Elie Wiesel (1928 – 2016) was a Romanian-born writer, professor, and Holocaust survivor. He authored over 50 books, most notably Night, based on his experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1986), he dedicated his life to human rights advocacy.
Born in Sighet, Romania, he was deported to Auschwitz in 1944 at age 15. His mother and sister perished, while he and his father were sent to Buchenwald, where his father died. After liberation in 1945, he studied in France, later becoming a journalist. For a decade, he refused to write about the Holocaust until persuaded by François Mauriac.
His activism extended beyond Holocaust remembrance. He spoke against apartheid, genocide in Bosnia and Darfur, and oppression of Soviet Jews. He helped establish the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and remained a prominent voice on human rights.
In his later years, he taught at Boston University and founded the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity. He passed away in 2016, leaving a legacy of remembrance, education, and moral responsibility.