The last Holocaust survivor in Brazil, who weighed just 28 kilogrammes when he was freed from the Dachau concentration camp by American soldiers at the end of World War II, has died aged 94.

Brazilian Andor Stern lost his mother and other relatives to the Nazis at Auschwitz, and he himself was on the verge of death when he was freed after having been moved between several camps.

Born in Sao Paulo in 1928 to Jewish parents, the three lived for a while in Brazil before moving to India for a period of time.

The family then moved again, this time to Hungary, shortly before the outbreak of war.

Once World War II (WWII) began, Brazil joined the Allied countries, as did Mexico, in fighting Nazi Germany and the other Axis forces.

During the war, Stern and his family were arrested by the Hungarian authorities after the Nazis occupied the country. With the exception of Stern’s father, who had separated from his mother and left Hungary in 1938, the young Stern and his family were transported to the Auschwitz death camp in 1944 on a train with other deportees.

Persecuted by the Nazis and their collaborators for being Jews, the family was separated by camp authorities upon arrival. Stern’s grandparents, as well as an uncle and a pregnant aunt, were immediately murdered in Auschwitz’s death chambers.

The Nazis tattooed the number 83892 on Stern’s arm. It was a mark he would bear for the rest of his life. He told the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper in 2015: “I saw my mother coming out of the chimney on 6th October 1944. It’s hard having to remember that, but I remember everything.”

Finally, on 1st May 1945, Stern was released from the Dachau concentration camp by American soldiers. He was 17 years old at the time and weighed just 28 kilogrammes (62 lbs).

In 2019, after a delay of 78 years, Stern celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at a synagogue in Sao Paulo – at the age of 91. The Nazi numerical tattoo was visible as a rabbi wrapped the leather bands of a traditional tefillin around Stern’s arm as the elder made his pledge as a member of the Jewish faith.

After he returned to Brazil and married, he went on to have several children, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He frequently lectured audiences on his experiences, encouraging them to remember the Holocaust and prevent anything like it from ever happening again.

Stern, who was believed to be the last Holocaust survivor living in Brazil, left behind a legacy that has endured generations.

Stern died at home and was buried on 7th April at the Cemiterio Israelita do Embu (Embu Jewish Cemetery). The cause of death was not reported. In a statement, Stern’s relatives expressed their appreciation for the many messages of condolences they received.

The family said: “Our family thanks you in advance for all the messages of support and words of affection. Andor devoted much of his time to his lectures on the Holocaust, teaching the horrors of the period so they cannot be denied or repeated, and motivating people to appreciate and be grateful for life and freedom. Your affection has always been very important to him.”

Stern was predeceased by his wife, Therezinha, and survived by their five children, as well as their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Director Carlos Reiss of the Holocaust Museum in Curitiba, Brazil, said in an interview: “‘How he loves life!’ was the phrase most commonly used by those who met Mr Stern. Few people have had the impact on me as he did, with his simple speech full of hope, optimism, and wisdom. Being thankful having comfortable shoes and clean bedding every day, he regaled us with phrases that seemed to have come from the pages of the Talmud, such as ‘Every day I live is like dessert’.”

Reiss recalled that Stern was shunted between six different Nazi concentration and extermination camps, coming “face to face with the infamous Dr Josef Mengele of the SS, and dealt with pain and loss. Back in Brazil, he rebuilt his family and inspired hundreds of young people with his reflections on ‘being a free man’.”

Reiss said: “In 2019, Andor was in Curitiba at the invitation of the Curitiba Holocaust Museum to visit us and participate in an event we did together with a university. Shortly before, he celebrated his Bar Mitzvah in Sao Paulo – it was reported by the press all over the world.”

Reiss added: “Now that he is at rest, he will certainly find his mother, Julia, who was taken from him at Auschwitz and killed in the gas chambers. Here on this Earth, we are left with the responsibility of carrying on his legacy and telling his story.”