father Jacques Bodner through his unselfish acts of kindness.

The unsung heroes, also known as, Righteous Christians, saved countless innocent people of the Jewish faith who faced imminent torture and death at the hands of Adolph Hitler and the Nazis. These saviors were non-Jews who hid and saved thousands of Jews during World War II while risking their own potential death for performing their highest moral deeds. (2.)

A common trait amongst the Righteous Christians is that they remained silent. They did not want or seek recognition and performed lifesaving acts by subscribing to the highest moral dictates.

Whoever saves one life, it is as if he saved the entire world.

1923

Photo of Jacques Bodner, age 3, with his mother, Fanny.

Preface

The true to life story of Jacques Bodner stands out as an extraordinary example of one man’s ability to triumph over formidable adversity. This story begins on November 1, 1920, the day that Jacques Bodner came into the world, and covers the nine decades of his life. Gemacht chronicles the extraordinary life journey of Jacques Bodner and clarifies his concept of Gemacht and why it was significant to him.

Everyone has a story to tell about their life. Periodically, we reflect upon the past. Part of the human experience includes sharing the life events we have in common. In our lifetimes, we will all undergo joys, sorrows, accomplishments, and hardships. Very few people have lives untouched by one type of adversity or another. Jacques Bodner endured hardships, joys, and sorrows in his lifetime.

On the other end of the spectrum, our achievements are very personal to us, and profoundly meaningful. Some people are fortunate enough to have a family. Other people may find joy and fulfillment on their own.

Jacques endured a fear of the unknown, which can arise due to a sudden confrontation with uncertainty. As a result, he suffered from post-traumatic stress for the rest of his life. Fear of the unknown is a fundamental part of the lives of people who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress. Despite his arduous struggles, Jacques rose up and conquered many of his fears, and ultimately achieved a level of happiness that was beyond his wildest imagination.

*Due to privacy issues regarding the real names of former employees, Attorneys, and Government employees, the names of these people have been altered, abbreviated and/or redacted in this book.

Modern day photos of the Bodner family apartment located at Morengasse 35, in Vienna, Austria.

GEMACHT

Jacques Bodner was born to Julius and Fanny Bodner on November 1, 1920, in one of the world’s most cultured cities, Vienna, Austria. Vienna was an exciting city acclaimed for its music, food, and culture. Viennese education was on par with the education in both Germany and Switzerland, as the result of the Vienna School Reform, a social democratic school reform that took place in Austria from 1919 to 1920. (1.) Vienna has always been thought of as the capital of Classical music. Culinary experts recognized Viennese pastries as the best in the world.

The Bodner’s home was a spacious apartment located in Vienna’s second district, named Leopoldstadt. The apartment was conveniently located near excellent schools, the best restaurants, and superb coffee houses. The Prater Amusement Park, a large public park, was situated along the banks of the Danube River, and it was within walking distance of the Bodner’s apartment. The amusement park was renowned for the famous Wiener Riesenrad, or Ferris wheel, which stands over 214 feet tall. Children loved it and could not wait to get a ride. The Wiener Riesenrad still remains standing today, despite weathering WW II.

The Bodners had three sons. Rudi, Max, and Jacques, who was their youngest child. Max was the middle son. Of the two, Max’s temperament was less assertive, or laid back. As a result, Max was thought to be lazy, a perception that remained throughout his life. Rudi, the firstborn and oldest of the three, was a serious boy. Rudi had a short fuse and a mind of his own. He possessed a desire to lead his life his own way, but he would not defy his parents.

Their father, Julius, was a reserved man. He was not demonstrative with his affection for his wife or his children. Julius was quiet and easygoing. His wife Fanny represented the quintessential Austrian wife and mother during the 1920s. In the early part of the 20th Century, both German and Austrian men described a woman’s purpose in life as, the three K’s. The three K’s stood for Kinder (children), Küche (kitchen), Kirche (church). A woman’s purpose was largely relegated to these three tasks.

Jacques’s Birth Certificate obtained November 26, 1930, for a family vacation to Hungary.

Jacques was 10 years old when this was issued.

Onlookers thought that the Bodner family lived comfortably. Julius made a good living as a salesman, selling fine cloths and goods for suit making. By the mid- 1920s, Julius was a successful man. Cars were expensive at that time, and only the wealthy could afford to have one. Julius had a car and a chauffeur that offered him mobility to visit his clientele. He made sales calls to tailors, dressmakers, and other garment manufacturers of fine clothing. His car allowed him the luxury of taking the family on weekend day excursions into the mountains. The family also went on small excursions to neighboring Hungary and to other nearby cities in Switzerland and northern Italy.

