Student Profile: A. Cytryn

Wow! What a fascinating discovery. Thank you for your contribution. In the Lodz Ghetto Inhabitants database, there are several boys named Abram or Abraham Cytryn who were born in 1926. Aside from Abram Ela Cytryn (the young poet who you identified), there was also a young man named Abram (Abraham) Icchok Cytryn born 21 February 1926 who lived at Storchen 2 flat 7 and who was also a "schueler" (student) and deported on transport 10.

This said, however, your discovery is very compelling. I hope that the boy you have identified is the same one who signed the album because his story is fascinating. Thank you again for your contribution, and keep up the good work.

I am marking this as "possible" rather than "confirmed" simply because we do not know whether it was Abram Ela or Abram Icchok who signed the album in 1941. Both were students, and presumably, both were likely to have been in gymnasium in the ghetto. However, the records in the Lodz Ghetto Inhabitants database support your conclusions about Abram's parents that you found in the Lodz City Council resolution. Jakob Szymon Cytryn and Golda Cytryn lived at all the same addresses as Abram Ela, moving from Zrodlow to Brzezinska 50 to Sulzf 86 Flat 30 on 14 November 1941 and from Am Quell 5 to Krimhild 12 Flat 14 on 11 November 1942. At some point, they also are registered as having lived at Sulzf 50 Flat 4. Jakob is listed as having died a day after their last move on 12 November 1942. After living at Krimhild 12 Flat 14, Abram Ela is registered as having moved to Kuhle 5.

While it is likely that Abram was killed in the gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Lodz City Council resolution (as a secondary source) is not authoritative enough of a source alone to confirm this information. Are there additional historical sources that we can cross-reference to confirm Abram Ela's death at Auschwitz?