Figure 1.-- Figure 1.-- Here is the Rey's drawing of their escape from Paris with their drawings of Fifi--the future Curious George. This is an example of a treasure saved. I recall the joy that Crrrious George brought to my niece. It boggles the mind as to the artistic creations, economic power, intelectual thought, and scientific accomplishments lost to mankind because of the 6 million Jews murdered by the Germans.

Hans Augusto Reyersbach was born in Hamburg (1898). Here we are primarily focusing in children impacted by the Holocaust. We mention Reyersbach and his wife Margaret, also a German Jew, because they were the author and illustrator of the wonderful children's book series--Curious George about a mischievous monkey. It boggles the mind the artistic creations and scientific accomplishments lost to mankind because of the 6 million Jews murdered by the Germans. Curious George is just one small example of a treasure that survived. How much more was lost we will never know. Hans shortened his name to Rey. He was working in Rio de Janeiro. He met Margaret there when she fled NAZI persecution. They married and took their honeymoon in Paris (1935). In Rio they had pet monkeys who tore up their home. As they both loved Paris, they returned there and together wrote a children's book which included a mischievous monkey they called Fifi (1939). Before they could publish a followup book about Fifi, the Germans struck. They escaped Paris on cobbled together bicycles with drawings of Fifi. They were among the lucky refugees who got Portuguese visas thanks to Consul Aristides de Sousa Mendes who may have saved more Jews in NAZI-occupied Europe than any other single individual. They managed to get to America where they published their first book about Curious George (1941).

Created: 7:08 AM 11/13/2013
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