Karel Švenk

Karel Švenk, sometimes referred to in German as Karl Schwenk (Prague, 17 March 1917 – near Karlsberg, en route to Mauthausen, 1 April 1945), was a Czech cabaret artist, comedian, songwriter and writer.

Karel's parents were Rudolf Schwenk (1880-1944) and Klara Koráleková (1882-1944), both were killed in Auschwitz concentration camp presumably shortly after their arrived on 9 October 1944.

Ein Dokumentarfilm aus dem jüdischen Siedlungsgebiet, standing with the puppeteer Otto Neumann and the dancer Kamila Rosenbaumová.

Totally exhausted and unable to continue he was hidden by his friend in the straw of the barn where he and the rest of the prisoners spent the night.

A film of that production, directed by Edward Einhorn, was broadcast on WNET Channel 13, a PBS affiliate, as part of Theater Close Up, in 2022.