[1] Lale Sokolov was born Ludwig Eisenberg on 28 October 1916 in Korompa, Kingdom of Hungary (now Krompachy,[2] Slovakia).

[3] His job meant he was "a step further away from death than the other prisoners", and he received a number of benefits such as a single room, extra rations, and free time when his work had been completed.

[3] Eight days before the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops on 27 January 1945, Sokolov was moved to Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria.

Knowing only Gita Fuhrmannova's name, he went to Bratislava, the main entry point for returning survivors, to search for her.

[3] Following Gita's death in 2003, he finally felt able to speak about his war-time experience, having feared that he would be perceived as a collaborator.