Society in Vienna was quite different from society in Germany at that time. In the early part of the 20th Century, Vienna had a more relaxed population than Germany. The Viennese took great comfort in engaging in leisurely activities, including the arts and literature. In Vienna, life seemed to flow at a tranquil pace. The population enjoyed visiting cafes around the city to have lunch and a cup of coffee after their meals. To the Viennese, coffee has always represented more than a beverage. The idea of having a coffee is synonymous with attending a social affair with friends while engaging in conversation. A traditional Viennese version of coffee, called "Grosse Browner," is a large cup of coffee with steamed milk on top, similar to a cappuccino.

In contrast, during the 1920s German society was perceived as being profoundly serious, dour, and proper. Following World War I, the political climate in Germany was in turmoil. Germany's Weimar Republic was named after the town of Weimar, where Germany’s new government was formed after the Kaiser Wilhelm II was abducted.

The government of Austria was a Federal Representative Democratic Republic in the 1920s. The leader of the Federal Representative Democratic Republic government at that time was the Federal President. The Viennese lived in a free and democratic society.

The decade following the end of World War I was exciting. Jacques Bodner reveled in growing up in the city of Vienna. Economies around the world began to grow and flourish once again after the war had ended. America realized a cultural rebirth resulting in the term, the Roaring Twenties. In 1921, Vienna separated from Lower Austria and became a state of its own. The Viennese government began construction projects throughout the city as the result of housing shortages. Vienna was a fascinating place to explore for Jacques.

Jacques, age 13, with his parents.

Family vacation in Bad Gleichenberg 8-20-1933.

These freedoms came to an end when the government of Austria was shattered by the Anschluss, which took place during March of 1938. *The Anschluss was the political union of Austria with Germany, achieved through annexation by Adolf Hitler. Anschluss means Union.

Fanny was more protective of her youngest child, Jacques, than she was with her older boys. Rudi was ten years older than Jacques and Max was five years older. The family pecking order was not any different from other families. The age differences between the Bodner children meant each child had different friends, different schools, and different forms of play.

After the WW I, Austria had an influx of thousands of refugees from the Russian Civil War. Existing affordable apartments became overcrowded, resulting in a high demand. Between 1918 and 1934, the Social Democratic Workers’ Party of Austria (SDAP) maintained virtual unilateral political control over Vienna. The government began a rigorous reconstruction program. Vienna grew into a city filled with apartment buildings, called Gemeindebau in German, which stands for municipality buildings. These housing complexes were often large residential estates. With so many apartment buildings and new tenants, Jacques cultivated friendships with other children in his building and the neighboring apartments. Together, Jacques and his friends spent many weekends together at the local pool hall.

All of Jacques’s large circle of close friends lived in close proximity to his apartment. Many of Jacques’s friends were also his schoolmates, and they lived down the hall or on the next floor of his apartment house or across the street. The group did everything together. They walked to school together, and they played in tandem in nearby parks. *Miraculously, many of Jacques’s childhood friends survived the Holocaust, emigrated to America, and rediscovered each other in New York City years later.

After school, Jacques and his friends would frequent the Konditorei, which were pastry shops and cafes that had mouthwatering desserts topped with fresh whipped cream. One of the boys' favorites was a specialty chocolate cake or torte, created by Franz Sacher in 1832, who was a 16- year-old apprentice to the personal chef for Prince Metternich. The head chef took ill and young Franz was tasked with making a special dessert for visiting guests of the Prince. The Sachertorte was born, and this treat is often labeled as the food of the Gods. Life for Jacques and his friends was not that different from life for young boys in America.

Photograph taken in August 1935. Jacques, at age 15, walking in a park with his mother.

Jacques was a slim boy, with average height and build, and sandy brown hair. Everyone loved his wonderful smile. Jacques gravitated towards mathematics and had ideas and desires for seeking a profession in architecture and or engineering. School work came first before a walk to the park to play ball and other activities. Jacques was permitted to go to the park with his friends, to run and play ball, but only after school and his homework had been completed. There were no video games, no digital devices, no internet, and no television in the 1920s and 1930s.

In the early part of the 20th century, most Austrian women were known to be wonderful home cooks and bakers. Jacques’s mother Fanny was no exception. Married women in Europe and in America were most commonly referred to as housewives, meaning they ran the household. Today, we refer to women who prefer to raise their children while remaining at home as a stay-at-home mom.

The Bodner family had a large extended family and circle of friends in Vienna that provided social interaction, support, and a variety of entertainment. On the weekends, the Bodners often invited guests to dinner. The guests loved Fanny’s delicious Viennese dishes. Jacques and his brothers were always permitted to sit with the guests at the family dinner table.

