John Baer was born to Bernhard and Marta Baer on April 26, 1917 in Breslau, Germany (today Wrocław, Poland). His father was a sales representative for fur and textile manufacturers and his mother owned a millinery store. John had an older sister, Lilly. He received his elementary and secondary education in public schools in Breslau, and also attended a Hebrew school.
In the 1930s, conditions for the Jews in Breslau worsened. John was one of only two Jews out of 20,000 students to attend the University of Breslau at that time. After the pogrom of November 9-10, 1938 (Kristallnacht), he fled to Berlin, leaving his family behind. In Berlin, John learned that his father had been deported and killed in the Buchenwald concentration camp. Determined to leave the country, John obtained a visa to Peru.
Upon arrival in Arequipa, John quickly found a job as a translator and sought to bring over his family. With the help of his Peruvian landlord’s son, John got an audience with the Bolivian President, Carlos Quintanilla, who kindly arranged for proper visas for him, his mother, and his fiancée, Ursula Boehm, to make their way to La Paz in 1940. He and Ursula got married as soon as she arrived in Bolivia. Living a modest life, John eventually became an economic advisor and translator at the American consulate in Bolivia. Three years later, the former US Ambassador supported his family’s immigration to the United States.
John, Ursula, their two children, and John’s mother ultimately settled in Los Angeles. John continued his education and went to law school. Practicing international law, John made a life for himself as a legal council for many European consulates in Los Angeles establishing economic, social and cultural ties. He received the highest civilian awards by heads of state of Germany, France, Austria, and Italy. At the time of his interview, John had four grandchildren.
The interview was conducted on April 14, 1996 in Los Angeles, CA, United States; interviewer: Mark Rothman; videographer: Raul Prado. John Baer passed away in 2001.