Interview with Flora Hogner

Partial Transcript: Tell me--I am going to put this right here. And sort of give me the dates and the time and place and...

Segment Synopsis: Flora Hogner shares what she can recall about her family before being taken to a convent during the German occupation in France. She explains why she was taken to the convent and her initial memories of it.

Keywords: Catholicism; Cloistered nuns; Convents; Family background; Father's death; Underground network

Subjects: German occupation, France, 1940-1945; Hidden children of France, 1940-1945; Jewish children

Partial Transcript: So, anyway what I recall, at least when I'm not, uh, when got in there was, uh, uh...

Segment Synopsis: Hogner recounts her time at the convent in Nice with the St. Clare nuns. She tells about the walled gardens she would play in and how she didn't understand why the nuns wouldn't look at her. She explains who the Catholic Church leaders involved in the underground network were.

Keywords: Archbishop; Baptism; Catholicism; Cloistered nuns; Convents; Conversion; Departing from mother; Gardens; German soldiers; Loneliness; Prayer; Rosary; Silence; St. Clares Nuns; Underground network

Subjects: German occupation, France, 1940-1945; Hidden children of France, 1940-1945; Jewish children

Partial Transcript: Anyway, so I will go back to the, the, uh, time we left.

Segment Synopsis: Hogner remembers the process of leaving the convent to stay with families in rural France. She explains how she was given a new name and place of birth when she was seven years old. She describes her reaction to having her identity changed and the living conditions of the convent.

Keywords: Dorms; Friendships; Garden; Identity loss; Lack of supplies; Loneliness; Mother

Subjects: Hidden children of France, 1940-1945; Jewish children; Travel

Partial Transcript: So, um, I, so I went in many different--I can tell you about what happened

Segment Synopsis: Hogner describes her first experience hiding in another family's home. She shares her thoughts about the woman caring for her as well as her daily life with her. She tells about the friends she had there and what she believes was the true reason she ended up being sent away.

Keywords: Affection; Catholicism; Chores; Conversion; Farm life; Fear; Friendships; Germans; Identity loss; Knitting; Moving; Protestant

Subjects: German occupation, France, 1940-1945; Hidden children of France, 1940-1945

Partial Transcript: And so, then there was this couple, who was there to take me.

Segment Synopsis: Hogner shares about the hardships she faced when living with another family in France. She describes how cruel the man of the household was to her. She explains how difficult it was to get food during this time and leaving to stay with yet another family.

Keywords: Biology; Bread; Cruelty; Education; Little food; Moving; Punishments; Reading and writing

Subjects: Hidden children of France, 1940-1945

Partial Transcript: Then this old man approached me and asked me if I wanted a piece of sugar. And I thought he was so nice.

Segment Synopsis: Hogner describes meeting the people who would become her adoptive parents. She shares about their personal backgrounds. She explains why she had to stay hidden away in her room until liberation and about the German ammunition deposit near their home.

Keywords: Ammunition deposit; Buddhism; Danger of hiding children; Fear; Judaism; New family; Protestant

Subjects: Hidden children of France, 1940-1945

Partial Transcript: When the, when the impending arrival of the English and the Americans, you know, came about...

Segment Synopsis: Hogner describes when the Germans exploded their ammunition dump near her home. She explains why they did so, and how Czechoslovakian prisoners helped save their lives. She shares about being sent away from her adopted parents for a short period of time.

Keywords: 'Ammo dump'; Accidents; Allied forces; Bunkers; Czech prisoners; Damage; German forces; Leaving new family; Liberation

Subjects: Explosions; Hidden children of France, 1940-1945; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: And I think, uh, my future adoptive mother came to visit me and took pity on me.

Segment Synopsis: Hogner shares about returning to live with her adoptive parents. She describes her life with them and trying to understand her experiences as a hidden child. She discusses having to live a 'double life' which continues to affect her as an adult.

Keywords: 'Double life'; Adoption; Buddhism; Conversion; Education; Family; Israel; Jewish organizations; Mothers; Prayers; Protestant; Views on religion

Subjects: Adopted children; World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives

Partial Transcript: Were you with them until you were how old?

Segment Synopsis: Hogner discusses the death of her adoptive parents and how it affected her. She talks about caring for her adoptive father before he died. She describes trying to accept her Jewish heritage as well as why it was difficult for her.

Keywords: Adoption; Aging; Anti-Semitism; Atheism; Buddhism; Death; Family; Grief; Judaism; Personal identity; Sweden; Views on religion

Subjects: Adopted children; Judaism--20th century

Partial Transcript: And, uh, so you know, so the, uh, uh--and I fell in love with the minister, you know, like all the other kids.

Segment Synopsis: Hogner continues to describe her internal conflict about her personal identity and her religious confusion. She explains how she met her biological family, and immigrating to the United States. She shares about visiting Israel after immigrating to meet her mother's family.

Keywords: Immigration; Israel; Jewish children; Jewish heritage; Nationality; Personal identity; Reunited with family; Views on religion

Subjects: Jewish families; Religion; Travel

Partial Transcript: So, that's when I decided to try to write a story.

Segment Synopsis: Hogner tells about revisiting the convent where she was hidden, as an adult. She recalls memories about her time there. She describes meeting the Mother Superior who remembered her there and apologized for her treatment at the convent.

Keywords: Anger; Catholicism; Cloistered nuns; Convents; Gardens; Jewish children; Mass; Mother superior; Religious music; Reunion of nuns

Subjects: Hidden children of France, 1940-1945; Religion

Partial Transcript: See, in some ways I am still Catholic, you know because I, re--I, uh, there is something in there that sort of, uh, touches me very much.

Segment Synopsis: Hogner discusses her thoughts and feelings about her time at the convent as a child. She describes what she can recall about the underground network that existed in France to help Jewish individuals hide when Germany occupied France.

Keywords: German arrival; Identity loss; Memories of mother; Personal identity; Serge Klarsfeld; Underground network

Subjects: German occupation, France, 1940-1945; Hidden children of France, 1940-1945; Jewish families

Partial Transcript: Although when I, uh--I never heard anything from her. What I did fou--find out was, uh, she had a friend that--who lived in the same building as we did in Nice...

Segment Synopsis: Hogner talks about what she learned about her biological parents from the people that knew them. She describes the struggles that her mother faced as a young widow in France.

Keywords: America; Careers; Coping mechanisms; Death of parents; Family background; Grief; Mother; New identity; Psychology; Suicide; Survival; Trauma; Widows

Subjects: Hidden children of France, 1940-1945; Jewish families; World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives

Partial Transcript: Of course it's partly because I was born French and I am still French and Catholic and Protestant, you know.

Segment Synopsis: Hogner describes her journey to recovering her memories from the war. She discusses learning more about her mother and what she does remember about her.

Keywords: 'Blackout memory'; Anti-Semitism; Convent; Czechoslovakia; Family background; Father's death; Fear; Jewish children; Parents' marriage; Return to Europe; Triggers; Widowed mother

Subjects: Jewish families; World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives

Partial Transcript: What kind of, um--looking back on it now, having done all this research--

Segment Synopsis: Hogner discusses having to cope with the trauma from her years in hiding. She describes modern anti-Semitism by sharing stories where she faced it. She explains why it has been difficult to accept herself as Jewish.

Keywords: Anti-Semitism; Christian schools; Coping mechanisms; Identity conflict; Identity loss; Personal identity; Psychology; Trauma; Views on religion

Subjects: Judaism--20th century