A documentary that sheds light on the Albanians saved Jews

As King Zog rescued Jewish family


Katherine Rosman

A documentary that sheds light on the Albanians saved Jews


The testimony of a woman when he was 13-year-old arrived from Austria in the palace of the king


Grandma Fritzi, hitherto famous for cooking fish is making its first debut cinematic, at age 85-years. Fritzi Owens, mother of my husband's stepfather appears in "God's House (House of God)", a documentary on the photographer Norman H. mission Gershman that sheds light on the history of Muslims who saved Jews during World War II, more specifically Albanians who rescued European Jews from certain death. Albania, a predominantly Muslim country with a population of three million people sheltered and hid about two thousand Jew. "These Muslim people in this small country is doing something wonderful," Gershman says in the film.

Fritzi Weitzman was one of those who survived. It was a 13-year-old girl living with her sister and parents in Vienna, where her family had a photographic studio. In 1938, Hitler's forces had begun to gather and degdisnin Jews in concentration camps. At that time, Jews with documents demonstrating that they can stay in another country were allowed to leave Hitler occupied Austria. Fritzi's father and sister-t succeeded in obtaining the documents to go to America. But as the mother Fritzi and those documents were not completed in a 10-year waiting list. "Times were becoming increasingly difficult," said Fritzi. "They had started taking Jewish men when they walked in the street, but my father wanted to go to America without a mother." So they waited for a miracle. Details about how the miracle of the family arrived at the door Weitzman lost in time. Q It is known during World War I Fritzi 's father had had a chance to miqësohej with a Muslim, who would become King of Albania. They maintained contact after the war and sometimes go to the Vienna opera together. Later, while Vienna was incorporated by a terrible force King Zog sent Fritz's father, the papers he needed to give the entire family safe opportunity to go to Albania. Fritzi and twelve relatives emigrated to Albania. They had only clothes and money to the value of three dollars. Upon arrival at the port of Durres hosted King Zog of his family's palace in Tirana. There, he asked his father to Fritzi-t to photograph for his official portrait. Then the palace bought a copy of the photo from Weitzmans for each school in the country. "King Zog was very good to us," says Fritz. Within a year she and her mother took the documents that gave the family the opportunity to immigrate to America in 1939. In 1943 Fritzi married in New York by Herbert Oëens, an Austrian refugee. Herb and Fritzi built lives in Manhattan and raised their family with three children. After about three-quarters of a century, in August of 2007 middle child of Herb and Fritzi-t, Ruth was talking in her office in Aspen with Stu Huk, a friend passing away. It's Ruth said that was preparing to leave the city for three weeks as an assistant photographer Norm Gershman, for a trip to Albania. Ruth-The oral remained open. "All my life I grew up with stories of King Zog and Queen Geraldine of Albania", she told him. Within hours, Ruth was talking on the phone with Gershman. He said, "I wanted all this time for people who are sheltered by the Muslims of Albania and one somewhat right here in Aspen!" After that, they left a meeting in New York. "House of God" is a behind the scenes view of how Gershman finally found heroic Albanians, Jews and their descendants survived to the book "Besa: Muslims Who Saved Jews in World War II," which was published last year.

Fritzi is not the main protagonist in the film, but whose side she and Herb have maintained over the years managed to help Gershman-in in his research. For many years I am amazed by the blocks of data to preserve family history, organized by Herb and Fritzi dramatically. I do not understand sometimes that they would serve as documents for a history almost lost. I was amazed filmmakers alike with Herb's zeal and Fritzi-t. "God bless Germanic Jews," says Jason Williams, co-producer of the film. "They certainly know how to be systematic." Fritzi is very excited that finally is able to share in world history that a Muslim anti-Semitism faced and saved her life and the whole family. "For 70 years I tried to tell the world what did King Zog," she says. But as with any movie star grandmother Fritzi has also begun to pay attention to her appearance. "I heard Nora Ephron," she says, "and wore something that covers my neck."



Tirana Observer