Edith (Dita) Kraus, the Holocaust survivor known as “the librarian of Auschwitz,” has died at age 96.
“With great sorrow and a broken heart, my beloved grandmother, Dita, has died today,” her grandson wrote on Facebook on Saturday.
“She had a larger-than-life personality, and she was a painter, writer, teacher, and so much more than I can put into words. From the day I was born, she was a central part of my life, my spiritual guide, and my best friend. I loved her with all my heart. Rest in peace, dear Grandma.”
Lamenting Kraus’ passing, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský wrote on Twitter, “I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Dita Kraus, our brave compatriot and Holocaust survivor. I fondly remember our meetings and her eternal life spirit, through which she won the hearts of all those around her. My sincere condolences to her family and loved ones.”
Kraus, (née Polach), was born in Prague to Dr. Hans Polach and Elisabeth Polach. According to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial, she did not learn about her Jewish roots until she was nine years old because her family did not follow Jewish tradition. She was 13 years old when she and her parents were deported to the Theresienstadt Ghetto and later to Auschwitz, where her father died.
During her five months in Auschwitz, Kraus served as a librarian for the children there, despite only having a few books. She worked alongside a team of Zionist instructors (one of whom would go on to be her husband) who helped with the children’s educational and cultural activities.
After this, in March 1944, Kraus and her mother were sent to forced labor in Germany, before being transported to the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen in March 1945, where her mother died.
Art in Theresienstadt
According to Yad Vashem, whilst in Theresienstadt, Kraus took art classes with Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, a painter who encouraged the girls to express their feelings through art. Kraus was one of just a handful of child survivors of Theresienstadt whose drawings also survived.
Kraus married her husband, Otto B. Kraus (one of the educators mentioned above), after the war, and the couple emigrated to Israel in 1949. They had three children, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Both Dita and Otto spent 30 years as teachers at the CHW Hadassim Children and Youth Village in Israel. Kraus lit one of six torches at the state’s opening ceremony of Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem in 2014.
The librarian of Auschwitz
In January 2025, as part of the commemorations of 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, Kraus spoke to Ynet about her time as the librarian at the death camp.
“There were about 12 to 14 books, including an atlas and a Russian textbook. As the librarian, it was my responsibility to safeguard these precious volumes. At the end of each day, I carefully collected the books and hid them in a secret location,” she said.
“If the Germans had found me with them, they might have killed me. The fact that I could sit indoors and not do hard labor in the freezing cold gave me a chance to survive; in fact, it allowed me to be chosen for life. Yes, the books saved me from death in the gas chambers,” Kraus said.
She told People magazine in 2017, “I still discern what matters in life and what is trivial. I love carefully, because my loved ones have died and I need to avoid the pain. These are only the main features of the impact; there are many more residues of my holocaust.”