Ruth Diamond's
Travel Map

1926

Ruth Diamond was born in Bialystok, Poland. She was one of four children. Her father was a furrier. Her mother was a homemaker, but they had a maid.

1939

Germany invaded Poland.

September 15: Bialystok Ghetto was formed. Ruth worked bleaching fabrics as a forced laborer.

1941

Ruth and her family were sent to Blizyn-Majdanek Concentration Camp in Poland. She was with her older sister Helen, but no one knew that they were sisters, and they managed to stay together. They were forced to make plane parts in an airplane factory. The work meant that they got a little more soup. The two sisters were sent to several camps, and finally to Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in Germany. The rest of Ruth’s family perished in Blizyn.

1945

April 15: The British Army opened the gates of Bergen-Belsen and liberated them. Ruth and Helen felt relief at finally being free.

1948

Ruth and Helen were sent to the American Zone to a Displaced Person’s Camp. Ruth met Karl, who registered her.

1949

Ruth married Karl who was also a survivor. Ruth and Karl moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he had family. Helen moved with them. Ruth and Karl had three girls and a boy. Karl owned Diamond’s Appliance Center.

2002

Ruth finally told her story after years of silence. She had never told her children because the memories were too painful.

2004

Karl Diamond died April 5 in Memphis, Tennessee.

2016