We mourn the loss of Michael Smuss

Michael Smuss was born on April 15, 1926, in Gdańsk/Danzig. He grew up in a Jewish merchant family. Due to increasing hostility toward the Jewish population, the family had to move several times and eventually split up. His mother and sister survived the war in Łódź. Together with his father, Michael Smuss fled to Warsaw, where he joined the Jewish resistance in the ghetto, smuggling messages out and weapons into the ghetto. After the uprising was crushed, he was arrested together with his father. They were forced to perform forced labor in several German camps in Poland before his father was shot in the Budzyń camp.

On August 4, 1944, Michael Smuss arrived at Flossenbürg concentration camp in a transport with 3,000 other prisoners from Plaszów concentration camp. The train journey takes several days, during which the prisoners are given neither water nor food. In Flossenbürg, he worked in the production of Messerschmitt aircrafts, he was responsible for cleaning, and sometimes also worked in the “crematorium commando” transporting the bodies of deceased or murdered prisoners to the incinerator and pyre. American troops liberated Michael Smuss from a death march in Stamsried.

In Łódź, Michael Smuss was reunited with his mother and sister, but other relatives had not survived and their house in Gdańsk had been destroyed. The family emigrated to the USA in 1950, where Michael Smuss finished school, studied, and started a family. However, his wife and children remained unaware of his traumatic experiences for a long time. Over the years, the psychological effects of his imprisonment in the concentration camp became increasingly apparent. Michael Smuss suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and nightmares. Therapy did not bring any improvement, so he decided to separate from his family because he did not want to be a burden to them. He emigrated to Israel in 1979. From the 1980s onwards, Michael Smuss tried to come to terms with his trauma by taking up painting and talking about his experiences. He met his future wife Ruthy, who became an important emotional support for him. They visited Flossenbürg concentration camp memorial several times. In recognition of his work, Michael Smuss was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in September 2025. Michael Smuss died on October 21, 2025, in Israel, surrounded by his family. With his passing, we lose a friend who was a loyal companion and inspiration to us all. We will miss him dearly.

Our thoughts are with Michael Smuss and his family during this difficult time, and we send our sincere condolences to them.

Jörg Skriebeleit and the staff of Flossenbürg Memorial