Elie Wiesel Talks About Fighting Indifference

Elie Wiesel-activist, author, and humanitarian-has committed his life to education about the Holocaust. Born in Sighet, Hungary (now Romania) in 1928, Wiesel was liberated by the U.S. Third Army in 1945 after surviving four concentration camps, including Auschwitz, where his mother and sister were murdered, and Buchenwald, where his father died of starvation and exposure. Author of over 40 books, Wiesel hopes to make people aware of the injustice in the world.

Wiesel published his first book in 1956. His memoir Un di Velt Hot Geshvign (And the World Has Remained Silent) was the first in a series of books Wiesel would write about his experiences at Auschwitz and Buchenwald. It appeared two years later in another version entitled, La Nuit (Night). In 1960, L'aube (Dawn) was published, and Le Jour (The Accident), followed in 1961.

Wiesel's honors include the Congressional Gold Medal (1985) and the Nobel Prize for Peace (1986), awarded for his efforts in promoting global human rights. He was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George Bush in 1992.

In 1993, Facing History and Ourselves brought students from different neighborhoods in Chicago together with Elie Wiesel to discuss issues related to racism, antisemitism, hatred, and violence. In this clip, Wiesel explains why indifference is humanity's most formidable adversary.