A Survivor's Odyssey: A Talk with Community Leader Richard Wiener

Join us for an interview with Richard Wiener, who shares stories of growing up under Hitler's oppressive regime in the 1930s and his lifelong search for peace and reconciliation after World War II.

Join us for a conversation and Q&A with Holocaust survivor Richard Wiener, who lived under the Nazi regime from 1933 to 1939 and was the only Jew in a school of Hitler Youth. At age 11, on the eve of Kristallnacht, Richard witnessed the destruction of his home in Wittenberg, Germany, and the arrest of his father.

After escaping to England via the Kindertransport and then coming to America, he ultimately returned to his hometown to reconcile with his childhood classmates and neighbors. The city of Wittenberg awarded him honorary citizenship for his efforts, a tribute that was all the more meaningful because his family and other Jews were not considered citizens of Germany under the Third Reich.

After practicing law in the D.C. area, Richard dedicated his life to helping others move past trauma by leading "Power of Forgiveness" workshops across the country. He is the author of Survivor's Odyssey: From Oppression to Reconciliation, which was shortlisted for the Eric Hoffer prize. He has been a frequent speaker at public and private schools, universities, churches, and synagogues in the Washington, D.C., area and in the country of his birth.

Accommodation Requests

People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing should request English-language captioning or sign-language interpretation at least five days before the library-sponsored program they plan to attend. Contact the Assistant Facilities and Accessibility Program Manager at 240-777-0002 with all other accommodation requests.

cm 1.1 01/03/2023

Upcoming Events