Last Hungarian survivor of Auschwitz twin experiments laid to rest

György Kun, the final Hungarian survivor of the infamous Auschwitz twin experiments, passed away on 5 February 2025, at the age of 93. Kun, who was not actually a twin, was laid to rest in the Jewish cemetery in Óbuda, Budapest.

Born in January 1932, Kun and his brother István, born 11 months later, were mistaken for twins due to their similar appearance. This misconception would ultimately save their lives during the Holocaust.

Claiming to be twins saved the brothers’ lives

According to Szombat, in 1944, the Kun family was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Upon arrival, Dr. Josef Mengele, the notorious Nazi physician, asked their mother if the boys were twins. Despite not understanding German, she instinctively nodded, unknowingly securing her sons’ survival. Tragically, she was immediately sent to the gas chambers.

The brothers were registered with the other twins, where Ernő Spiegel, a 28-year-old Hungarian Jew overseeing the twin children, discovered they weren’t actually twins. Spiegel instructed the boys to maintain the lie, knowing it was their only chance for survival.

Kun later recalled the constant fear they lived with: “We were especially afraid because we weren’t twins. Only Spiegel and a few other children knew… They told us if it was discovered, our lives would be over.”

The Kun brothers endured several experiments

The boys endured numerous experiments, including photographs, X-rays, hair and eye examinations, injections, and frequent blood draws. In the winter of 1944, they narrowly escaped death when Mengele’s rival, Dr. Heinz Thilo, selected the youngest twins for execution. Spiegel risked his life to alert Mengele, who reclaimed his test subjects.

After the war, the brothers returned to Hungary. György remained in the country, working as a mechanical technician in Budapest. István emigrated to the United States in 1956 but passed away four years later.

György Kun’s story is a testament to the resilience of Holocaust survivors and the complex moral choices made in the face of unimaginable circumstances. His passing marks the end of an era, as the last living link to a dark chapter in history. An American documentary film about Ernő Spiegel and the Hungarian Jewish twins of Auschwitz, including the Kun brothers’ story, is set to be released later this year.

Check out some photos of György and his brother in THIS article.

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