Statement
Recorded with Arnheim Ulrich, born 02.02.1927, lived in Prague XI, Bořivojova 44 c/o Singer, nationality Dutch, profession student, was a prisoner in the Terezín, Auschwitz, Gleiwitz and Blechhammer concentration camps.
On 28.09.1944 we were loaded (1st transport) in Terezín and went with the strong opinion, that we were being sent to Germany to work. When we arrived in Bautzen we became much more unsure about the destination. In Görlitz already we were all agreed, that we were going to the more or less famous Birkenau Ghetto. The only other was out, was that we would end up in the Glatzer coal mines. The hope became weaker and weaker, and as we finally arrived in Gleiwitz was completely gone.
We arrived on a large, open train station tracks when suddenly the doors burst violently open and we heard only these words: Everybody out, luggage stays in the carriage. The first things that we saw was electrified barbed wire on both sides with electric lamps every 5 meters. Further away, we saw a chimney, that had a giant red flam coming out of it. It was – we would later discover – one of the five furnaces, that worked night and day. We were in the annihilation and concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. We had to line up in fives alongside the train and were shown to a big, strong SS-Hauptsturmführer who sorted us. (Dr. Schwarz) The weak, ill, elderly and those younger than 14-16 years were led into the camp on the left. Those of us who were left (from the transport of 2500, 1100 were left) went to camp on the right.
Now that we had arrived in the camp, the SS told us that this camp is the Auschwitz camp, that people who don’t want to work are gassed here, but that was nothing to do with us is we were willing to work, and that we would get new clothes. We were led into the sauna, undressed completely, shaved, bathed and got new clothes. The clothes were the German prison uniform. Then we were led into the actual camp. This was divided into two barracks and the camp senior – a German felon – explained the rules of the camp to us.
When this was finished, we were chased out of the block in order to spend the long, beautiful day outside. At 1PM we got our first meal. It was ¾ of a litre of pumpkin soup that was inedible for a cultivated person. But we were starving and when a person is hungry, he will eat everything. This amazing lunch was given to us in dirty bowls, or if you were especially lucky, in washing bowls. Altogether, there was about 30 bowls available for 1000 people. The meal had to be finished with 30 minutes. Spoons, or other such items used by people daily, were a rarity for us and none of us thought about them anymore. And so, we spent the whole day outside, in front of the barrack, until at about 7PM when there was dinner. This consisted of 150g of bread, a spoonful of marmalade and a slice of sausage that could only be seen through a magnifying glass. After this extensive evening meal, we were chases into the barracks in order to sleep. However, what one usually understands as sleep and lying down of course didn’t apply here. Five of us sat on a freezing cold, concrete floor and fought over space until one or another fell asleep more or less tired.
At 4AM we were forced out of these wonderful four-poster beds and the terrible, new and oh so long day would begin. Three times a day we had roll call so that nobody could escape and tell the world how nice, wonderful and cultivated life was under the liberators of Europe. It went on
After we got new clothes and were bathed clean, we were brought to a train station –
envied by those who had to stay behind – to be sent to our new camp. We travelled for
a few hours until we arrived at our destination at about 11PM. It turned out that we were in
Gleiwitz. We were led to a camp, given our first
good soup
and sent to bed. At 4AM we were awoken and presented for roll
call. We heard now officially that we were in the work
camp
Gleiwitz
I, which belonged to the RAW (Reich Railway Improvement Works). We wanted to work
that factory. The SS
Camp Commandant Moll explained to us
that we would have it good – good food,
work, treatment – as long as we were prepared to work.
We shouldn’t be bothered by the wall and the electric fence. The very next day we went to
work in the factory.
The food really was a bit better than in Birkenau. In the
morning we got 150g of bread, 20g of margarine; midday we got ¼ litre of soup from beets
and water, apart from Sundays when we had potato soup; and
evenings again 150g of bread and 50g of salami.
But the work was for many people strenuous. It
was also very dirty work, and on top of all that there was the harassment from the
master (German), for whom we were just cattle
. Add to that the very little sleep
that we got at night and the long hours we worked
with only half an hour lunch break. A normal person who doesn’t have the strength of horse
can’t endure it. After we got back to the camp from work,
we were tormented by the SS, Capos
and block
seniors until 9PM. And so we lived from one day to the next, every second Sunday
should be free from 2PM. For us it looked like we had to carry stones from the outside the
whole morning long. Even the people running the camp didn’t know why.
It was just harassment. Thank God that time passed and it was soon Christmas. Eight days
before we were told that if we behave ourselves and there were no complaints from the
factory about laziness amongst the prisoners, then at Christmas we would get two full days off. We would also get
better food.
