When billionaire philanthropist Frank Lowy unveiled a refurbished cattle car at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 2024, it was not just an act of remembrance – it was deeply personal. The cattle car stands as a chilling symbol of the Holocaust: the cramped, windowless wagons used to transport Jews and other victims to Nazi death camps. But for Lowy, it is also the final trace of his father’s journey – and of his death.
Frank Lowy was just 13 when the Nazis invaded Hungary. He and his father, Hugo, were separated in Budapest in 1944. That was the last time he ever saw him. Hugo Lowy, a devout man who had taught Frank Jewish values and resilience, was captured and deported to Auschwitz in one of these cattle cars. Hugo was taken to the camp and beaten to death soon after arrival. The crime that resulted in this? He refused to hand over his tallis bag containing his tallis and teffilin. There was no grave, no marker – just a name and a terrible silence.
Decades later, having built a life and fortune in Australia as co-founder of the global Westfield shopping empire, which has a presence in Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, and in many European countries, Frank funded the restoration of one of the original cattle cars and returned it to the grounds of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Not just as a relic of horror – but as a way of reclaiming a voice for the millions, including his father, who were silenced.
At the event when the cattle car memorial was unveiled, Frank Lowy placed his own tallis bag into the cattle car. “It is a memorial to him [my father],” Lowy said, “and to the many others who were taken to their deaths. We must never forget.”
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