ForewordPrologueI. Poland1. Zawiercie2. Early Years3. Poland and the Jews4. Artistic Dreams5. First Ventures6. Krakow7. Meeting “the Prophet”8. Poznan9. Secret Plans10. Russia11. Sketching in Solitary12. An Abyss13. Tarnopol14. Back to Krakow15. The Dutch and Flemish Masters16. Passover 193717. A Perilous Plan18. Through the Lion’s DenII. Belgium19. A Sense of Homecoming20. Antwerp21. Hennie22. At the Academy at Last23. Onslaught on Poland24. Prison Again25. Germany’s Western Campaign26. May 1940: Dunkirk27. June 1940 – October 1940: Into France28. November 1940 – May 1941: Gurs29. May 1941 – June 1941: A Wedding30. July 1941 – December 1941: In Hiding31. January 1942 – December 1943: Cataclysm32. December 1943 – May 1944: Capture33. Journey to AuschwitzIII. Auschwitz And Mauthausen34. From Persecution to Genocide35. May 1944 – June 1944: Prisoner A-264936. Daily Life in Planet Auschwitz37. Juxtaposing Beauty and Horror38. The Ultimate Conflict39. D-Day40. The Warsaw Uprising41. Death March to Mauthausen42. The Battle of the Bulge43. Melk44. Gusen45. Uncovering the Crimes46. Gunskirchen47. Freedom48. Crisis PointIV. Wanderings49. New Challenges50. Yehuda51. Annie52. Travel to Rio53. The First Exhibition54. The Floodgates Open55. Israel, and a MeetingEpilogueAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorPhotosThe enthralling story of Sam Herciger provides us with a heart-wrenching and powerful Holocaust memoir.Seeking a World of Art and Beauty in the Shadow of the Holocaust The enthralling story of Sam Herciger provides us with a heart-wrenching and powerful Holocaust memoir. It traces the journey of an aspiring young artist who embarks on a passionate quest to find artistic freedom during the danger-filled period of Nazi hegemony in Europe. Sam’s life is then caught up in some of the most dramatic events of the 20th century.His intriguing adventures begin in prewar Poland, where Sam grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home. It is there that he meets a mysterious figure on the banks of the shining Vistula River, a man who prophesies he would one day achieve fame. Sam’s desire to study art leads him into countless places of peril, including Stalin’s Russia and Nazi Germany. Yet, the creative vision which drove him on gave him the courage to endure unimaginable trials, as did the inspirational works of art he encountered.Sam Herciger’s panoramic story shows that steadfast commitment to the ideals of love, beauty, and truth can conquer seemingly invincible evil. It is a testament to the greatness of the human spirit.Seeking a World of Art and Beauty in the Shadow of the Holocaust The enthralling story of Sam Herciger provides us with a heart-wrenching and powerful Holocaust memoir. It traces the journey of an aspiring young artist who embarks on a passionate quest to find artistic freedom during the danger-filled period of Nazi hegemony in Europe. Sam’s life is then caught up in some of the most dramatic events of the 20th century.His intriguing adventures begin in prewar Poland, where Sam grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home. It is there that he meets a mysterious figure on the banks of the shining Vistula River, a man who prophesies he would one day achieve fame. Sam’s desire to study art leads him into countless places of peril, including Stalin’s Russia and Nazi Germany. Yet, the creative vision which drove him on gave him the courage to endure unimaginable trials, as did the inspirational works of art he encountered.Sam Herciger’s panoramic story shows that steadfast commitment to the ideals of love, beauty, and truth can conquer seemingly invincible evil. It is a testament to the greatness of the human spirit.