3 Holocaust Survivors Reunite After Mothers Hid Pregnancies from Nazis

Eva Clarke, Hana Berger-Moran and Mark Olsky, born during WWII, met for the first time in 2010 after their mothers' harrowing stories came to light.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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During World War II, three young pregnant Jewish women were sent to the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz in 1944. Despite the threat of execution, the mothers - Anka, Priska and Rachel - managed to hide their pregnancies and successfully give birth to their babies, who all survived the war after being liberated by the Allies. Decades later, the children - Eva Clarke, Hana Berger-Moran and Mark Olsky - met for the first time in 2010 and shared their mothers' incredible stories of resilience and survival.

Why it matters

This story highlights the incredible strength and determination of these three Jewish mothers who risked everything to protect their unborn children from the Nazis. Their children's miraculous survival and eventual reunion decades later is a powerful testament to the human spirit and the will to live, even in the face of unimaginable adversity.

The details

Anka, Priska and Rachel were from Czechoslovakia and Poland, and were shipped to Auschwitz in 1944 as newly pregnant women. Though pregnancy was punishable by death, the mothers were selected as slave laborers and managed to hide their conditions. They later gave birth to their children - Eva, Hana and Mark - at other concentration camps as the Allies advanced. The babies survived the horrific conditions and were liberated in 1945.

  • In 1944, the three mothers were sent to Auschwitz.
  • Priska gave birth to Hana on the factory floor in Freiberg, Germany in 1945.
  • Anka gave birth to Eva at Mauthausen concentration camp on April 29, 1945.
  • Rachel gave birth to Mark at Mauthausen on April 20, 1945.
  • The three children met for the first time in 2010, shortly after their 65th birthdays.

The players

Eva Clarke

One of the three children born to the Jewish mothers who hid their pregnancies from the Nazis during the Holocaust. She is now 80 years old and among the youngest survivors.

Hana Berger-Moran

One of the three children born to the Jewish mothers who hid their pregnancies from the Nazis during the Holocaust. She is now 80 years old and among the youngest survivors.

Mark Olsky

One of the three children born to the Jewish mothers who hid their pregnancies from the Nazis during the Holocaust. He is now 80 years old and among the youngest survivors.

Anka

Eva Clarke's mother, who was from Czechoslovakia and managed to hide her pregnancy from the Nazis at Auschwitz.

Priska

Hana Berger-Moran's mother, who was from Czechoslovakia and managed to hide her pregnancy from the Nazis at Auschwitz.

Rachel

Mark Olsky's mother, who was from Poland and managed to hide her pregnancy from the Nazis at Auschwitz.

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What they’re saying

“We found each other. We should have been together from day one.”

— Mark Olsky (60 Minutes)

“She saw him across the barbed wire fence. And my dad said to her, 'Be careful and think only good thoughts. Think only good thoughts.' He just kept repeating that sentence.”

— Hana Berger-Moran (60 Minutes)

“I didn't have a chance to be embarrassed. You were being born. That was all that mattered to me.”

— Priska, Hana Berger-Moran's mother (60 Minutes)

What’s next

The three children plan to continue sharing their mothers' stories and advocating for Holocaust education and remembrance.

The takeaway

This remarkable story of survival and resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity serves as a powerful reminder of the human capacity for courage, compassion and the will to live, even in the darkest of times.