Holocaust witness Irene Butter dies aged 95
The German-American survivor spoke for decades in schools about the persecution of Jews.
Irene Butter has died in the United States aged 95. The Holocaust survivor spoke for years about her experiences in the Netherlands and Bergen-Belsen, and about the responsibility not to remain on the sidelines.
Butter was born in Berlin in 1930. Her family moved to Amsterdam in 1937 because of growing antisemitism in Germany. There, she lived in the same neighbourhood as Anne Frank and her family, before the German occupation drastically changed the daily lives of Jewish residents.
The family was deported to Bergen-Belsen via Westerbork. Only later did they become part of a prisoner exchange. As a teenager, Butter left for South America and then travelled on to the United States. Her father died before the family was fully reunited.
After the war, Butter pursued an academic career. She became a professor at the University of Michigan and, from the 1980s onwards, increasingly spoke to pupils and students about persecution, exclusion and the choices bystanders make.
Her testimonies were not only about her own family. Butter also spoke about meeting Anne Frank in Bergen-Belsen. She stressed that memories of the Holocaust are not solely a look back at the past, but also a warning against contemporary indifference and discrimination.
For her efforts, Butter received the German Bundesverdienstkreuz in 2024. She also received an honour from the Dutch embassy in the United States. Her memoirs and educational activities made her story accessible to audiences beyond the academic world.
With her death, another important eyewitness to the persecution of Jews has been lost. Historical documents, museums and recordings remain available, but direct testimonies are becoming scarcer. That makes the question of how schools and institutions pass on her work more urgent, without reducing her life story to only its connection with Anne Frank.
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The biographical information was confirmed by NOS, Tagesschau and the University of Michigan. The text contains no graphic details and does not turn Butter into a symbol without describing her life story.
- confirmed Irene Butter died in the United States aged 95. — Confirmed by NOS and Tagesschau, based on information from her agent. source
- confirmed Butter moved from Berlin to Amsterdam in 1937. — Described by NOS, Tagesschau and her biographical sources. source
- confirmed Butter survived Bergen-Belsen and later became a professor at the University of Michigan. — Confirmed by Tagesschau and the University of Michigan Alumni Association. source
- confirmed Butter received the Bundesverdienstkreuz in 2024. — Reported by NOS and Tagesschau. source
Editor's note
The report of her death and the main details of Butter’s life have been confirmed by multiple public sources. Details about her final moments are not needed for the report and have been omitted.Sources
- Holocaust-overlevende Irene Butter (95) overleden — NOS
- Im Alter von 95 Jahren Holocaust-Überlebende Irene Butter gestorben — Tagesschau
- Never Forget Her Story — University of Michigan Alumni Association
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „irene butter”
- RTL Nieuws — „irene butter”
- NOS — „irene butter”