Elie Wiesel Bio (Biography)
Real name:
Eliezer Wiesel
Date of birth:
September 30. 1928
Place of birth:
Sighet, Transylvania, Romania
Astrology Sign:
Libra
Tags:
Biography
Eliezer Wiesel, also known as Elie, was born in 1928. He is a Nobel Peace Prize winner that has written over forty books over the duration of his career, but his most well known book, Night, is a memoir that chronicles his experiences in a concentration camp during the Holocaust.
Wiesel's childhood began in Romania when he was born into a loving household with three sisters. During his childhood his mother and father made sure to encourage him to read literature as well as studying the Torah and Kabbalah. However, this existence was turned upside down when his town, Sighet, was seized by Hungary in 1940. In 1944 Weisel and his family were deported to the concentration camp Auschiwitz-Birkenau. There Weisel was separated from him mother and sisters. He managed to stay with his father until his father's death in 1945, mere months before the camp was liberated. His two older sisters, Hilda and Bea, also survived the war and he was later reunited with them at a French orphanage.
Weisel went on to study philosophy and teach Hebrew before eventually deciding to become a professional journalist. However, it was only after meeting Nobel Prize winner, Francois Mauric, that he was finally able to write about his experiences during the Holocaust. The original book was written in Yiddish and was titled, And the World Remained Silent, and weighed in at over 900 pages. A shorter version, Night, was released in French and Weisel originally found it difficult to find a publisher for his book.
In 1955 Weisel moved to the United States while still working as a journalist for Yedioth Ahronoth and later became a citizen in 1963. It was while he was living in the United States that Weisel wrote over forty books ranging from fiction to non-fiction. His writings about the war were deemed to be some of the most important works of Holocaust Literature.
In 1986 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in bringing attention to problems like violence, racism, and repression of people across the globe. Weisel used his success to start the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity and to push to have a Holocaust memorial built in Washington, DC. His humanitarian efforts have ranged from bringing attention to apartheid in South Africa to supporting the need for troops and intervention in Darfur. He continues to speak out against violence as a member of the International Council of the Human Rights Foundation.
Wiesel's childhood began in Romania when he was born into a loving household with three sisters. During his childhood his mother and father made sure to encourage him to read literature as well as studying the Torah and Kabbalah. However, this existence was turned upside down when his town, Sighet, was seized by Hungary in 1940. In 1944 Weisel and his family were deported to the concentration camp Auschiwitz-Birkenau. There Weisel was separated from him mother and sisters. He managed to stay with his father until his father's death in 1945, mere months before the camp was liberated. His two older sisters, Hilda and Bea, also survived the war and he was later reunited with them at a French orphanage.
Weisel went on to study philosophy and teach Hebrew before eventually deciding to become a professional journalist. However, it was only after meeting Nobel Prize winner, Francois Mauric, that he was finally able to write about his experiences during the Holocaust. The original book was written in Yiddish and was titled, And the World Remained Silent, and weighed in at over 900 pages. A shorter version, Night, was released in French and Weisel originally found it difficult to find a publisher for his book.
In 1955 Weisel moved to the United States while still working as a journalist for Yedioth Ahronoth and later became a citizen in 1963. It was while he was living in the United States that Weisel wrote over forty books ranging from fiction to non-fiction. His writings about the war were deemed to be some of the most important works of Holocaust Literature.
In 1986 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in bringing attention to problems like violence, racism, and repression of people across the globe. Weisel used his success to start the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity and to push to have a Holocaust memorial built in Washington, DC. His humanitarian efforts have ranged from bringing attention to apartheid in South Africa to supporting the need for troops and intervention in Darfur. He continues to speak out against violence as a member of the International Council of the Human Rights Foundation.