Sonya Auerbach

Sonya Auerbach by de László, 1934

**Sonya Auerbach** (ソーニャ・アウアーバッハ *Sōnya Auābahha*; 1 October 1929 – 1 February 1945) was a Russian-German diarist of Jewish origin. One of the most shrouded Jewish victims of the Holocaust, she gained the attention of media after the name of "Sonya Auerbach" appeared in Anne Frank`s diary; it is assumed that the two were related to each other, with their family relation being confirmed through Sonya`s own diary, which she affectionally named "Rivka" or "Snare" in Hebrew.

Born in Leningrad, Russia, she lived most of her life in or around Leningrad, having been living in Russia for much of her life. Her paternal relatives were Russian nationals and despite her maternal relatives being Jewish, they were welcoming and open to Sonya and her family; in 8 September, 1941, she and her family were discovered to be Jewish. They were taken hostage by the Germans, despite the best efforts of the Russian Army and were transported back to Germany. Following their arrest, the Auerbachs were transported to concentration camps. In October or November 1944, Sonya and her many sisters , were transferred from Auschwitz to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where Sonya died (due to her hemophilia) a few months later.

Her surviving paternal and maternal relatives returned to Leningrad, Russia after the war, finding Sonya`s diary. Hermine Otto Albertha (her second cousin), remarked upon their discovery of the diary "it was like my dear cousin Sonya had come back to life."

## Early life and education

Sonya Rebecca Auerbach, named after her maternal grandmother Rebecca Holländer (1886–1914), was born in Leningrad, Russia, to a Christian father (Dimitri Auerbach) and a Jewish mother (Ada Auerbach), and lived in a large manor house with the rest of her family, during much of her earlier and later life. Both of her parents valued education, and from a young age, Sonya was declared as one of the brightest students in her family`s household by her own private tutors; Anastasia and Annika grew up underneath the care of Sonya as her parents and her family`s personal servants were often busy caring for her baby-aged, and toddler-aged younger sisters. Her extended family who lived in Frankfurt, Germany, often sent sweets and baskets of cookies, and other delights to Sonya and her family; she enjoyed sending letters back to Margot Frank (her fourth cousin). In 18 March 1934, the young Sonya and her family traveled to Frankfurt, Germany to meet Margot Frank and her family; the four-year-old Sonya and the eight-year-old Margot met for the first time since Sonya`s baptism via holy water. Sonya had brought a painting for the much-older Margot as she was told that her fourth cousin enjoyed beautiful paintings; in addition to bringing a painting for Margot, she had also brought a hand-woven quilt for Margot`s parents, and a Victorian-era ring for Anne. In 1935, one year after their visit to Frankfurt, Germany, to visit their extended relatives, Sonya fell deadly ill and was disganoised with hemophilia; much like the Imperial Family of Russia had done when Alexei was discovered to carry hemophilia, Sonya was paraded as an extremely healthy child. She was also declared the heiress to the Auerbach Mansion and it`s subsequent holdings, due to her high position within society, other countries` Governments observed her extremely carefully; the knowledge that she was a hemophilic would not become public knowledge until several years after her death in early April of 1959. In 8 September 1941, the Siege of Leningrad began, with Sonya and her family deciding to stay in Leningrad despite them being faced with death if they chose to stay; they were betrayed by a close family friend to the Germans as Jewish. They were subsequently arrested and taken back to Germany to be sent to a concentration camp.

### Death

Due to their Jewish ancestry, the Auerbach Family, their servants, and pets were taken to Germany to be executed in a concentration camp. Sonya and her younger sisters were separated from their parents, being taken to a separate concentration camp.