Proper manners were required in the Bodner family, as was the custom in Europe at that time. Attendance at the dinner table was compulsory. Proper decorum at dinner meant respecting one another. Elbows on the table were forbidden, and children were required to use utensils properly at all times. Julius always reinforced respect. Julius taught his children to be respectful when addressing parents, people in authority, and even strangers who were elders. The Bodner children were forbidden from defying their parents.

A strict approach to child rearing was also part of the school curriculum. Following a strict value system facilitated the development of Jacques’s drive to excel in most areas of his life.

Jacques’s Bar Mitzvah invitation dated December 1933.

Mr. and Mrs. Julius Bodner request the honor of your presence for their son JACQUES on Saturday, the 23. December, 1933 at quarter ten o’clock at Ems Weschulem, II Schiffgasse 24.

Note: The Bodner's last name was spelled incorrectly in the invitation as Bodnar, with an ‘a’ instead of an ‘e.’

Fanny believed in strict observance of the Jewish law. Julius was not a devout practitioner of Judaism, but Fanny tended towards orthodoxy. To Fanny, the words written and spoken from the Jewish Torah, or Bible, were the Word of God. In 1933, when Jacques reached the age of thirteen, he had his Bar Mitzvah, or Confirmation, into Judaism.

A Bar Mitzvah in the 1930s cannot be compared to the extravaganzas of today. A Bar Mitzvah celebrates a boy’s entrance into manhood as he reaches the age of thirteen. Prior to a Bar Mitzvah, a boy studies the Torah, or Jewish Law, written on the parchment scrolls. The study of the Torah takes place over two years for a few hours per week. The Torah is the Jewish equivalent of the Christian Bible; however, the Torah contains only the Old Testament.

In the 1930s, the attendees at a Bar Mitzvah were usually family friends and members of the congregation of the synagogue. Following the Saturday morning service, the Bar Mitzvah boy is called up to the stage to recite his readings and prayers, and a festive celebration follows with wine and food in the synagogue.

The world began to change in 1933 as the political environment in Europe shifted toward fascism. There was growing unrest in Austria and the rest of Europe. In the three years since Jacques’s Bar Mitzvah, Europe had vastly changed. Adolph Hitler became Chancellor of Germany and his leadership forevermore marked a dark period of history for the world. No one could conceive of the horrors to come.

On March 12, Austria signed the Germany-Austrian Agreement of 1936. This agreement was devastating to the Austrians, as it now allowed Nazis to hold official posts in Austria. In actuality, this agreement was an attempt at an appeasement to keep Hitler at bay.

*In the Austro-German Agreement of July 1936, Hitler recognized Austria's full sovereignty, and both nations agreed not to interfere in each other's internal affairs. Austria promised to maintain a foreign policy in keeping with her identity as 'a German state'. (14.)

The world had little knowledge of what was occurring in Germany in 1936. Anschluss, the German annexation of Austria, occurred two years later, in 1938. Tragically, the Western press largely hid the insidious growth of anti-Semitism from the eyes and ears of the American public. World leaders and their governments were cognizant of Hitler’s anti-Semitic policies and developing programs and the discriminatory actions that were taking place to single out German Jews. In Europe, entertainment and government news was broadcast over the radio and published in the newspapers every day. Austrians listened to their radios as Hitler incited anti-Semitism with his strident speeches over the airwaves. Jews living in Vienna feared the ramifications that these speeches would have on their lives and their future.

Jacques is pictured standing behind his mother, Fanny, sitting far left, and other family members.

Photographed in Stadt Park prior to the Anschluss.

The German language is spoken in both Austria and Germany. Germany is located directly north of Austria. This made Hitler’s wild fascist threats even more potent, inciting fear in the Jewish community in Austria. In spite of this looming threat, Julius and Fanny Bodner tried to maintain a normal life as best they could.

On July 11, 1936, the German Government signed the Austro-German Agreement. This agreement supposedly signified that the German Government recognized the full sovereignty of the Federal State of Austria according to the pronouncements of the German Fuhrer and Chancellor, Adolf Hitler. The agreement stated that Germany would not exercise direct or indirect influence. Austrians were devastated by this agreement because it allowed Nazis to hold official posts in Austria. In essence, the agreement was an attempt to appease Hitler and keep him from seizing Austrian territory.

As time passed, the Bodner’s lives changed in every way. A foreboding fear gripped the Jewish community. Austrian Jews were aware of what was taking place in Nazi Germany. After the Germany-Austria Agreement was signed, Austrian Jews believed that the anti-Semitic policies that were now in place for Jews in Germany were not far off for Jews in Austria.

