On 10th November at 8 o’clock in the evening I was taken away by two Kriminalbeamte in plain clothes to “an interrogation with the Kommissar vom Dienst.” Whilst I was waiting there, gradually yet more arrested men came. We were taken by taxi to the Alex. There it was said that the Kommissar had already left. We were accommodated for the night in the Polizeigefängnis in a large room, with about 250 men, where there were plank beds for sleeping. The next morning we received coffee and a piece of bread. We were then led to the yard, made to stand in rows and asked whether there was anyone over the age of 60 amongst us. Anyone who had a passport or valid ship’s papers was also released.
Those remaining behind were taken in three large lorries with covered benches to Oranienburg-Sachsenhausen by two Schupos. When we drove out of the gate of the Präsidium headquarters, c. 100 adolescent lads were standing there, loudly shouting, “Juda verrecke”.
On arrival in the camp SS men were standing ready to receive us; we had to jump off the lorry, in doing this several fell over and were kicked by the SS men. They also bellowed, “Can’t you run, you Judenschweine! [Jewish pigs]” Hats had to be removed. We then had to report on the Appellplatz and stand without moving from 2 o’clock in the afternoon until 8 o’clock in the evening, and without receiving anything to eat.
During this the Lagerführer made a speech, “You probably know why you are here. You are political vermin of the Third Reich and enemies of the National Socialist government. You do not know how to behave in accordance with the new Third Reich, you will be taught that here. You will stay here for five years, and if you do not behave properly in that time, the time can be extended to 20 years.” One of the Lagerälteste came afterwards and whispered to us, “Don’t believe what the thug says, you won’t be here for five years, you’ll all be back home again by Christmas.”
We were then led to a barrack where we had to get undressed, bathe, our hair was cut and old military clothing was given to us. The fat people amongst us got convicts’ uniforms. Then we were allocated to barracks. In each barrack 350 men were accommodated, i.e. 175 men in each wing, everyone got straw and a blanket, on the whole everything was quite clean and tidy. There were also washrooms and lavatories. Despite this it was unbelievably narrow, and the dust from the straw bothered us greatly.
For the first three days we did not have to work. We were permitted to walk around in the camp and talk. On Monday we were divided up for work. People over 45 years of age had to work three quarters of an hour away in a so-called brickworks. C. 1,500-2,000 Jews worked there. Up to Monday new arrests were still constantly taking place, then the influx stopped.
The younger men were occupied thus; they had to hold up a corner of their jacket and sand was shovelled in, with this they had to run round in a circle in order to empty it out again somewhere else. With the sand they could go at walking pace, they had to run back. This was performed from half past 7 in the morning until 3 o’clock in the afternoon with half an hour break in which one was not permitted to sit down.
In the morning porridge was provided, at work we received a third of a loaf with either a piece of brawn, fish paste or Harz cheese. As one had no paper to wrap the things in, one had to put them in the pocket as they were. During work eating was forbidden, it was only permitted to eat during the break. The SS-Verfügungstruppe was in charge.
On return at half past 4 there was Appell in the barracks yard, then we could go into the barracks to eat. The hot food consisted of soup with potatoes and sauerkraut or white cabbage. There was also frequently fish soup containing whale meat in microscopic quantities. On Sunday there was a pulse soup. There was as good as no meat at all in the food, so that one was always hungry, because whilst working in the open air [neither] the quantity, and even less the quality, of the food was adequate. Sunday was also worked. It was well organised, the food always came on time.
The worst thing during the first eight days was the march back from the work, as people were beaten dreadfully by the 17- and 18-year-old SS men who were in charge. The fat men and the plodders in particular were picked on. In my barrack there was a man who had to lie down for eight days, his back had been so badly beaten with a rifle butt.
A Herr Levy from the Jewish Winterhilfe [Hilfsverein der deutschen Juden] who weighed c. two and a half Zentner [hundredweight; c. 125 kilos] was bullied dreadfully. One evening the Blockführer-SS came and bellowed in the barracks, “Where is the fat lawyer?” He had to come out and do c. 25 Kniebeugen. He came back half conscious. Then he was told to crawl on the ceiling beams in the barrack.
One who was due to be released was asked whether something of his was missing. He replied, “A gold ring.” He had to roll around on the ground in the dust. If he gave the same answer to the repeated question he had to roll around again, and do this until he gave the answer that nothing of his was missing.
