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Power of Unity

"Be human" – Exclusive interview with Margot Friedländer

Allianz SE | Munich | Nov 18, 2024
The Holocaust survivor and impressive contemporary witness gave Allianz an exclusive interview shortly before her birthday today on why cohesion and unity are so important. Her life story and her tireless commitment to remembering the horrors of National Socialism and against forgetting provide valuable insights into history and the importance of tolerance and humanity.
Margot Friedländer, 103-year old Holocaust survivor
Born a Jewish German in Berlin in 1921, deported to Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1944 and liberated in May 1945, Margot Friedländer narrowly escaped death at the hands of Nazi terror time and again. She was the only member of her family to survive the Holocaust. After more than six decades in exile in New York, she returned to her native Berlin at the age of 88 and campaigned to ensure that what was done to millions of people of her generation should never happen again. She worked tirelessly for freedom, democracy and humanity. How did someone who has experienced so much suffering manage to never lose heart and always believe in the good?
From the German Television Prize to a meeting with US President Joe Biden: 

Despite her busy schedule, Margot Friedländer took the time to give us an exclusive interview for Allianz employees and answer their questions.

Henriette von Johnston-Conze and Amelie Pfingsten (Allianz SE, Group Communications Germany) visited the 103-year-old at her home in Berlin shortly before her birthday.
 

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The Margot Friedländer Prize is awarded to people who are committed to actions and initiatives for tolerance and humanity and against anti-Semitism or anti-democracy - for example in schools, at universities, in parents' initiatives, associations, companies or citizens' initiatives.

You can find out more at Margot Friedländer Foundation .

 

Margot Friedländer, 103 years old Holocaust survivor quote: "We can't all be angels. But we can be human."

About Margot Friedländer

Margot Friedländer, a Holocaust survivor from Berlin, Germany, marked her 103rd birthday in November 2024. Recipient of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Margot has shared her story through memoirs, speeches, and school visits across Germany, hoping her experiences can prevent future atrocities. Born Margot Bendheim in 1921 to Jewish parents, she endured Nazi persecution, losing her mother and brother in Auschwitz. Margot survived in hiding until her deportation to Theresienstadt in 1944, where she reunited with Adolf Friedländer. The couple survived, married, and emigrated to New York in 1946. After her husband's death in 1997, Margot made several visits to Berlin before returning permanently in 2010 to educate others about her story, striving to ensure that something like the Holocaust never happens again.

Margot Friedländer passed away on May 9, 2025.

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About Allianz

Last updated: March 31, 2026

The Allianz Group is one of the world’s leading insurers and asset managers, active in almost 70 countries and serving around 97 million private and corporate customers*. Our customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, including property, life and health insurance, as well as assistance services, credit and global business insurance. Recognized for the seventh consecutive year as the number one global insurance brand in Interbrand’s Best Global Brands 2025 ranking, Allianz’s success is built on technology-enabled customer centricity – providing peace of mind, protection, and prevention for our customers and strengthening the resilience of individuals, communities, and societies. We are one of the world’s largest investors, managing around 770 billion euros on behalf of our insurance customers. Furthermore, our asset managers PIMCO and Allianz Global Investors manage about 2.0 trillion euros of third-party assets. Thanks to our systematic integration of environmental and social criteria in our business processes and investment decisions, Allianz received an MSCI ESG Rating of AAA (as of March 2026). In 2025, our 156,000 dedicated employees achieved a total business volume of 186.9 billion euros and an operating profit of 17.4 billion euros for our shareholders.

* As of December 31, 2025. Customer count reflects Allianz customers in consolidated entities that are part of the customer reporting scope only

 

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