Elie Wiesel Biography: Education, Children, Death, Nationality, Age & Net Worth

Eliezer “Elie” Wiesel was born on September 30, 1928 in the town of Sighetu Marmaţiei, Transylvania, Romania. He came from a Jewish family immersed in religious study and tradition.

His father, Shlomo, was a grocer; his mother, Sarah, encouraged his religious education. Wiesel had three sisters and spent his childhood immersed in Jewish texts and the traditions of his community.

Profile

• Full Name: Eliezer Wiesel
• Stage Name: Elie Wiesel
• Born: September 30, 1928
• Death: July 2, 2016
• Age: 87 years (at the time of death)
• Birthplace: Sighetu Marmației, Transylvania, Romania
• Nationality: Romanian-American
• Occupation: Writer, Professor, Political Activist, Holocaust Survivor, Nobel Laureate
• Religion: Judaism
• Parents: Shlomo Wiesel (father), Sarah Wiesel (mother)
• Siblings: Hilda, Beatrice, and Tzipora Wiesel
• Spouse: Marion Erster Rose (m. 1969–2016)
• Children: Elisha Wiesel
• Net Worth: Approximately $5 million (at the time of death)

The Holocaust and Imprisonment

In 1944, when Elie Wiesel was about fifteen, the Nazi regime and its collaborators deported the Jews of Sighet to the death-camps. His mother and younger sister died in the gas chambers at Auschwitz upon arrival. Elie and his father were forced into labour and then on a death-march to Buchenwald, where his father later died. Wiesel was liberated in 1945, a survivor of one of the darkest chapters in human history.

After the War: Education and Writing

Following the war, Wiesel relocated to France. He studied literature and philosophy at the University of Paris (the Sorbonne). He worked as a journalist for French and Israeli publications. Over time, he found his voice as a writer committed to bearing witness to the Holocaust.

The Book Night and Literary Impact

Wiesel’s first major work reflecting his Holocaust experience came after a delay of about a decade — the memoir Night (originally in Yiddish, then French La Nuit, and published in English in 1960). *Night* has become a foundational text in Holocaust literature, translated into dozens of languages and read worldwide.

Activism and the Nobel Peace Prize

Beyond writing, Wiesel became a committed human-rights activist. He helped found the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and served on commissions to preserve the memory of the Holocaust. In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for being a messenger to mankind: his message is one of peace, atonement and human dignity.”

Later Life, Legacy and Death

Wiesel held academic positions (such as at Boston University) and continued to write – authoring more than fifty books. He remained a public voice for justice, memory, and human dignity until his death on July 2, 2016, in New York at age 87. His legacy remains deeply felt in Holocaust remembrance, literature, and human rights advocacy.

FAQs

When and where was Elie Wiesel born?

He was born on September 30, 1928, in Sighetu Marmaţiei, Transylvania (Romania).

What happened to Wiesel during the Holocaust?

In 1944 he and his family were deported to Auschwitz; his mother and younger sister were killed there, he and his father were later at Buchenwald where his father died. He survived the Holocaust.

What is Wiesel’s most famous book?

His most famous book is Night, a memoir of his Auschwitz and Buchenwald experiences.

Why did Elie Wiesel win the Nobel Peace Prize?

He won the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bear witness to the Holocaust and to fight for human rights and dignity.

What is the legacy of Elie Wiesel?

His legacy includes Holocaust education, human rights advocacy, his body of writing, and his role in preserving memory and confronting indifference. He inspired generations.

Conclusion

The life of Elie Wiesel stands as a profound testament to survival, memory, and moral courage. From a Hasidic childhood in Sighet to the horror of Auschwitz and Buchenwald; from silence to the powerful witness of Night; from personal trauma to global activism — Wiesel transformed his experience into a mission: to ensure we remember, to ensure we act, to ensure we never become indifferent. His message remains urgently relevant in a world where the lessons of the past must not be forgotten.