Otto Rosenberg; Gypsy Survived Nazi Death Camps
Otto Rosenberg, 74, a German Gypsy leader who survived the Nazis’ Auschwitz death camp and returned to live in Berlin at the end of World War II, died of heart disease July 5, according to a leading Gypsy organization.
The Union of Sinti and Roma in Berlin and Brandenburg, which Rosenberg headed, announced his death and said he died in Berlin.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. July 18, 2001 FOR THE RECORD
Los Angeles Times Wednesday July 18, 2001 Home Edition Part A Part A Page 2 A2 Desk 1 inches; 35 words Type of Material: Correction
Rosenberg obituary--Friday’s obituary of Otto Rosenberg, a German Gypsy who survived Nazi death camps, contained an incorrect reference to the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen death camp. British forces liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945.
Born in East Prussia, Rosenberg grew up in Berlin. He was sent to Auschwitz in 1942 at age 15. He survived slave labor and inhuman conditions at several other Nazi death camps before being freed by Soviet troops at Bergen-Belsen in 1945.
In his 1998 memoirs, he recalled polishing the boots of notorious Auschwitz physician Josef Mengele, who performed grisly experiments on concentration camp inmates.
After the war, Rosenberg returned to Berlin. Like many Holocaust survivors, he often visited German schools to talk about his experiences.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
