Kurt Epstein
Encyclopedia
Kurt Epstein was a Czechoslovakian Olympic water polo player.
near the Elbe River, 22 miles north of Prague
, in what was then the Austro-Hungarian province of Bohemia
. He lived in a house built by his father in 1900 on the site where in 1830 his grandfather built the first house owned by a Jew outside the Jewish quarter
. In high school, he became a competitive rower and swimmer. He also became a swimming coach.
In 1924, he joined the Czechoslovak Army, was picked for reserve officers school, and became a second lieutenant
. The Czechoslovak National Swim Club asked that he be furloughed to compete for them.
and the 1936 Summer Olympics
. His team finished tied for ninth in each Olympics.
during World War II, after Hitler invaded and annexed what is now the Czech Republic in 1938. Epstein was deported first to Theresienstadt concentration camp
, then to Auschwitz concentration camp
, and then to a small labor camp called Frydlant. All of the other members of his family were killed as a result of being gassed by the Nazis.
, he emigrated to the United States.
He married Franci, a dress designer who had herself been interned at Theresienstadt concentration camp, then Auschwitz concentration camp, and finally Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
from which the Americans had liberated her, and who was also the only survivor in her family. They had a daughter, Helen Epstein, who became an associate professor of journalism at New York University, and two sons.
In New York City, in 1948 the New York Athletic Club permitted Kurt to observe one of their water polo matches, but clarified that inasmuch as they did not accept Jews as members, he would not be hired as a coach. After a decade of being unable to find steady employment, he ultimately became a cutter in a clothing factory of Star Children's Wear in the Garment District
.
Early life
Epstein was Jewish, and born to Maximilian and Helena Epstein. He grew in RoudniceRoudnice
Roudnice is a village in Hradec Králové Region in Eastern Bohemia, the Czech Republic. It is a birthplace of František Xaver Matějka , father of famous Polish painter Jan Matejko. In addition, the Olympic water polo player Kurt Epstein grew up in Roudnice....
near the Elbe River, 22 miles north of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, in what was then the Austro-Hungarian province of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. He lived in a house built by his father in 1900 on the site where in 1830 his grandfather built the first house owned by a Jew outside the Jewish quarter
Jewish quarter (diaspora)
In the Jewish Diaspora, a Jewish quarter is the area of a city traditionally inhabited by Jews. Jewish quarters, like the Jewish ghettos in Europe, were often the outgrowths of segregated ghettos instituted by the surrounding Christian authorities. A Yiddish term for a Jewish quarter or...
. In high school, he became a competitive rower and swimmer. He also became a swimming coach.
In 1924, he joined the Czechoslovak Army, was picked for reserve officers school, and became a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. The Czechoslovak National Swim Club asked that he be furloughed to compete for them.
Water polo career
Epstein represented Czechoslovakia in water polo in the 1928 Summer Olympics1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
and the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
. His team finished tied for ninth in each Olympics.
Incarceration in Nazi concentration camps
He was incarcerated in a number of Nazi concentration campsNazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
during World War II, after Hitler invaded and annexed what is now the Czech Republic in 1938. Epstein was deported first to Theresienstadt concentration camp
Theresienstadt concentration camp
Theresienstadt concentration camp was a Nazi German ghetto during World War II. It was established by the Gestapo in the fortress and garrison city of Terezín , located in what is now the Czech Republic.-History:The fortress of Terezín was constructed between the years 1780 and 1790 by the orders...
, then to Auschwitz concentration camp
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
, and then to a small labor camp called Frydlant. All of the other members of his family were killed as a result of being gassed by the Nazis.
Later life
He returned to Prague after World War II, and was elected a member of the Czechoslovak Olympic Committee. After the Communists took over in 1948Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948
The Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 – in Communist historiography known as "Victorious February" – was an event late that February in which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, with Soviet backing, assumed undisputed control over the government of Czechoslovakia, ushering in over four decades...
, he emigrated to the United States.
He married Franci, a dress designer who had herself been interned at Theresienstadt concentration camp, then Auschwitz concentration camp, and finally Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle...
from which the Americans had liberated her, and who was also the only survivor in her family. They had a daughter, Helen Epstein, who became an associate professor of journalism at New York University, and two sons.
In New York City, in 1948 the New York Athletic Club permitted Kurt to observe one of their water polo matches, but clarified that inasmuch as they did not accept Jews as members, he would not be hired as a coach. After a decade of being unable to find steady employment, he ultimately became a cutter in a clothing factory of Star Children's Wear in the Garment District
Garment District, Manhattan
The Garment District, also known as the Garment Center, the Fashion District, or the Fashion Center, is a neighborhood located in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The dense concentration of fashion-related uses give the neighborhood, which is generally considered to span between Fifth Avenue...
.