On release all civilian suit pockets had to be turned inside out, which were searched by the SS men. One man had forgotten to turn his trouser pocket inside out, because of this he was violently slapped in the face. The civilian suits had been taken away from us for cleanng, i.e. they had been boiled and rolled up wet and brought back to us like this. It goes without saying that because of this the things had become completely unwearable. Dry-cleaning establishments subsequently would no longer accept the things as they could do nothing with them and one simply had to throw them away. It was my bad luck that I had been wearing a very new suit and new winter coat which I had bought for my emigration. I had to throw both away.
There was as good as no medical care at all. There were two doctors for 3,500 people. If one had been injured whilst working then one of the medical orderlies in the barrack did the treatment, and very well indeed. They were usually former Communists who had already been in the camp for years. People with internal illnesses however were doomed, they had no treatment. There were many case of abdominal bleeding.
By means of small bribes it was possible to obtain easier work e.g. on the cement mixer or barrack building, roof tiling etc. Here elderly prisoners, usually Communists, were in charge, who looked after us very well. For only 25 Pfg. [Pfennig] or a couple of cigarettes, which could be bought in the canteen, they were very accommodating.
Everything one wanted could be bought in the canteen, though we mostly had no money to do so as that which had been sent to us was only paid out to us at long intervals and in small amounts. On release however we got everything back that had been taken from us or received for us.
Punishments were decreed for alleged neglect whilst working or unauthorised talking to Aryan professional workers who were employed there. The person in question was called upon in the evening at Appell and then had to stand bareheaded without moving for three hours by the guardhouse at the entrance gate [stehen am Tor], and it goes without saying got no supper.
A dentist, Albu, who was busy tiling the roof, had infringed the prohibition to speak and had probably slipped a couple of cigarettes to a worker, although it was only permitted to talk about work matters. He had to stehen am Tor for three evenings one after the other and was half dead on the last day.
Two fatalities occurred in my barrack. One old man of over 70 years from Schönlanke [now Pol. Trzcianka] died presumably of exhaustion or a chronic illness. A Herr Born from Brandenburgische Straße, Berlin, died from mistreatment, and in fact in the following circumstances. Everyone was asked what their occupation was. The simpler the occupation one gave, the better. Every academic was dubbed “intellectual pig". For that reason instead of pharmacist I too gave my occupation as chemist. Herr Born replied “millionaire” to the question, why I still do not know to this day. Consequently he was beaten dreadfully and kicked in the stomach. He was a rather fat man of about 40 years of age. He was also badly bullied at work. He was ill because of all this and went to the Lazarett, however he was thrown out again. Water was poured over him and as wet as he was he had to stehen am Tor in front of the guard. In doing this he literally froze.
There was also a group of 50 children, apparently a Hachshara group from Westphalia, in the camp. They were treated quite well however, they had their own barrack, and they let them play and occupied them with writing.
On release the Lagerführer gave the usual speech. We were not allowed to say anything. “Our arm reaches as far as North America. And the way back into the camp is very short.”
What was worse for us was the position of our wives and mothers, who for eight days did not know where we were, and did not give credence to any news that we were quite all right.
The activity of the Jewish community on behalf of the released men must be emphasised quite particularly. There were already two of their men in Oranienburg who looked after us and made sure that we were provided with travel tickets. Similarly we were met at the Stettiner Bahnhof [Berlin Nordbahnhof; Berlin North Station] and everyone was asked where he had to get to and whether he needed help. The men from Hamburg were taken to Rosenstraße, fed and then taken to the Lehrter Bahnhof o get the train, when again those who had no money were provided with tickets.
The destruction in the Berlin shops had been carried out thoroughly and totally for the most part. Not once did the lowered shutters hinder the wreckers. That is why they had entered the well-known clock and jewellery shop of Brandmann by tractor.
In a cigar shop ten baskets full of trampled cigars were swept up. In addition the iron stove and the till were smashed.
In a large grocery and food shop not one bottle, not one jar remained intact. Nothing was still usable, the food had been shaken out and trampled upon.
The Jews had to remove the fragments themselves, no Aryan was permitted to help with this. The police checked that. The police also asked whether any goods were missing. One replied of course that nothing had been taken away. Even so in round terms 60 looters were sent to Sachsenhausen, who had been involved in stealing the goods.
The Jews had to pay for the repair of the shop windows themselves. The insurance companies were not permitted to pay anything out to them, the insurance money was confiscated by the state. However, the Jewish community made it possible through a collection from some rich members of the community to refund their damages to all the shopowners in full.
