Sobotka sends his condolences

Auschwitz survivor (100) passes away in London

(Bild: AFP)

The contemporary witness and Auschwitz survivor Lily Ebert passed away peacefully in London surrounded by her family at the age of one hundred and one. This was announced by her great-grandson Dov Forman on Wednesday, according to Parliamentary Correspondence. National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) expressed his condolences to the family.

Sobotka paid tribute to the unbroken commitment of the eyewitness into old age. "It was with great sadness that I learned of Lily Ebert's death," said the President of the National Council.

Sobotka: "Her life story touched countless people"
"Her life story as a Holocaust survivor and her tireless work against anti-Semitism and for education about the crimes of the Nazi era have touched and inspired countless people. It was an honor for me to present her with the Simon Wiesenthal Prize on behalf of the Austrian Parliament. Her tireless efforts will remain unforgotten," said Sobotka.

National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) paid tribute to Ebert's commitment as a contemporary witness into old age.(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART)

It is nice to see that her great-grandson Dov Forman, who was recently in Vienna as part of the parliament's anti-Semitism conference, is carrying on his great-grandmother's legacy, Sobotka continued.

Ebert was born Lívia Engelman in Hungary on December 29, 1923. She survived the Auschwitz concentration camp, where several of her closest relatives were murdered.

In 2022, she and three other contemporary witnesses were awarded the Simon Wiesenthal Prize by the Austrian Parliament for their commitment to combating anti-Semitism and raising awareness about the Holocaust.

Dov Forman published the book "Lily's Promise: How I Survived Auschwitz and Found the Strength to Live" with his great-grandmother in 2021 and ran a TikTok account for his great-grandmother with over 1.9 million followers at the last count.