Cold Crematorium

Reporting from the Land of Auschwitz

By: József Debreczeni, Paul Olchváry - translator, Jonathan Freedland

Narrated by: Laurence Dobiesz

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

"Cold Crematorium is an indispensable work of literature, and a historical document of unsurpassed importance. It should be required reading." —Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Everything Is Illuminated

The first English language edition of a lost memoir by a Holocaust survivor, offering a shocking and deeply moving perspective on life within the camps—with a foreword by Jonathan Freedland.

József Debreczeni, a prolific Hungarian-language journalist and poet, arrived in Auschwitz in 1944; had he been selected to go “left,” his life expectancy would have been approximately forty-five minutes. One of the “lucky” ones, he was sent to the “right,” which led to twelve horrifying months of incarceration and slave labor in a series of camps, ending in the “Cold Crematorium”—the so-called hospital of the forced labor camp Dörnhau, where prisoners too weak to work awaited execution. But as Soviet and Allied troops closed in on the camps, local Nazi commanders—anxious about the possible consequences of outright murder—decided to leave the remaining prisoners to die in droves rather than sending them directly to the gas chambers.

Debreczeni recorded his experiences in Cold Crematorium, one of the harshest, most merciless indictments of Nazism ever written. This haunting memoir, rendered in the precise and unsentimental style of an accomplished journalist, is an eyewitness account of incomparable literary quality. The subject matter is intrinsically tragic, yet the author’s evocative prose, sometimes using irony, sarcasm, and even acerbic humor, compels the reader to imagine human beings in circumstances impossible to comprehend intellectually.

First published in Hungarian in 1950, it was never translated into a world language due to McCarthyism, Cold War hostilities and antisemitism. More than 70 years later, this masterpiece that was nearly lost to time will be available in 15 languages, finally taking its rightful place among the greatest works of Holocaust literature.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

©2024 József Debreczeni, Paul Olchváry, Alexander Bruner (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Superb...an unforgettable testimonial to the terror of the Holocaust and the will to endure."—Kirkus (starred)

"József Debreczeni was a journalist and a poet and he brings the skills of both to this remarkable work. Cold Crematorium will awe you with the acuity of its observations and the precision and beauty of its language. It should be read by everyone wishing to understand the cruelty and barbarism of the Shoah, but also the indomitable spirit of its survivors."—Ehud Barak, Former Prime Minister of Israel

"Cold Crematorium is an indispensable work of literature, and a historical document of unsurpassed importance. It should be required reading."—Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Everything is Illuminated

Unimaginable horrors

I am struggling to find appropriate words that describe or represent the absolute horrors these victims and survivors of the holocaust endured. The holocaust in particular has always interested me because I did not understand how so many could do such terrible things to others on an industrial level. On such a cruel level.
Out of all that I've read about or watched in documentaries on the holocaust, Cold Crematorium is the only book or account to convey such apathetic cruelty and desperation of those involved on all sides of the holocaust. It didn't shy away from any subject or speak in vagaries about what was happening and I'm left heart sick and mournfully grateful that the author shared his experiences so plainly so matter of fact.
I hate to describe nazis as evil as it somehow gives them this magical villain mythos when in fact they were just the most despicable humans, unfortunately all too human.
It should be required reading in all high schools.
I will never forget the things I've learned from this book.

Never Again

Still the most horrifying events to hear about. This telling is brutal but matter of fact in the author’s words.

Learned so much more about the Holocaust

While I never studied the Holocaust, I thought that I knew the basics. However, I recently watched “The Zone of Interest” and “Origin” and realized that I needed to understand more, understand better. This book is an in depth description of day-to-day life in the labor camps where so many millions were imprisoned, abused, terrorized and tortured. It’s an important book, not for the faint of heart. Be brave, listen and learn.

Agonizing detail

Painful to hear such detail - but a critical account of a horrific act - that we need to never forget.

Stunning

This book tells the story of what life was really like within the Nazi concentration camps. A good friend once told me, in the development of life on earth, at one point there were a number of human wannabes running around but homo sapiens were the lone survivor. And homo sapiens were the successful, lone survivor because: We are the killers. "Cold Crematorium" is a testament to our continuing to live out that very nature. Tough to read, but necessary to read.

The horror

It’s difficult to like the horror but we must never forget! It’s happening right now in the USA. Impossible to imagine but just watch the news. The human condition is on full display. Tragic appalling and shameful.

Shocking

I've read about a dozen books on the Holocaust and this one is the most shocking and disturbing — and important. Take a deep breath, and dive in.

A must read or listen

Shocking inhumanity. The similarities to the Soviet gulags quite striking. Very glad this story revived and translated .

The horror and degradation 

In a supposedly civilized and cultured society, how could such horrible degradation of fellow human beings take place? It seems as if humanity is incapable of learning lessons, as what is seen in this book and related by the author, is still going on in parts of the world. There will be survivors of today’s version of Auschwitz, and hopefully those survivors will have the courage to relate their stories in the never ending. Hope that someday humankind will get the message, and will act with humanity towards others. .
The presenter does an excellent job, presenting this chilling and frightening piece of history. 

Disgust in the matter the people were treated.

Very well written and informative. It made you feel their fears and horror as they lived each day.