Richard Lowy
Kalman & Leopold: Surviving Mengele’s Auschwitz
Summary
For decades, Richard Lowy’s father, Leopold, remained silent. A survivor of Auschwitz and Josef Mengele’s inhumane experiments, his story is one of loss, resilience, and an extraordinary reunion. After 56 years, he and Kalman—another child survivor—found each other again. But they were more than long-lost friends. As slave servants in Mengele’s hospital camp guard shack, they had a unique vantage point, bearing witness to the inner workings of the world’s most efficient killing machine—seeing firsthand what no history book could ever fully capture. Their words, their hopes, their fears. Richard shares his experience of uncovering this extraordinary story.
This was a joint event with Jewish Literary Foundation
Click here to learn more about and purchase Richard’s book: Kalman & Leopold
Richard Lowy
Richard K. Lowy is an internationally acclaimed producer and creative director, celebrated for creating award-winning global events featuring world leaders, iconic artists, and cultural visionaries. His professional achievements span decades, but it was the discovery of his father’s Holocaust testimony that led him to the most personal and meaningful project of his life. Determined to preserve this legacy, Lowy produced the documentary Leo’s Journey – The Story of the Mengele Twins, narrated by the legendary Christopher Plummer. The film led to the extraordinary reunion of Kalman and Leopold—two boys who survived Auschwitz together—more than 56 years after their liberation. This emotional journey culminated in his book Kalman & Leopold, which shares their unfiltered, word-for-word testimony alongside a moving narrative of survival, friendship, and resilience. The book was recently featured in Kirkus Reviews, recognizing it as a work of exceptional literary and historical importance.