Cold Crematorium

Cold Crematorium, a lost classic of Holocaust literature, has been translated into English for the first time, 70 years after its original publication.

József Debreczeni, the author, was not only a journalist and poet but also a survivor of the Holocaust. His work stands as a crystal-clear eyewitness account, chronicling the horrors he endured.

'A literary diamond... A Holocaust memoir worthy of Primo Levi' - The Times

'A masterpiece' - New Statesman

Selected as one of the 10 best books of 2024 by The New York Times

For many years, this powerful classic of Holocaust literature was forgotten. In 1944, József Debreczeni arrived in Auschwitz, surviving the initial selection. He endured twelve months of incarceration and slave labour in a series of camps, ultimately ending up in the 'Cold Crematorium'. This was the so-called hospital of the forced labour camp Dörnhau, where prisoners too weak to work were left to die. Against all odds, Debreczeni survived.

This is his story, written in haunting, lyrical prose, compelling readers to imagine the unimaginable. Although initially published in Hungarian in 1950, the book was lost for seven decades. Now, at last, this important eyewitness account takes its rightful place among the great works of Holocaust literature.

With an introduction by Jonathan Freedland.