Paul Szabo was born in 1933 Hungary. His family was made up of his mother, father and sister, who was 3 years older than he. Paul’s father was a manager in charge of a small factory manufacturing plumbing fixtures. His mother was an accountant before the war, working for a pharmaceutical company. Paul and his family grew up in a very nice city in Hungary named Khust.  Paul’s father was taken from his home in 1942, along with Paul, and they were separated as his father was put into a labour battalion. Paul and his family were later taken from his house, and in 1944 they were placed into a detention centre  – a brick factory – along with his mother’s entire family.  Paul was later transported to a labour camp because he was young and in good physical shape. Paul was transferred to Bergen Belsen and was able to escape the trauma on the Kastner train, which transported Jews out of concentration camps from Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen. After the war, Paul finished grade school and later graduated in engineering. He came to Canada as a refugee in 1976, and has lived in Canada ever since.

Paul Szabo was interviewed at Baycrest’s Cafe Europa in December 2018, by a delegation of senior history students.