Axel Mogens Metz was born in Copenhagen in 1903 and studied law at the University of Copenhagen. In 1934, he married Magna, and they moved to Odense, where he worked as a lawyer. They had a son, Steen, in 1935. Axel enjoyed nature and taught Steen to ride a bicycle. Despite living in an apartment, Axel had a community garden where Steen learned to grow vegetables and flowers.
In October 1943, Axel, his family, and his mother and brother were arrested by the German occupation forces and deported to Theresienstadt concentration camp. Axel died of starvation in March 1944. Steen, Magna, and the rest of the family survived and returned to Denmark in April 1945. They found their apartment rented out and had to stay with friends until they found a new place. Steen turned ten on Liberation Day, May 5, 1945.
As a young man, Steen worked for Plumrose, traveling to England, Canada, and the United States, where he has lived since the early 1960s. After retiring in 1999, he has contributed to Holocaust remembrance by sharing his experiences with schoolchildren and others since 2012.
