Jewish boxer survived Auschwitz thanks to his skill Bashny.Net

Nobody could pobedit

If you saw the straw Aroha, it would hardly believe in the fact that he is a boxer: his height was only 165 cm, weight - 61 kg. But he was surprisingly agile and Lightfoot, thus earned the nickname "ballet dancers" and win middleweight title in the championship of Greece in boxing.

When Aroha did not fight in the ring, he worked as a loader at the docks, but in 1941, the Nazis invaded Greece, and Aroha life changed completely. His family was captured and sent to the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp, where his mother and sisters soon died in the gas chambers. Himself Aroha managed to survive because of the strange set of circumstances.

After the inmates stuffed tattoo, they were taken to the commandant, and it turned out that he was looking for boxers to entertain his people. Aroha volunteered, even though the commandant was set up about him skeptically Solomon was too small, but just for fun commandant gave him a pair of gloves, and ordered to fight with the other Jewish prisoners 1, 8 meters tall. They fought three rounds, and then Aroha exact impact knocked out his opponent.

Commandant was impressed. While most of the men were sent to prison, Aroha stayed in the camp, carried relatively light work and received more food than the other prisoners. In the end, he had to stay healthy, because he had to fight in the ring, at least twice a week. Matches were held in stock and strongly reminded gladiatorial combat: while the men were fighting the Nazis drink and bet.

"Ballet dancers" was, of course, their favorite, as was winning all the battles he won 200 matches and two matches brought in a draw due to dysentery. After each victory Aroha were given a loaf of bread, which he shared with fellow inmates, but most importantly - he was allowed to live. His opponent was not so lucky: all the losers were shot or sent to the gas chambers.

Aroha lived in Auschwitz for two long years, until in 1945 he was not transferred to Bergen-Belsen. The Nazis in Belsen were not fans of the sport, and Aroha had to go to prison, but he had worked there for a few months and then the Allied forces liberated the prisoners. Boxer married a woman from the same camp and returned to fist fights.

He lost only one fight in his whole career. Later, he met boxing legends such as Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. Aroha died in 2009, the year.

via factroom.ru