Eleven-year-old Tommy saw the fall of Berlin dressed in a custom made uniform as the unofficial ward of a Company of the Polish Army. After the Surrender of Germany he lived in a Polish orphanage until he was reunited with his mother, who also survived, in Göttingen. Tommy immigrated to the US, arriving in New York City on December 4, 1951. He graduated from Bethany College (West Virginia), and New York University School of Law. He earned Master of Law and Doctor of Juridical Science degrees from Harvard University. Thomas Buergenthal dedicated himself to international law, concluding that he had a moral obligation to devote his professional life to the protection of human rights.