“The Librarian of Auschwitz” follows Dita Alderová as she survives the Holocaust with her family. The graphic novel opens on Dita and her mother. Initially, Dita’s life is simple. She waffles over which book she should take home from the bookstore, and her mother decides waiting until the next day will give Dita enough time to decide. Soon, though, Dita’s stable childhood is disrupted by the arrival of Nazis in Czechoslovakia. As Czech Jews, Dita and her parents find themselves the targets of Nazi oppression and are soon sent to Terezin, a Nazi transit camp-ghetto.
Dita learns to navigate the challenges and grimness of her new reality, drawing on the support and counsel of new acquaintances after her transfer to concentration camp of Auschwitz. Despite their fears of the worse, the Alders and their fellow prisoners receive unusually good treatment. Though dehumanized socially, they enjoy small privileges. The prisoners are allowed to keep their clothing and personal items. These comforts stood in stark contrast to the ever present prison registration tattoos and horrid work conditions. Dita herself receives a less labor intensive work assignment, keeper of the camp’s contraband books. However, as the keeper of forbidden items she internalizes the true severity of her family’s situation and the political complexity of survival within the Nazi concentration camps. In time, the Alders and their fellow prisoners would realize their privileges were a sham.
In fact, the Nazis would create a facade of culture and care in certain camps, such as Terezin, to convince Red Cross visitors that no crimes were being committed.
The graphic novel is based on Antonio Iturbe’s 2012 novel “The Librarian of Auschwitz”. The novel fictionalizes the life of Edita Kraus (née Poláchová), a true book lover and survivor of the concentration camps. The writers of the graphic novel reinterpreted Iturbe’s telling of Dita Kraus’ story, rearranging certain elements to fit their graphic novel format. However, the overarching story remains intact. Iturbe’s original novel is also available to read as a hardback, a paperback, and as an ebook.
Young readers will appreciate the graphic novel adaptation for both its storytelling and artwork. The illustrations, by Loreta Aroca, are realistic and work in tandem with the text to deliver a story as engaging and immersive as it is informative. In addition to the historical themes of the Holocaust, the narrative and illustrations hint at social themes of family, love, and political sacrifice.
Adapted By: Salva Rubio
Translated By: Lilit Žekulin Thwaites
Illustrated By: Loreto Aroca
Audience: Young Adult
Citations
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (n.d.) “Theresienstadt: Transit Camp for Czech Jews.” Holocaust Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/theresienstadt-transit-camp-for-czech-jews. Accessed on 2025 May 2.
Theresienstadt: Aerial View, circa 1930? (1930). Sally Bodenheimer Collection AR 7169. http://digital.cjh.org/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=882947
Center for Jewish History: http://digital.cjh.org/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=882947
Czechoslovakia, 1933 Theresienstadt indicated. (n.d.) United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Photo Archives. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/map/czechoslovakia-1933-theresienstadt-indicated
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