William Salcer
Encyclopedia
William Zev Salcer was a Czech
-Jewish
holocaust survivor and inventor.
which became part of Hungary
following the division and occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany
and fascist
Hungary. He moved to Budapest
and since Jewish students were banned from the Universities in Hungary, he took engineering courses in High School
and worked as a Welder's assistant
while rooming with an uncle
. An illness forced him to return to Jelšava, where he was made a forced laborer
and made to repair tank
s for the Wehrmacht
, shortly thereafter, in advanced of Soviet Red Army, he and his fellow prisoners were force-marched to the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
. After his camp was liberated by the American Army
, Salcer found his sister, Lily Gero who had been at Auschwitz and he also met his wife Katarina Kellner who had also survived Auschwitz.
, after receiving a draft notice for the Czechoslovak Army. After arrival in Israel, Salcer worked with Haganah
where he designed tanks and armored cars and later designed jet engines for the Israeli Air Force
. In 1952, after his discharge
, he started a rubber
factory
and was elected to be the head of the association of Israeli manufacturers at age 28.
, in 1958 Salcer decided that Israel would experience endless warfare and immigrated to the United States where he developed plastic
tablecloths and a plastic display for earring
s. He also designed a new type of hockey puck
and hockey stick
s after his son Ron Salcer became an agent for hockey players
. He held 12 patents.
in Manhattan
. He was 82
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Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
-Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
holocaust survivor and inventor.
Birth and War Years
Salcer was born in the Czech village of Neporazda to a wealthy family but was raised in JelšavaJelšava
Jelšava is a town and municipality in Revúca District in the Banská Bystrica Region of Slovakia.-Geography:The town lies in the Revúcka vrchovina highlands at the border of the Slovak Ore Mountains and Slovak Karst, in the valley of the Muráň river, at an altitude of around 258 m...
which became part of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
following the division and occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
Hungary. He moved to Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
and since Jewish students were banned from the Universities in Hungary, he took engineering courses in High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and worked as a Welder's assistant
Welder
A welder is a tradesman who specializes in welding materials together. The materials to be joined can be metals or varieties of plastic or polymer...
while rooming with an uncle
Uncle
An uncle is a type of familial relationship.Uncle may also refer to:* Uncle , by J. P. Martin* U.N.C.L.E., a fictional organization in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E....
. An illness forced him to return to Jelšava, where he was made a forced laborer
Arbeitslager
Arbeitslager is a German language word which means labor camp.The German government under Nazism used forced labor extensively, starting in the 1930s but most especially during World War II....
and made to repair tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s for the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, shortly thereafter, in advanced of Soviet Red Army, he and his fellow prisoners were force-marched to the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
Mauthausen Concentration Camp grew to become a large group of Nazi concentration camps that was built around the villages of Mauthausen and Gusen in Upper Austria, roughly east of the city of Linz.Initially a single camp at Mauthausen, it expanded over time and by the summer of 1940, the...
. After his camp was liberated by the American Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, Salcer found his sister, Lily Gero who had been at Auschwitz and he also met his wife Katarina Kellner who had also survived Auschwitz.
Post war
After he was liberated, Salcer attempted to recover his families lost wealth, but was unable to do so. He experienced further discrimination in Czechoslovakia and fled to IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, after receiving a draft notice for the Czechoslovak Army. After arrival in Israel, Salcer worked with Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
where he designed tanks and armored cars and later designed jet engines for the Israeli Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
. In 1952, after his discharge
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
, he started a rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
and was elected to be the head of the association of Israeli manufacturers at age 28.
Immigration to the United States and inventions
After the Suez CrisisSuez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
, in 1958 Salcer decided that Israel would experience endless warfare and immigrated to the United States where he developed plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
tablecloths and a plastic display for earring
Earring
Common locations for piercings, other than the earlobe, include the rook, tragus, and across the helix . The simple term "ear piercing" usually refers to an earlobe piercing, whereas piercings in the upper part of the external ear are often referred to as "cartilage piercings"...
s. He also designed a new type of hockey puck
Hockey puck
A puck is a disk used in various games serving the same functions as a ball does in ball games. The best-known use of pucks is in ice hockey, a major international sport.- Etymology :The origin of the word "puck" is obscure...
and hockey stick
Hockey stick
A hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in field hockey, ice hockey or roller hockey to move the ball or puck.- Field hockey :Field hockey sticks have an end which varies in shape, often depending on the players position...
s after his son Ron Salcer became an agent for hockey players
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
. He held 12 patents.
Death
According to his granddaughter Donna Z. Rubenstone, Salcer died of leukemiaLeukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. He was 82
Sources
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/16/world/europe/16salcer.html?ex=1323925200&en=7376c2db9d4e43e9&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rsshttp://www.americangathering.com/?p=2029
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