Samuel Klein

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Samuel Klein (Zaklików, Poland, 15 November, 1923) is a business person who founded the Casas Bahia string of department stores in Brazil.

[edit] Early life

Klein worked as a marceneiro at the time of the Nazi invasion in World War II, when he was brought to the Maidanek concentration camp along with his father. His mother and siblings went to Treblinka. He was later transported to Auschwitz in 1944, when Poland was liberated. He escaped from the suldiers on July 22nd... in his own words, "I didn't know where I was going, but I was certain to get far from the group." He spent the night at a plantation, where he discovered some Christian Polish fugitives, who helped him escape. He managed to return to his old house, which was ruined, and worked on a small farm in the area in exchange for food.

After the war, he met his sister Sezia and brother Solomon, who live today in New York. The Klein brothers went to West Germany, and were able to see their father alive. Klein lived in Munich until 1951, and met his future wife Chana. After a while he felt it was the time to leave Europe to rebuild his life in another place.

[edit] Brazil and Casas Bahia

Klein's father went to Brazil, together with his other sister Esther. He himself wanted to emigrate to the US, but the immigration quota was full. So he decided to go to South America also. He managed to make his way to Brazil via Bolivia, and settled with his family in São Caetano do Sul, in greater São Paulo.

There he began working in business, selling sheets, tablecloths, and towels door to door. After five years, he opened his first store, Casas Bahia. The name was an homage to his regulars, the majority of whom were retired Bahians coming try try their luck in the region. Today there are more than 500 of these stores and, making it the largest warehouse distributors in Latin America.