Gunther Karger's Kindertransport Story: Primary Source Deep Dive (Grades 6-8)

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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 across the street from the town castle–with his grandparents, Karolina and Gustav Offenheimer. As the Nazis seized power, the country became increasingly dangerous for Jews. Policies such as the Nuremberg Laws, surging antisemitic violence, and the murder of those who opposed the Nazis set an alarming precedent for German Jews. On the night of November 9th, 1938, into the wee hours of the morning on November 10th, thousands of Nazis, German civilians, and members of the Hitler Youth took to the streets to loot, vandalize, and burn Jewish businesses, stores, and homes. This nationwide riot became known as ‘Kristallnacht’, which in English translates to "The Night of Broken Glass."

Kristallnacht captured attention worldwide, since international journalists were still on the ground in Germany. In the aftermath, various organizations coordinated a rescue mission to allow Jewish children to escape Germany. They called this mission Kindertransport. Gunther’s parents enrolled him in this program, and he was sent to Sweden on the last train leaving Germany in 1939. He never saw anyone in his immediate family again: they were all murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. When Gunther was in Sweden, he lived in two foster homes and one orphanage. Additionally, he lived with a Jewish family and in an orphanage that was predominantly Jewish children. When living with the Gustafsons, Gunther was the only person in the village who spoke German– the only person with whom he could communicate was a local priest who helped translate letters from his parents in the early days of the war. This same man gifted Gunther a violin he had found in the church basement, which remained in his possession long afterward. Gunther received a strong early education in Sweden and also discovered his passion for science through comic strips. He realized he wanted to be an aviator or work in space communication.

In the summer of 1946, after the war ended, Gunther was sent to live with an aunt as part of a project to connect Jewish orphans with surviving relatives in the United States. Midway through high school, Gunther was kicked out of his foster home after conflicts with his extended family. He was then sent to New Jersey to live with an uncle, where he worked on his chicken coop in exchange for lodging.  At Keesler Air Base in Biloxi, MS, he met Shirley Zoller of New Orleans, Louisiana. They later married and raised two sons. He worked at ITT Communication Systems (ICS), where he helped develop communication and navigation systems used by the American military throughout the 1950s and 60s. In 1966, Karger was elected chairman of the IEEE’s Cape Canaveral, Florida, home to the launch site of Apollo 11 and major space expeditions. 

Gunther, Shirley, and their sons often traveled to Sweden to visit the Gustafson family and Gunther’s native Schmieheim. They had no grandchildren. Shirley was a close partner throughout Gunther’s career. She and Gunther were married for 70 years, until her passing in February of 2025.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the Kindertransport?

2. What is the significance of Cape Canaveral?

3. What branch of the military did Gunther serve in?

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?