Iby Knill, author, holocaust survivor, has died.

[Dystopiary]

Iby Knill, author and survivor of the holocaust, has died aged 97.

Born in what was then Czechoslovakia, in 1923, Mrs Knill grew up in Bratislava. In 1942 she escaped across the border to Hungary, where she became involved with the Resistance movement. She was caught, tortured, and held for three months in prison. On being released she was arrested again as an illegal immigrant, subsequently spending 2 months which she described as "horrific" in a detention centre.

On June 12th 1944, Mrs Knill, along with others, was taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau. She later spoke and wrote about the terrible things she experienced and witnessed there. On a forced march to Bergen-Belsen, she and others were rescued by Allied forces on Easter Sunday 1945.

After a period in hospital, she worked in Germany before returning to Bratislava. She discovered that her father had been murdered at Auschwitz. In 1946, she married her husband Bert Knill, who was an officer in the British Army, and in 1947, moved with him to the UK. She moved to Leeds in 1964.

According to the Yorkshire Post,

“I got married, had children here and as far as I was concerned, my home was here. I visited Bratislava as I have relations there and still do. But, temperamentally England suited me, particularly Yorkshire, you can call a spade a bloody shovel. I have always been outspoken, Yorkshire suited me and I made lots of friends.
“I married a British officer and came to England in 1947 - it was not the sort of thing you talked about in an officer’s mess. My husband passed away in 1984 and that is when I thought I want to do something about it. My children did not know until they were in their forties about my background. My husband’s family goes back to 880, he has a terrific family story, it was easier to talk about that."

Iby Knill was author of The Woman without a Number, and The Woman with Nine Lives.

She passed away on Easter Sunday - 77 years to the day since her liberation - 16th of April, 2022.

Mrs Knill's website is here: https://ibyknill.co.uk/

 

[dessiato]

If anyone deserves to RIP it is her, may she do so.

 

[Koknbul]

god bless her
holy Mary, pray for her
may the saints, keep safe her soul

 

[weltweit]

Thanks for posting this. She sounds like a special person having lived through all that she did.

When I start reading again I will try to get a copy of one of her books.

 

[Riklet]

RIP Iby Knill. I saw her talk in Bristol for holocaust memorial week a few weeks back. It was great! Still have her book.. I should read it! An amazing story tbh.

She was very engaging and passionate and I respected her scepticism towards Israel too, which emerged during the questions. She said she'd been a few times and "hated it"

 

[weltweit]

Wish I had seen one of her talks ..

I liked her descriptions of Yorkshire on her website, she liked that people are outspoken as she is / was