Hirth, Ann and Michael_1995, Oral History, April 19, 1995

This interview covers Ann Hirth’s life growing up in Vienna, her family’s emigration to Israel/Palestine, her education and ability as a translator, her travels and various jobs including meeting her husband Michael “Mike” Hirth, moving to New London and living on a chicken farm with her husband and in-laws, moving to Manchester for Mike’s job with the Central Connecticut Cooperative Farmers Association.

Mike Hirth also speaks, giving details about his life and emigration to New London from Europe after surviving the Holocaust, general information about the Jewish farming community, coming from the same town in Poland as Rabbi Leon Wind and discovering that they were both alive after the war and living in Connecticut.

Both reflect on the Jewish communities where they lived and their families’ varying levels of observance.

The second half of the interview involves a question and answer section with the audience, which is where Mike speaks the most. Their youngest son, Stephen Hirth, is one of the people who asks a question.