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From award-winning author Rudolf Ruder comes The Long Journey to Cleveland, a powerful true story of love, faith, and survival that transcends history. This unforgettable memoir follows one man's path from the horrors of Auschwitz and Dachau to the hope of a new beginning in America. It is a deeply moving tribute to courage, resilience, and the unbreakable strength of the human spirit.
A Holocaust Survival Story Like No Other
The Long Journey to Cleveland is a true story of survival, love, and resilience set against the darkest chapter of the twentieth century. Rudolf Ruder brings to life the remarkable journeys of his parents, two people whose lives began on opposite sides of World War II yet became forever intertwined.
From Lvov to Auschwitz: A Father's Ordeal
Before the war, Simon Ruder was a respected Jewish tailor in Lvov, Poland, a devoted husband and father. His world collapsed with the Nazi invasion. Arrested and imprisoned, he endured the brutality of Loncki Prison before being deported through a chain of concentration and labor camps including Plaszow, Gross-Rosen, Auschwitz, and Dachau. His survival was a matter of faith, resilience, and unimaginable strength. Each camp scarred him with trauma, yet each day alive brought him closer to the hope of freedom.
Growing Up in Hitler's Germany: A Mother's Childhood
While Simon struggled to stay alive, a young girl named Maria "Marile" Häusl grew up in Bavaria under the Nazi regime. She was part of the Hitler Youth, a child swept up in the propaganda of the time, even chosen to present flowers to Adolf Hitler. Her childhood was marked by indoctrination, fear, and the devastation of Allied bombings that tore through her town. Though she was far from the camps, war left its shadow on her life, shaping her in ways she would carry forever.
When Two Worlds Collide
After the war, Simon and Maria's lives converged in a way that seemed impossible. He was a Jewish Holocaust survivor, she a German Catholic raised in the Hitler Youth. Out of the ashes of hatred, they found love. Together, they defied the past and built a future, emigrating to Cleveland, Ohio, where they rebuilt their lives, raised children, and became part of a community of survivors and refugees.
A Testament to Love, Memory, and Hope
This memoir is not just a story of suffering; it is a story of what it means to endure. Drawing from archival documents, concentration camp records, survivor testimonies, and family memories, Rudolf Ruder reconstructs the painful yet inspiring journeys of his parents. The book serves as both a personal tribute and a reminder of the lessons the Holocaust must continue to teach: that even in humanity's darkest hours, resilience and love can prevail.
Why This Story Matters Today
The Holocaust is often told in broad historical terms, but The Long Journey to Cleveland brings it down to the intimate level of family. It tells of a father and mother whose lives were shaped by war and hatred, yet who found each other across an impossible divide. It is a memoir that preserves memory for future generations, ensuring that the voices of those who suffered and survived will never be silenced.
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