Christmas came and we really did get the first day off. There was also a thick potato soup and cooked potatoes. The second day didn’t go quite so peacefully. We were lying in bed as the camp senior came in and all hell broke loose. The place looked like a pigsty. Ten minutes later roll call was announced and as punishment, carrying stones was ordered. We carried stones until 3PM and then we stood at roll call until 5PM, during which the dirtiest were sought out and punished with a beating. At 5.30PM, we finally got our lunch and then immediately afterwards our evening meal and were allowed to go to bed completely exhausted and battered. That’s what the two free days at Christmas looked like for us. But, we were already used to such things. What can you expect of such beastly creatures as the Germans were? It was almost New Year. The German camp management wanted again to appear human and let us have the day off. I think it probably better to say that they wanted to the day off and to do that of course they had to give us the day off. The new year began. What troubles would it bring for us? Nobody knew. But look, it began well. Our camp commandant Moll, formerly the head of the annihilation chambers in Auschwitz, was transferred to Buna-Monowitz, and we got a new one. The first impression was promising. He held a speech in which – amongst other things – he pronounced that under him, there was no work on Sundays, that the food would be improved and that better care would be provided for the many people who were ill. We breathed a little easier. In any case, he was not like Moll, and pretended at least that he had good intentions. How well he would deliver them, that remained to be seen.
And the next Sunday we really did get off. And once there was milk. But none of it
lasted very long. On the 18th of January, the shift coming
back from the factory told those of us who were ill in bed, that the
factory was being dismantled because of the advance of the Russians. This
hit us like a bomb. And the question quickly arose of what would be done with us. There were
three possibilities: 1 shoot us, 2 leave us to the Russians, 3
evacuation to the not yet occupied Germany. There was much commotion in the camp. Nobody new what
was going to happen in the next hours. Suddenly, at 4PM, we were given our evening
meal and sent to bed. We were expecting an unexpectedly quick decampment. And then, at midnight we were woken up and told to get ready and at
6AM we started out. Even the SS
guards didn’t know where we were going. We had about 1.5 kg of bread and 1/2 kg of
margarine that was supposed to be our food
for three days. We started marching. We didn’t have the slightest ideas how long we would be marching for. After we had walked six hours through snow and ice without rest, we
were told that we still had 37 km to go until we would get our first break. We were all
Muselmänner
[walking skeletons] and
knew that even if any of us were even capable of doing it, we would have to march
into the night.
Every so often, someone would collapse and then the SS wouldshoot them. And so we went, on and on to Germany. And then suddenly, at about 1AM, there appeared a camp before us. We were forced into the camp and more than 1000 men were thrust into not very large barracks. It wasn’t possible to properly lie down, and barely possible to stand. People were sitting on each other. It was terrible. In one camp, (Jakobswalde), we stayed until 11AM the next day only to begin marching again. We started marching, destination unknown. But we noticed that something wasn’t right. Things were going badly behind the front. We marched at a brisk pace and without a break for twelve hours and arrived at Blechhammer at 11PM. We were met by Jewish Capos and block seniors.They were very friendly to us and said that we would continue tomorrow. We slept for the first time in four days in beds. At 4AM we were drummed out of bed for roll call and departure. We however – a few hundred who were in one of the barracks at the back – had decided, that we wouldn’t go until the SS came and collected us themselves. And we did the right thing. 700 men had followed the SS and were now leaving with them. Because the SS were in a rush and you could already here the drone of the front, the SS were satisfied with the 700 volunteers and left the rest of us to our punishment from the Russians. It wasn’t a long period of peace. The next night, an SS detachment came and took a further 400 men who had gone to the gate out of curiosity. In the camp, the prisoners were starving which led to the savage killings amongst themselves. The bread and provision stores were attacked and anybody who left carrying bread was beaten and bludgeoned until unconscious or half dead by those standing outside. Death came when those who emerged afterwards stood on the those who had been beaten and defended what they had. In the meantime, an SS annihilation troop had shown up and divided themselves amongst the watchtowers, using the people running around blow as target practice. When they were finished and they were afraid as the front got nearer and nearer, they attempted to set the camp on fire, which for all but two of the barracks they failed to do. Finally, they made themselves scarce. The camp was a terrible sight. Every couple of meters there was a dead body, half burnt or bled-out and congealed in the cold.
The bodies caused a terrible smell of plague. We lived like that for 2-3 days in the most awful fear that we would be shot at the last minute by the Germans. Even when there was no more SS in the camp,
Podpis:
Signature: Ulrich Arnheim
Protokol přijala:
Berta Gerzonová
Podpis svědků:
Signature Dita Saxlová, Helena Schicková
Za Dokumentační akci přijal:
2. X. 1945
Za archiv přijal:
Alex Schmiedt
Scheck