Maria Olt
(1923 - ?)
In Hungary in March 1944, Maria Olt saved Miriam Nevo’s
family. The story began when Maria went to the infirmary of the hospital
to see her physician, who was Miriam Nevo’s husband-Dr. Kuti Nevo.
She was very surprised to see Dr. Nevo wearing a yellow emblem. The
physician seemed quite distraught and explained to Maria his concern
over the welfare of his family, especially their newborn child. Maria
decided to save the Nevo’s newborn baby. Miriam Nevo later described
what happened:
"Maria Olt, who happened to come to the hospital,
told us that she had decided to save our baby daughter. She brought
the infant to a small village. A few days later she returned to our
city and took me to the same village, introducing me as a gypsy who had given birth out of wedlock, and who must consequently hide,
for fear of revenge. A few days later, she returned once again to
the city, and brought my husband back with her, hiding him in a small
cellar in her father’s vineyard... Maria provided us with forged
documents, and transferred our daughter to a family that lived in
a small village near the Slovakian border, providing her with papers
of a Christian child. When we were discovered and our lives were in
danger, Maria moved us from place to place. When the need arose, she
would supply us with fake documents and food stamps. Once I had reached
the point of despair: We saw a convoy of Jews who were being deported
to Auschwitz. The train
stopped near us. Impulsively, I wanted to join the procession and
be rid of my suffering once and for all. Maria prevented me from taking
this desperate step. She borrowed money and rented a small apartment
in the village for me. After a short time, she brought my husband
to the apartment. In another small apartment, near the Gestapo headquarters,
Maria hid other Jewish families. She came to these apartments every
week, over a period of ten months, and provided for all the needs
of the fugitives. The Nazis once searched the apartments, accusing
Maria of hiding partisans, which she denied. They found nothing, and
left her."
Maria took care of a number of Jewish families and
provided for their needs over an extended period. She also took a baby
girl out of the ghetto to the hospital, claiming she was a Christian
baby, and thus saving her.
Sources: Yad Vashem
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