Copy of Gunther Karger's Kindertransport Story: Primary Source Deep Dive (Grades 3-5)

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Photographs of Gunther's Family in Germany

A satchel handmade by Gunther's mother, containing handkerchiefs.

Gunther and his wife Shirley on a Cruise

The violin given to Gunther by a Swedish priest

Gunther Kargar was born in Schmieheim, Germany, in 1933, to Herbert and Ida Karger. They lived near the town’s castle. Kargar’s early childhood in Germany was hard. As Jews, he and his family faced much hatred at the hands of the Nazis, who forcefully took charge of and ran Germany through the remainder of the 1930s. Just before the Second World War broke out, Gunther’s parents put him on the last train leaving Germany as part of a group effort to save Jewish children. This effort was called Kindertransport. Gunther lived in Sweden throughout World War II, moving between foster homes and an orphanage. Early in the war, the only person he could speak with was a village priest since he was the only German speaker. The priest gifted him a violin, which Gunther took with him wherever he went, in its original case. He became interested in science fiction, reading comic books and dreaming of being an astronaut when he grew up. When the war ended, Gunther moved to Pensacola, FL, to live with a distant aunt and attended high school in New Jersey. Upon graduating, Gunther joined the US Air Force. One night at a dance, he met, fell in love with, and married Shirley Zoller, a Mardi Gras princess and doll collector from New Orleans. She collected about 2,000 dolls over the course of her lifetime and helped Gunther in all his work. They had two sons. Gunther and Shirley were married for 70 years until her passing in February 2025.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Where was Gunther born?

2. What did Gunther want to be when he grew up?

3. What is Gunther’s wife’s name?

Discussion Questions:

1. Look at the primary sources and read the article. After reading the article, what questions do you still have about the sources?