Kitty und Otto Suschny -- Only A Couple Of Streets Away From Each Other

Kitty and Otto Suschny both grew up in Vienna, only a couple of streets away from each other, but they never met while growing up. After the Reichspogromnacht in November 1938, both fled Austria for their lives; Kitty went to England, while Otto emigrated to Palestine. After the war, they returned to Vienna, desperate to find out what had happened to their parents. That´s where they met, and they never separated again...

Study Guides

VIENNA

Kitty and Otto Suschny were both born in 1924 in Vienna, the capital of Austria. They grew up just a few streets apart from one another, in the city's 20th district - although they never met. 

GERMAN OCCUPATION

Kitty recalls that in the early 1930s, anti-Semitism did not play a very big role. However, in 1938, as the Nazis entered Austria in what is known as the “Anschluss,” the situation changed dramatically for Austrian Jews. 

PRE-WWII AUSTRIA

In 1924, the year Kitty and Otto were born, Vienna was the capital of the First Republic of Austria. The Republic, established in 1919, was created following the end of First World War and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867-1918) and the Republic of German-Austria (1918-1919).

ESCAPE

Otto recounts that, even amidst violence and turmoil, his parents believed they would be able to survive in Vienna. Kitty’s mother also figured she would be safe, as her husband had been a soldier in the First World War.

BRITAIN

After Kristallnacht the British eased the immigration restrictions for certain Jewish refugees and agreed to allow an unspecified number of children to enter the country. However, after the outbreak of war 1 September 1939, the government no longer took any transports. 

PALESTINE

For the first two years Otto spent in Palestine, he lived on a Kibbutz. “Kibbutz” means “communal settlement” in Hebrew. Kibbutzim are generally rural communities that are built around the notion of cooperative living. 

AFTER THE WAR

In 1946, Kitty and her brother, Harry left Britain and returned to Vienna.

In 1945, Austria had declared the Second Republic, reestablishing Austria as a democratic republic.

Kitty and Harry met at a Pessach gathering organized by Jewish American soldiers at Café Beethoven in Vienna. 

Lesson plans for this film

9 results
For grades Documents

Kitty und Otto Suschny - Unterrichtsentwurf

History

Das Online Projekt ist als Kurzreihe konzipiert, kann aber auch als Einzelstunde eingesetzt werden etwa als Vorbereitung für den 9. November. Es folgen die Unterrichtsentwürfe für die ersten beiden...

12

Kitty and Otto Suschny: "Viennese Jewry In The 1930s"

History

In this lesson about "Viennese Jewry in the 1930’s", students will learn about early Zionism and Jewish life in Austria in the first part of the 20th Century.  Students...

10

Kitty and Otto Suschny: Discussion points for the film.

History
10

Kitty and Otto Suschny: Lesson plan on Kindertransport

History
10

Das Ehepaar Suschny - Interaktives Filmskript

History

Jüdische Lebensgeschichten filmisch aufbereitet – Unterrichtsmaterial für Berufsschulen

History
Die hier präsentierten zwölf Unterrichtsentwürfe richten sich speziell an Berufsschulen. Sie basieren auf den Kurzfilmen von Centropa sowie der DVD „Das Vermächtnis“ von _erinnern.at_ und kreisen um österreichisch-jüdische Lebensgeschichten des...

Centropa Biography Film/Stolpersteine Assignment

History, other projects
In this project, students work in pairs to read Centropa biographies, create a 5 minute video about the interviewee, and design a Stolpersteine (commemorative stone) for them.
6, 7, 8, 9

Unterrichtsmaterialien zum 9. November

History

Nina Sasportas unterrichtet an der JOS Berlin.

Suschny: Ein Unterrichtsplan zum 9. November 1938

History

Das Online Projekt ist als Kurzreihe konzipiert, kann aber auch als Einzelstunde eingesetzt werden etwa als Vorbereitung für den 9. November. Es folgen die Unterrichtsentwürfe für die ersten beiden Stunden...

University