A Lucky Child

Location: Westin Galleria Hotel, 5060 W. Alabama Speaker: Thomas Buergenthal Holocaust Museum Houston and the World Affairs Council of Houston have partnered together to present Thomas Buergenthal, a member of the International Court of Justice at The Hague and one of the world’s leading experts on international law and human rights. At the age of seven, Buergenthal was imprisoned in Nazi ghettos and camps, being rescued by Soviet and Polish troops at age 11.

Separated from his parents in Auschwitz and surviving a “death march” in 1945, he was miraculously reunited with his mother a year and a half later. The rest of his family and almost all of his friends were killed. After experiencing the turmoil of Europe's post-war years - from the Battle of Berlin, to a Jewish orphanage in Poland - Buergenthal traveled to America in the 1950s. His story of survival and his determination to use law and justice to prevent further genocide is an epic journey through 20th century history. Buergenthal gives his perspective - as a child - on life in the camps. And, uniquely, he shows how his past has informed his understanding of the modern day war-crimes he sees as a judge. Buergenthal is a leading law scholar with a doctorate from Harvard Law School. He rose to become the first U.S. judge and later president of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee before joining the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Admission is free, but registration is required. For more information, call Member Services at 713-527-1640 or e-mail