Bride of Bergen-Belsen: The True Story of Gena Turgel
Gena Turgel, who was born Gena Goldfinger in 1923, was a Polish-born Jewish author, educator, and Holocaust survivor. When Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939 and rousted her family from a comfortable home in Krakow, Gena was forced to survive in the Kraków ghetto as well as several concentration camps, including Płaszów, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen. While most of her family members died, Gena and her mother survived to see the liberation of Bergen-Belsen, in northern Germany, in April 1945.
One of the liberating British soldiers, Sgt. Norman Turgel, saw her and was lovestruck — so much so that soon after meeting her he managed to arrange a dinner for her at the officers’ mess at his British camp. They married six months later, with Gena wearing a wedding dress made from a British army parachute that is now in the Imperial War Museum in London. The couple went on to eventually have two daughters and a son. Their love story became a favorite light-in-the-darkness tale for the news media — Mrs. Turgel was “the Bride of Belsen” — but she devoted her life to educating people about the atrocities she had seen and experienced during the Holocaust. While her husband Norman died in 1995, Gena would live on until June 7, 2018, when she passed away at the age of 95.
Gena's story, hidden history that has remained long forgotten, is the story of a young woman determined to survive in a world of hate & the painful journey she experienced to finally reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
For the rest of Gena's story, please check out the audio link provided for EPISODE SEVENTEEN of our podcast, Hidden History: An Odyssey Through Time
LISTEN NOW: Bride of Bergen-Belsen: The True Story of Gena Turgel
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Gena Goldfinger, age 16, Spring 1939 (courtesy of Gena's memoir, I Light a Candle)
Gena's youngest brother Willek, shot in the ghetto in May 1940 while helping move furniture for his best friend's wife (courtesy of Gena's memoir, I Light a Candle)
Gena's brother Janek, who was never seen again after trying to escape the ghetto through the sewers in 1940 (courtesy of Gena's memoir, I Light a Candle).
Gena's sister Miriam, she was 17 years old in this photo, outside the Goldfinger home in Krakow. She was killed by the Nazis while trying to smuggle food inside the camp in 1941 (courtesy of Gena's memoir, I Light a Candle).
Amon Göth, commandant of the Płaszów camp, at his villa which was located right next to the camp. Płaszów, Poland, between February 1943 & September 1944 (courtesy of the USHMM).
The villa that Amon Göth lived in while he was commandant of the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp still stands today and is privately owned (photo taken March 14, 2018 by Hidden History team).
A sign for visitors to the site of the former Nazi German concentration camp, Płaszów (photo taken March 14, 2018 by Hidden History team).
Hujowa Górka is a place near the site of the Płaszów camp where in April 1944 the Germans exhumed & incinerated the bodies of around ten thousand previously killed Jews, to hide evidence of their crimes before abandoning the area (photo taken March 14, 2018 by Hidden History team).
Amon Göth's mugshot, August 29, 1945.
The liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, April 1945 (courtesy of Imperial War Museums).
A British Army bulldozer pushes bodies into a mass grave at Belsen, April 1945 (courtesy of Imperial War Museums).
Norman Turgel when he joined the Royal Artillery Searchlights in 1940. He was one of the British soldiers who liberated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and fell in love with Gena Goldfinger the moment he saw her (courtesy of Gena's memoir, I Light a Candle).
Crowds watch the destruction of the last hut at Belsen, two days after the camp was finally evacuated, May 21, 1945 (courtesy of Imperial War Museums).
Estera Goldfinger, Gena's mother, outside a barrack near Bergen, after being moved from Belsen concentration camp, June 1945. She had just recovered from typhus and immediately after the war she developed agoraphobia and was afraid to leave the house and couldn't be left alone. She lived with Gena and her family in England until her death in 1973 (courtesy of Gena's memoir, I Light a Candle).
Norman & Gena in Germany, ten days before their wedding (courtesy of Gena's memoir, I Light a Candle).
Gena and Norman's marriage ceremony, October 7, 1945 at the synagogue in Lübeck, Germany, which the Germans used as a horse stable during war. Their wedding was the first post-war wedding to be held there (courtesy of Gena's memoir, I Light a Candle).
Wedding group photo, October 7, 1945. Gena was sad that day because her mother had been unable to attend the wedding due to her health (courtesy of Gena's memoir, I Light a Candle).
Gena's wedding dress was made from a British army parachute that is now in the Imperial War Museum in London (courtesy of Imperial War Museums).
Norman and Gena at the wedding reception at Army headquarters in Plön, Germany (courtesy of Gena's memoir, I Light a Candle).
Gena in Hanover, Germany, Sept. 1945 (courtesy of Gena's memoir, I Light a Candle).
Gena and Norman arrived in England on November 10, 1945, to a crowd of photographers & reporters awaiting "The Bride of Belsen" (courtesy of Gena's memoir, I Light a Candle).
Mrs. Goldfinger, Gena's mother, at home in England on her birthday, December 1948 (courtesy of Gena's memoir, I Light a Candle).
Norman & Gena in April 1985, the day before they were to return to Belsen for the 40th anniversary of liberation (courtesy of Gena's memoir, I Light a Candle).
Gena with her parachute wedding dress in 1995.
Norman Turgel, a few months before his death in 1995 (courtesy of News Group Newspapers LTD).
Gena Turgel with a picture of her husband, Norman, one of the first liberators to enter the Belsen death camp on April 15, 1945, circa 1995.
Holocaust survivor Gena Turgel examines a Holocaust memorial board at Belfast city hall, ahead of speaking at the UK's main commemoration for National Holocaust Memorial Day, Jan 2004.
Queen Elizabeth II meets Gena Turgel during service to remember victims of Holocaust in Westminster Central Hall in London on 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, January 27, 2005 (courtesy of Associated Press).
Queen Elizabeth II talks to Gena Turgel during a gathering at Buckingham Palace on May 28, 2015 in London, England (courtesy of Getty Images).
Gena Turgel (center) in 2015 with her family.
Gena Turgel speaking at a Holocaust Remembrance Day event in 2018 (courtesy of jewishnews.co.uk).
Holocaust survivor Gena Turgel, who went from concentration camp victim to a woman honored by the Queen of England, tells her amazing story on the Jewish Broadcasting Service, formerly known as Shalom TV, in 2011.
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