Meet Anja Spiegelman, the Woman who survived the Holocaust to Die of Suicide

Anja Spiegelman was the mother of American cartoonist and editor Art Spiegelman. She was an intelligent and sensitive woman who managed to survive the Holocaust but unfortunately died of suicide just a few years later. In his graphic novel, Art tells the story of his mother- how she struggled with postpartum depression from the birth of her first son, Rysio, to her death.

Early Life and Family

Anja Spiegelman was born Andzia Zylberberg on March 15, 1912, in Sosnowiec, Śląskie, Poland, to a well-off family. While telling her story in his novel, Art mentions that her mother was from a wealthy family. As such, they ensured that their child got at least some basic education.

After coming of age, Anja meets Zeev Spiegelman in the Polish city of Czestochowa. The two seem to like each other, and soon, they start arranging their marriage ceremony.

After the two get married, they move to Sosnowiec, where Anja’s husband works as a manufacturer as he tries to provide for his family. Nine months later, the couple welcomes their first child together, Rysio. Following the birth of her firstborn child, Anja was diagnosed with postpartum depression. Anja moved with her husband to Czechoslovakia for her to recover from her illness. However, despite her mental health struggles, she loved her son, and it was such a devastating moment when she lost him six years later.

Her Son Rysio

Rysio was born just a few months into Anja and her husband’s marriage. They were happy to welcome their firstborn child, and they tried to give him the best life until the 1940s. During the Holocaust, Rysio went to live with his aunt at Zawiercie, and that was the last time Anja saw her son. During the Holocaust, European Jews were killed, and given that Anja’s family was Jewish, they sent him to Zarwiercie, thinking that he would be safer there.

However, when Rysio’s aunt heard that they would be taken, she decided to poison herself along with Rysio. After hearing this tragic news, Anja did not believe it, and after the Holocaust, she traveled all over Europe with the hopes of finding her son.

Her Mental Struggles

Anja Spiegelman struggled with depression for most of her life. Upon the birth of her first child, she was diagnosed with postpartum depression. She had to move to another region to try and recover. After her recovery, she returns to Sosnowiec, where they find the political temperatures heightened. She sends her son to a safer place, not knowing that he will die there. After her son’s death, her mental health status went from bad to worse. She struggled, but her husband was always there to support her. Besides, Anja had a young son she had to care for.

Her Death

Anja Spiegelman died by suicide in 1968 at the age of 56. She slit her wrists in a bathtub and bled to death. Her family was devasted by her loss, and it was such a sad moment for them, given that Anja had just survived the Holocaust and now she was dying due to suicide.