Hanna Dimitri (Brezinska)
Hanna and Georg Dimitri had their first child Anita in 1949. They moved to Gällivare and Georg found work in the mine in Malmberget. Although Georg had a permanent job, to begin with they had no home. They were forced to live with their children in a Volkswagen camper for a while. Until the 1960s, it was difficult for Swedish Roma to find a permanent home.
Hanna, Georg and their four children, Anita, Jeanette, Leif and Berith, lived in Malmberget until 1975. Then they moved to Stocholm and Hanna got her very first job, in the kitchen at Beckomberga Hospital. Hanna died on the twelfth of January 1992 at St Göran’s Hospital in Stockholm with her husband Georg and their children beside her. Sixteen days later, Georg also died.
Hanna and Georg’s youngest daughter Berith has given her mother’s story to the Swedish Holocaust Museum. The family has also lent the museum an icon which has belonged to Hanna. Berith has written a book about her mother, My Mother, Prisoner Z-4517.
Anita
Hanna and her little sister Anita came to Auschwitz-Birkenau together. Anita was murdered after a short time in the camp. She was told that she would be allowed to shower, with a promise that she would get a piece of meatafterwards. Hanna pretended that she didn’t understandwhat awaited Anita so that her little sister could be happy in the last moments of her life.
The rest of Hanna’s family was murdered during the German occupation of Poland. Hanna’s cousin, Sofia Brezinska, also came to Sweden with Hanna.