Report

After my wife had first been told by the Kriminalbeamte that there would be no question of my arrest, considering the completeness of my emigration papers, it nevertheless followed on Friday, 11th November 1938 in the morning. We, about 1,000 men, then went to Weimar in the custody of SS men, and there first of all had to stand for 12 hours, from 9 o’clock to 9 o’clock. After that we were ordered to remove spectacles and hats and were herded through the tunnnel at the double, pressed together in groups of 40-50 men; those standing on the outside were shoved and beaten with carbines, so that there were many bloody weals and elderly men unconscious. Then, to shouts of “damned Jew, run faster!” and similar, we were loaded onto lorries and taken to the camp [Buchenwald]. There we made our entry at the double, escorted by so-called Kapo men in blue uniforms, who carried out the supervisory duties in Buchenwald and behaved relatively well, as long as the SS were not standing behind them. We then had to stand for the entire day, lined up and without any head covering. For three days we received nothing to eat, then so little coffee that rain water tasted to us like champagne.

We were then taken to have our hair cut and had to collect and hand in the hair, because it was obviously intended to be used due to a shortage of material. Head wounds were simply cut around. We did not hear other terms of address, such as “herd of swine, herd of Jews, you’ll be shot.”

From my observation the youngest prisoner was 14 years of age, the eldest 73 years of age. The old men were treated particularly harshly. The most unbearable thing was the latrine situation, so dreadful that many simply did not eat anything for fear of having to use the latrine. We did not receive any bedlinen either and had to sleep on the bare wood without blankets. The barracks were intended for about 500 people and were occupied by 2,500; 5 beds were arranged on top of each other, the ground was clay on which those accommodated below had to sleep. The last barrack, 4a, was still being built. There was a constant shortage of water as the water was suspected of carrying typhus. Suicides happened frequently; during the night the prisoners would run into the live electric wire in their despair – I even experienced a case in which one Jew clearly driven to insanity bit through an artery with his teeth. Almost every night I heard shouting and gasping, obviously as a result of indescribable mistreatment by the SS men.

From 7 to 8 o’clock was reporting for duty. Then there was coffee which had gone cold and after that four hours of standing in a line, the midday meal, consisting of soup, potatoes and occasionally bread with cheese or herring. We had to buy dishes for RM. 3.- and pay again on release. I never received the travel money which my wife sent to me, also a card sent by me on 12th November was only posted on 26th November.

We were not provided with clothing and I did not get out of my things for the entire 14 days that I was in the camp, although they had become dirty and heavy through the eternally damp clay floor. The well-known punishments – being tied to trees with raised arms [Baumhängen] and 25 blows [25 vorm Arsch] – I have often seen carried out myself and observed that the Jews punished in this way almost always lost consciousness.

One day the order was given, “Millionaires step forward“, and when eight to ten then came forward, amongst them the well-known Schnaps-Wolff from Breslau [now Pol. Wrocław], they were led away. Obviously to get money out of them.

An elderly prisoner fell into the latrine as a result of the unbelievable condition of the seat, and died. In every barrack a Revier was set up by Jewish doctors that worked well – diabetics and those with a heart condition however were sent to their doom helplessly. The result was that every day stretchers could be seen going past carrying the dead.

Most people’s feet froze, because they could not decide to take off their damp socks and shoes. Nothing happened to me healthwise, I just lost 12 pounds. We were not provided with clothing in our barracks and therefore also did not need to work. Those who were given clothing had a Mogen Dovid on their trousers and jacket, Rassenschänder a red stripe on their backs. Rabbi Hoffmann from Breslau, who is 65 years old, broke his leg in the damp clay and went into the Lazarett. A merchant from Breslau whom I know well called X. died as a result of beatings. I was summoned by the Gestapo in Breslau on 18th November, but first released on 26th November after we had spent a full day futilely reporting for duty and, after we had been shaved, all money was taken from the wallet. There were then 108 of us who all had visas who were released and taken to a village where we were left to fend for ourselves. Before release we still had to sign different disclaimers of demands etc. as well as the Schweigepflicht, not without having our travel money taken away from us again beforehand.

On discharge it was again explained to us that our brothers in faith would have to pay for it if we said anything about the events in the camp when we were outside.

In the camp was a large zoo with birds of prey, giant vultures and condors, as well as bear pits. Each day at Appell the animal keepers would come forward and clean the cages. Because of the many predators there was an unbearable stench in the camp.

Reporter: Hermann Schwarz, businessman, formerly Breslau, Strasse der SA 171, in transit to New York

Key:

X.= Neustadt