Project Description

No Return: Journeys in the Holocaust

I had known Romek since the early 1960s and when I met Romek again we had not seen one another for some years. He mentioned that he had written an account of his experiences in World War II for his family. I said that I would like to read it, and a few days later a large plastic-bound typewritten copy arrived in the mail. It was clear to me that this should become a book.

Preparing Romek’s typescript for publishing took several months. Romek and I exchanged notes, he supplied the illustrations and read the text at several stages. In some cases the original sequence needed rearrangement for the sake of clarity, some digressions and repetitions taken out and some later sections, after Romek left Germany, were shortened. He supplied all the photographs, which were inserted early in the book to identify members of the family.

Romek’s life story speaks for the countless numbers of those who endured unspeakable horrors, for whom there could be no return. Read more

Richard Hollis
Designer and friend

Read the complete book No Return below
No Return
 is now out of print but can be read by clicking on the book cover below. It was Romek’s wish that the book would be available to as wide an audience as possible, and would continue to use the original design by Richard Hollis. Richard Hollis and Five Leaves Publications have generously allowed the book to be reproduced in full. Text © The Estate of Romek Marber. Cover and book design © Richard Hollis. Click to read No Return

Second Class Students, 1938-39 Gimnazjum Teomity Skladkowskiej, Turek, Poland. In the photograph are Romek and his twin sister Roma Rachel Marber. Roma and Romek’s mother Bronka Marber (née Szajniak) died possibly 24 August 1942 in the Belzec Extermination Camp, Poland.