Laló Erdélyi

Born: May 17, 1929, Marosvásárhely (Targu Mures), Romania

Lajos, called Laló from early childhood, was the first of two children in his family. Later his name became well known both in Transylvania and in Hungary. His father studied to become a lawyer, but ended up opening a drug-store and photo laboratory on the main square of Marosvásárhely (Targu Mures), a business that provided a living for the family of four. Laló attended school in his hometown, but in May 1944, when he was 15 years old, he and his family were deported to Auschwitz. When the family arrived at Auschwitz, they were immediately separated and Laló's mother and sister were sent to the gas chambers and killed. Laló was forced into doing very physically challenging slave labor in order to survive. He eventually managed to escape from his barracks to the one where his father was kept and during the horrific months they spent in the camp, they were able to stay together which played a crucial role in their survival.

After liberation they returned to Marosvásárhely (Targu Mures). After finishing his high school and university studies Laló began working as a journalist, earning an international reputation for his photos and portraits and his historical research and publications. In 1988 he and his wife moved to Budapest where several successful exhibitions of his photos were organized and many of his books were published. "I have always lived together with my memories. Unfortunately. They are present in my dreams too.” he wrote in one of his books. His daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren live in the United States.