>>
>> Reporter: VERY FEW SURVIVORS FROM AUSCHWITZ REMAIN IN THE
WORLD TODAY, IT WAS THE LARGEST
MASS MURDER THE WORLD HAD EVER
SEEN BUT I DID GET A CHANCE TO
MEET WITH ONE SURVIVOR.
AT 98 YEARS OLD, SHE STILL
LIVES IN SEATTLE.
SHE SURVIVED TWO YEARS AT
AUSCHWITZ BUT TODAY SHE LIVES
TO TELL WHAT SHE CALLS HER LOVE
STORY.
STORY.
STORY. >>
STORY. >> IT WAS NOT THAT HARD TO GET
AN INTERVIEW WITH YOU.
>> NO, BECAUSE I AM WILLING TO.
>> YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT?
>> YES, YES.
>> Reporter: AT 98, PAULA STERN
HAS LITTLE TROUBLE REMEMBERING,
INSTEAD THERE ARE THINGS SHE'S
TRYING TO FORGET.
1942, WORLD WAR II WAS RAGING
AND PAULA STERN HAD JUST
MARRIED THE LOVE OF HER LIFE.
CLOUSE WAS ALSO JEWISH AND THE
TWO BEGAN LIVING LIFE TOGETHER
IN GERMANY, BUT ONLY EIGHT
MONTHS INTO THEIR MARRIAGE, THE
TWO WERE BOTH DEPORTED TO THE
CONCENTRATION CAMP KNOWN AS
AUSCHWITZ.
AUSCHWITZ. THEY WERE INSEPARABLE UNTIL THE
MOMENT JUST BEYOND THESE GATES
WHEN THEY WERE FORCED APART.
>> DO YOU REMEMBER THAT DAY
CLEARLY?
CLEARLY?
CLEARLY? >> OH YES.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
IT WAS SO QUICK THAT WE HAD TO
GO INTO THESE LINES.
MEN, WOMEN, YOUNG WOMEN, YOUNG
MEN.
MEN.
MEN. WE
MEN. WE WERE IN ROSE AND ALL OF A
SUDDEN HE WAS GONE AND I WAS
GONE.
GONE.
GONE. >>
GONE. >> Reporter: BOTH AVOIDED THE
GAS CHAMBER, BUT CLOUSE WAS
TAKEN TO A SEPARATE CAMP GRADE
PAULA FORCED INTO HARD LABOR IN
A MUNITIONS FAMILY AT
AUSCHWITZ.
AUSCHWITZ. SHE COULD HAVE GIVEN UP ON LIFE
LIKE THE COUNTLESS OTHERS
AROUND HER , IF NOT FOR THE
ENCOURAGEMENT OF FELLOW
PRISONERS OR THE OCCASIONAL
FRIENDLY PRISON GUARD.
>> DON'T GIVE UP.
DON'T GIVE UP.
THAT WAS ALL, DON'T GIVE UP.
>> Reporter: WITH NO
COMMUNICATION AT ALL, PAULA AND
CLOUSE COULD'VE ASSUMED THE
OTHER WAS KILLED BUT THERE WAS
SOMETHING IN THEIR HEARTS.
PAULA SAYS THAT'S WHAT KEPT HER
BELIEVING CLOUSE WAS STILL
ALIVE.
ALIVE.
ALIVE. >>
ALIVE. >> SOMETHING WAS HOLDING ONTO
YOU BECAUSE YOU HAD TO.
I KNOW IF I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN
MARRIED, I WOULD NOT HAVE THE
STRENGTH TO GO THROUGH AND MY
HUSBAND SAYS THE SAME THING.
>> Reporter: 26 MONTHS AFTER
SHE WAS FIRST IMPRISONED, THE
REMAINING JEWISH PEOPLE WERE
FORCED OUT OF AUSCHWITZ AND ON
DEATH MARCHES AND THREE WEEKS ,
PAULA SOMEHOW FOUND HER WAY
BACK HOME WHERE A FRIEND HAD A
NOTE.
NOTE.
NOTE. >>
NOTE. >> IT SAID, PAULA, STAY WHERE
YOU ARE, I AM ALIVE AND I WILL
COME AS SOON AS I CAN.
I AM IN BAVARIA.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I KNEW HE
WAS ALIVE.
WAS ALIVE. IN A FEW WEEKS LATER, CLOUSE
SHOWED UP.
SHOWED UP. >> THAT MUST'VE BEEN THE
LONGEST EMBRACE.
LONGEST EMBRACE. >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. HEALY SAID I'M ALIVE BECAUSE
YOU SURVIVED.
YOU SURVIVED. YOU HELPED ME TO SURVIVE.
YOU DID IT.
>> Reporter: AGAINST ALL ODDS,
THE TWO WERE REUNITED AND GOT
OUT OF EUROPE AS FAST AS THEY
COULD.
COULD.
COULD. THEY STARTED A LIFE TOGETHER IN
SEATTLE.
SEATTLE.
SEATTLE. OVER THE YEARS BECOMING
EDUCATORS OF THE HOLOCAUST AND
EVEN HELPING TO CREATE THE
HOLOCAUST CENTER FOR HUMANITY
DOWNTOWN, ALL TO MAKE SURE NO
ONE WOULD EVER FORGET WHAT
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. >> ALL THE WORLD SHOULD KNOW
WHAT REALLY WENT ON TO HELP
OTHERS FROM GOING THROUGH THAT.
>> Reporter: CLOUSE DIED IN
2013 LEAVING A HOLE IN PAULA'S
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. TOGETHER, THEY SURVIVED
AUSCHWITZ, BUT TODAY SHE
PREFERS TO REMEMBER THE LIFE
SHE STILL FEELS.
>> WE NEVER HAD ANY ARGUMENTS,
WE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS.
>> DO YOU MISS HIM?
>> YES, I MISS HIM, YES, YES,
YES.
YES.
YES. IT
YES. IT WAS A BAD, BAD, BAD DREAM
ALL THOSE YEARS.
BUT WE DID IT.
>> Reporter: AND FOR THAT, WE
ARE