Prior to World War II, the Jewish community was at the center of the economy and culture of Austria. By the year 1938, the Jewish population in Austria was close to 191,000 people, which represented roughly four percent of the population in the country.

Everything that was normal in Jacques's young life came to a halt. Restrictions were imposed on Jewish children, including school attendance, but these restrictions came about insidiously.

After the signing of the Austro-German Agreement, Gentiles, adults, and children alike began to bully Jewish children using epithets and name-calling. This denigrating behavior occurred in the classroom, on the streets, and in shops. Once outside the school buildings, bullying became physical. These changes began three years before the Anschluss or annexation of Austria by Germany, and as a result, the atmosphere in the Jewish community became increasingly anxious.

Homeland Certificate Proof of Domicile and Residency City of Vienna Police Department Certification of Jacques’s birth and residence in Vienna for the American Consulate.

In 1936, travel was nothing like it is today. Passport requirements, visa requirements, applications for immigration, and methods of travel were all vastly different 83 years ago. Slowly but surely, railroad trips and cruise ship reservations became almost impossible for Jews to secure. Most countries were anti-Semitic, protectionist, and had a disdain for immigrants during this time in history. Xenophobic and fascist sentiments contributed to the arduous task of attempting to emigrate out of Austria.

Concerned citizens in the Jewish community had formed a resistance to the anti-Semitic actions that were taking place in Nazi Germany, and they formed an underground method of communication. Their prominent concern was emigration and how they could escape from the ensuing threat of anti-Semitic policies.

The environment in Jacques’s school changed dramatically. At that time, the Catholic church ran schools in Vienna. A Crucifix hung on the wall of each classroom and every child in Austria attended these public schools. Most teachers were Nuns and as anti-Semitism grew, Jews were no longer welcomed. Over the course of the next two years, fear was ever- present for Jacques. Jewish children tried to carry on with their normal lives as best as they could. The Bodner family knew that they had to prepare to escape the coming Nazi annihilation of Jews in Vienna.

The day after his troops invaded Austria on March 12th, 1938, Hitler proclaimed Der Anschluss from the balcony of the city hall in Linz. Der Anschluss, a German noun that means a connection, meant the annexation of the First Republic of Austria by Nazi Germany. This was Hitler's first act of aggression against an independent sovereign nation and it was the start of the events that led to World War II. When Adolf Hitler annexed Austria in 1938 by declaring Anschluss, thereby solidifying the political union of Austria with Germany. The Bodner family faced the critical decision of whether to escape Austria or to stay and await their fate.

Flip side of Homeland Certificate Proof of Domicile and Residency City of Vienna Police Department.

Certification of Jacques’s birth and residence in Vienna for the American Consulate.

Jews knew they had to get out of Nazi controlled Europe. Austria was now under the control of Nazi Germany. The Nuremberg laws restricting the activity of Jews soon followed.

U.S. citizens today may not know the true interpretation of the Nuremberg Laws. The Nuremberg Laws were enacted by the Reichstag, or German Parliament, on September 15th, 1935, at a special meeting during the Nuremberg Rally of the Nazi Party. These laws established the Protection of German Blood and German Honor, which forbade marriages and extramarital intercourse between German Jews and non- Jewish Germans. This law forbade the employment of women under the age of forty-five in Jewish households. The Reich Citizenship Law stated that only those of German or related blood were eligible to be citizens of the future German Nation, the Reichstag. The Nuremberg Laws meant the Diet of the Realm, known as the Greater German Reichstag. The Greater German Reichstag was the pseudo- Parliament of the Third Reich from 1938 until 1945. The Reich Citizenship Law, defining Jewish citizens, was enforced from September 15th, 1935, until the end of WW II. (5.)

The local police and Gestapo victimized Jacques frequently. His father, Julius, was frequently beaten in the streets and he was arrested more than once. Julius knew the local police officers and fortunately, they eventually released him.

The Geheime Staatspolizei, otherwise known as the Gestapo, was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various security police agencies of Prussia into one organization. (8.)

The first public park in Vienna, Stadtpark, was distinguished by its monuments, exquisite gardens, and the famous Children's park; Kinderpark. Stadpark no longer welcomed Jews. One of the first restrictions came about when signs appeared on park benches with the phrase Juden Verboten, meaning no Jews allowed. Over a period of time, as restrictions for Jews increased, the Nazi Party completely forbid access to the public parks to Jews. During the implementation of these restrictions, Jewish teachers and professors with established careers lost their jobs, and Jews were forbidden access to streetcars.

Jacques’s Identity Card issued in Vienna, Austria on February 2nd, 1938. Jacques