Concentration Camp Survivor Gives All Praise to God

Interim pastor Andy Taylor (left) and survivor Fred Kailer.

Post-World War II concentration camp survivor Fred Kailer, 95, is a faithful member of Tulsa, Southwood and a prime example of how God provides His protection and provision during one’s life.

He survived the atrocities committed during the years of concentration camps and ethnic cleansing of the Germans living in Yugoslavia—now known as Serbia—following WW II. God provided many earthly “angels” who played crucial roles in helping Kailer traverse Europe over several years as he eventually made his way to the United States.

Kailer’s epic journey included stops in Romania, Hungary, Austria, Germany–where he accepted Christ as Lord and Savior–and Switzerland before he finally disembarked at Ellis Island in New York City. His story of endurance is inspirational.

“Fred is a faithful man of God. He is a supreme encourager,” said Andy Taylor, interim Southwood pastor. “He is openly grateful for the many provisions and blessings God brings him each day. But on Sundays, Fred lights up being with God’s people. What a life he has lived all for the glory of God!”

“The reason I tell my story is to give glory and praise to the One Who brought me this far and preserved me to be able to share my experiences,” Kailer said. “For some reason these details have been ignored or deliberately omitted from history books.

“Our people had lived peacefully in Yugoslavia since the mid-1700s, where we kept our German heritage intact. I was born in 1931, one of 10 children God entrusted to a very devout Christian family in an all-German speaking town of Ca. The 7,000 families who lived there kept the German traditions alive.

His father, who spoke seven languages and served as an interpreter for the Kaiser during the First World War, wanted the best education for his children. He enrolled Fred in a private school, where he excelled and graduated from primary schooling in five years.

“At the age of 12, I was sent to study at the University of Werschetz, where I also excelled both in academics and gymnastics and was awarded a dual scholarship to study at universities in Germany,” he said.

“Our parents instilled in us a love for God and for people. They taught us good manners and encouraged a strong work ethic, which was not always easy to fulfill. However, no task is easy if you are not equipped for it. Sometimes, God uses the hard knocks in life to shape and condition us for that task.

“When I came home from the university with the scholarships in hand, my family was overjoyed. I had achieved something that was rare with only five years of primary schooling and certainly the first one in my family to do so. My father could not have been more pleased, because he had sold a parcel of land to afford to send me to that university.

Fred was scheduled to board a train a couple of weeks later and on the designated day he and his father loaded his suitcases on the wagon and headed to the train station about six miles away. On the trip, a wheel came off the wagon, and they struggled in vain to put it back on. They finally loaded the suitcases on the backs of the horses, climbed up behind them and raced to the station, only to see the departing train pulling out of the depot.

“Heartbroken, we returned home with shattered dreams of a lifetime gone,” Kailer continued. “My father, who was not one given to displays of affection, gathered me in his arms and said, ‘All things will work out for the best; that is a promise given to us in the Word of God. Moreover, God is always true to His word.’
“I questioned, ‘Dad, how can anything good come out of anything that promising being lost?’ Two weeks later, we learned that that train—which was loaded with retreating soldiers and scholars—was blown up by Russian soldiers as it crossed the bridge over the Danube River leading into Hungary.

During his remarkable journey Kailer worked as a driver for the Russian concentration camp commander, farm laborer, pastry chef and baker, which led to his immigration to the U.S. He worked during the day as a brick layer and carpenter and at night as a baker.

He also joined the U.S. Army and received his American citizenship when he was discharged.

“Never underestimate what God is able to do,” Kailer concluded. “If you turn over the controls of your life to Him, he will be faithful to get you where He wants you to be.”