| The Austrian Encounter is a non-religious, not deliberately therapeutic, simple, but genuine encounter group that has met several times for intensive, honest (sometimes even critical) dialogue: descendants of Nazis and descendants of victims encountering each other and themselves. It is the only one of its kind in Austria. Two presentations will be given - one by the founder or facilitator and one by another participant. Examples of poignant discussion will be given. Much of the time will be kept open for questions, answers and discussion. |
Samson Munn was born to two concentration camp survivors, in New York in 1952. His mother was born in Aurich Germany in 1922 and graduated nursing school in Berlin, December 1940. She was in three killing and labor camps for ~ 25 months (see Le Monde, special Le Siecle insert, 7-10 May 1999, pages 16 & 17). His father was born in Lodz Poland in 1912 and is a wood artisan. He was confined to the Lodz ghetto (when his first wife was murdered) until its liquidation, and then in two camps for ~ six months.
Despite that family background, Samson's childhood home neither avoided nor dwelled upon the Holocaust, but rather dealt with it as it arose. His B.A. is from Berkeley (1973) and M.D. from Boston University (1978). Now he is chief radiologist in a small state hospital in Boston, and as a hobby breeds Labrador retrievers as guide dogs for the blind.
In 1992, Dan Bar-On formed To Reflect and Trust, and Samson has taken part since its inception; note the film, Children of the Third Reich (1993 B.B.C.) (London). In positive response, Samson founded and facilitates The Austrian Encounter, an Austrian group of descendants of Nazis and descendants of victims. It has met three times in Vienna since 1995, and its fourth encounter is scheduled for late August 1999.
Samson is now involved in a third such group, and is compiling and editing a book on diverse "dialogues" after various genocides. He also participates in The Goldner Symposium on Genocide and is on the Board of Directors of the New England Holocaust Memorial. He has been the subject of several European newspaper articles and radio programs, and two additional documentary films: Eine unmögliche Freundschaft (1998) Provobis (Berlin) and Out of the Ashes (1995 B.B.C) |
