▁Jewish ▁community ▁to ▁the ▁Aus ch witz ▁concentration ▁camp , ▁where ▁up ▁to ▁ 9 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁were ▁killed ▁on ▁arrival . ▁ ▁Im medi ately ▁after ▁they ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁Aus ch witz , ▁his ▁mother ▁and ▁his ▁younger ▁sister ▁were ▁murder ed . ▁Wies el ▁and ▁his ▁father ▁were ▁selected ▁to ▁perform ▁labor ▁so ▁long ▁as ▁they ▁remained ▁able - b od ied , ▁after ▁which ▁they ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁killed ▁in ▁the ▁gas ▁ch amb ers . ▁Wies el ▁and ▁his ▁father ▁were ▁later ▁deport ed ▁to ▁the ▁concentration ▁camp ▁at ▁Buch en wald . ▁Until ▁that ▁transfer , ▁he ▁admitted ▁to ▁Op rah ▁W inf rey , ▁his ▁primary ▁motiv ation ▁for ▁trying ▁to ▁surv ive ▁Aus ch witz ▁was ▁knowing ▁that ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁still ▁alive : ▁" I ▁knew ▁that ▁if ▁I ▁died , ▁he ▁would ▁die ." ▁After ▁they ▁were ▁taken ▁to ▁Buch en wald , ▁his ▁father ▁died ▁before ▁the ▁camp ▁was ▁liber ated . ▁In ▁Night , ▁Wies el ▁re called ▁the ▁shame ▁he ▁felt ▁when ▁he ▁heard ▁his ▁father ▁being ▁be aten ▁and ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁help . ▁ ▁Wies el ▁was ▁t atto o ed ▁with ▁in mate ▁number ▁" A - 7 7 1 3 " ▁on ▁his ▁left ▁arm . ▁The ▁camp ▁was ▁liber ated ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Third ▁Army ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁just ▁prepared ▁to ▁be ▁ev acu ated ▁from ▁Buch