Terre Haute's Holocaust Museum: Survival and Arson

In 1995, Holocaust survivor Eva Kor opened the CANDLES Museum in Terre Haute, Indiana—the only Holocaust museum in the state. Eva and her twin sister Miriam survived Josef Mengele's horrific medical experiments at Auschwitz, enduring procedures that killed most of the children in the notorious "twins' barracks." Fifty years later, Eva transformed her small-town home into a center for Holocaust education and remembrance.

Just eight months after opening, on November 16, 1995, the museum was destroyed by arson. Firefighters arriving at 224 South 7th Street found the building engulfed in flames, the carefully curated collection of artifacts and survivor testimonies reduced to ashes. The attack devastated Terre Haute's small Jewish community and shocked the nation. But the fire that consumed Eva's museum could not destroy her mission or her remarkable story of survival.

This is Part 1 of Eva Kor's story: from the cattle cars of 1944 to the founding of CANDLES, exploring how one woman's refusal to let history be forgotten made her a target. Discover the hidden history of Indiana's Holocaust Museum—and the woman who survived the unimaginable twice.

Episode Summary

Most people don't know that Indiana had a Holocaust museum—or that it was destroyed by arson just months after opening. In 1995, Eva Kor, a survivor of Josef Mengele's twin experiments at Auschwitz, opened the CANDLES Holocaust Museum in her adopted hometown of Terre Haute, Indiana. On November 16, 1995, an arsonist set fire to the building, destroying decades of carefully preserved history and survivor testimonies.

This two-part series tells Eva Kor's extraordinary story: Part 1 covers her childhood in Romania, her deportation to Auschwitz at age 10, her survival of Mengele's medical experiments, her post-war life, and her decision to create Indiana's only Holocaust museum. Part 2 (next episode) will cover the arson attack, the investigation, and Eva's response to having her life's work destroyed.

Key Locations

Primary:

• CANDLES Holocaust Museum - 224 South 7th Street, Terre Haute, Indiana (destroyed by arson November 16, 1995; rebuilt at 1532 South 3rd Street, currently operating)
• Auschwitz-Birkenau - Nazi concentration and extermination camp, German-occupied Poland (1940-1945)

Secondary:

• Portz, Romania - Eva Mozes's birthplace and childhood home (now part of Romania)
• Terre Haute, Indiana - Eva Kor's adopted hometown from 1960s onward

Key Dates & Timeline

Eva Kor's Early Life:

• January 31, 1934 - Eva Mozes born in Portz, Romania (twin sister Miriam born same day)
• Spring 1944 - Mozes family deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau
• May 1944 - Eva and Miriam selected for Josef Mengele's twin experiments (age 10)
• January 27, 1945 - Auschwitz liberated by Soviet forces; Eva and Miriam weigh approximately 40 pounds each

Post-War & Immigration:

• 1945-1950 - Eva and Miriam in refugee camps and orphanages
• 1950 - Sisters immigrate to Israel
• 1960 - Eva immigrates to United States, settles in Terre Haute, Indiana
• 1960s-1970s - Eva marries Michael Kor, raises family, becomes real estate agent

CANDLES Museum:

• 1984 - Eva founds CANDLES organization (Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors)
• 1995 (February) - CANDLES Holocaust Museum opens at 224 South 7th Street, Terre Haute
• 1995 (November 16) - Museum destroyed by arson attack
• Part 2 covers: Investigation, rebuilding, and Eva's continued advocacy (2003 reopening)

Key Figures

Eva Mozes Kor (1934-2019)

• Holocaust survivor, Mengele twin experiment victim
• Founded CANDLES organization and museum
• Terre Haute resident and real estate agent
• Became international speaker on Holocaust education and forgiveness

Miriam Mozes Zeiger (1934-1993)

• Eva's twin sister, fellow Mengele experiment survivor
• Survived Auschwitz but suffered lifelong health complications from experiments
• Died of cancer in 1993, two years before museum opened

Dr. Josef Mengele (1911-1979)

• Nazi physician at Auschwitz-Birkenau, known as "Angel of Death"
• Conducted brutal medical experiments on prisoners, particularly twins
• Escaped capture after war, died in Brazil in 1979

The Mozes Family

• Parents: Alexander and Jaffa Mozes (murdered at Auschwitz)
• Sisters: Edit and Aliz Mozes (murdered at Auschwitz)
• Only Eva and Miriam survived deportation

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