Paul Gould (1919 – 2016)
Paul Gould, born Maryan Leopold Goldhirsch in Poland on September 8, 1919, was raised in Vienna, Austria. Early in life, Paul experienced the harsh realities of anti-Semitism. His interests included art, sports, geography, and classical music. He sang in the famous Vienna Boys Choir and became a cantor in his synagogue. As a young boy, Paul was an apprentice to a large and famous beauty salon in Vienna.
With the rise of Nazi rule, Paul fled Austria and decided to go to Aachen, Germany but was sent to prison on arrival. He went to Luxemburg and was arrested again. He was put on a truck and sent back to Germany. In Germany, in 1939, he was sent to a camp for political prisoners that was a forced labor camp, where he became one of the three barbers for the camp personnel. Paul made escape plans to flee after working at the camp for a week. Walking all night and half a day, Paul crossed over the French border, where he was arrested and given the ultimatum of going back to Germany or enlisting in the army. Paul joined the French Foreign Legion and had to sign a five-year contract.
Once his five-year contract expired in 1944, Paul was sent to an internment camp in North Africa but was soon let out and sent to Casablanca, Morocco. Paul got a job as a barber in Casablanca, where he met and married his wife, Miriam. They were married on September 30th, 1944, for 68 years until Miriam’s death in May 2013.
After the war, he immigrated to the United States in 1950, settling in Brooklyn, New York, where he worked as a barber before retiring to Greensboro, North Carolina. Paul took woodcarving and sketching classes at Guilford Technical Community College, Greensboro. Paul had a wonderful voice. He was a founding member of the Greensboro Choral Society and sang in the choruses of several operas put on by the Greensboro Opera.
Paul dedicated his later years to educating others about the Holocaust, passionately sharing his story to ensure the world remembers and learns from this dark chapter in history. He passed away on February 14, 2016, and is remembered by his family and community.
This is an NC HERO post. Part of the North Carolina Holocaust Education, Research, and Outreach Project.
