A YEAR | IN TREBLINKA 3 AN INMATE WHO ESCAPED TELLS THE DAY-TO-DAY PACTS OF ONB YEAR OF HIS TORTUROUS EXPERIENCEA YEAR IN TREBLINKA —~.. By YaNKEL WIERNIK / An Inmate Who Escaped Tells the Day-To-Day Facts of One Year of His Torturous Experience Published by AMERICAN REPRESENTATION of the GENERAL JEWISH WORKERS UNION of POLAND 175 East BroaDwAY New York 2, N. Y.Copmighe by Avcnsican ReranseeraTion or Guwanar Jems Worknas! UNION oF PoLAND. <@o bis amazing manuscriph is THE vinst BYB-WrT- NESS REFORT on Treblinks, a German death camp in Poland, It was written by an escaped prisoner o} the camp, Jankel Wiernih, a Jewish worker from Warsaw, who spent a year there, ONE YEAR IN TREBLINKA was recently pub- lished in Poland, in the form of A CLANDESTINE BOOKLET, by the Coordinating Committee, an under- ‘giound body of the remnants of the Jewish popula- tion of Poland, which comprises the Jewish Labor Movement and the Jewish National Committee. Wiernik escaped from Treblinka during the up- rising there. The Nazi murderers slaubtered millions of Jewish men, women, children and oldsters in cold blood. Every man and woman who wishes to acquaint Himself with the criminal aspect of Naxitm and Pascisra should read Wiernil’s book. ‘The following is a VERBATIM TRANSLATION of this document:CHAPTER I Dear Reader: For your sake alone I continue to hang on to my miserable life, though it has lost all attraction for me. How can I breathe freely and enjoy all that which nature has created ? ie and again I wake up in the middle of the night moaning pitifully. Ghastly nightmares break up the sleep I so badly need. T see thousands of skeletons extending their bony arms towards me, as if begging for mercy and life, but I, drenched with sweat, feel incapable of giving any help, And then’ I jump up, rub my rejoice over it all being but a dream. My life is d, Phantoms of death haunt me, spectres of children, |dcen, nothing but children. I sacrificed all those nearest and dearest to me. I myself took them to the place of execution. I built their death-chambers for them. ‘Today I am a homeless old man without 2 roof over my head, without a family, without any next of kin, I talk to myself. I answer my own questions. I am a nomad. It is with a sense of fear that I pass through human settlements, I have a feeling that all my experiences have become imprinted on my face. Whenever 1 Jook at my reflection in a stream or pool of water, awe and surptise twist my face into an ugly grimace. Do I look like a human being? No, decidedly not. Dishevelled, untidy, run-down, It seems as if I were cattying a load of several centuries on my shoulders. ‘The load is wearisome, very wearisome, but I must for the time being. I want to and must carry it. saw the doom of three generations, must keep on for the sake of the future. The world must be told of the infamy of those barbarians, so that centuries and generations to ‘come can execrate them. And, it is I who shall cause it to happen. No imagination, no matter how daring, could possibly conceive of anything like that which I'have seen and lived through. Nor could any pen, no matter how facile, describe it properly. I intend to present everything accurately so that all the world may know what “westem culture” was like. I suffered whil illionsoF human beings to their doom, 36 that many millions of human w® 5beings might know all about it. That is what I am living for. ‘That is my one aim in life. In peace and solitude, I am constructing ‘my story and am presenting it with faithful accuracy. Peace and solitude are my trusted friends and nothing but the chirping of birds furnishes accompaniment to my meditations end labors. The deat birds, They still love me otherwise they would not chirp away so cheerfully and would not become used to me so easily. Love them as I do all of God's creatures. Maybe the birds will restore my peace of mind. Pethaps I shall some day know how to laugh agaia, Perhaps that will come to pass once I have accomplished work and after the fettrs n08 Binding us have sales ea CHAPTER I It happened in Warsaw on August 23, 1942, at the time of the blockade. I had been visiting my neighbors and never returned to my own home again, We heard the noise of tiffe fire from every direction, but had no inkling of the bitter real was intensified by the entry of German “squad leaders” (Schaar- fuehrer) and of Ukeainian fachmaennez) who yelled loudly and threatening In the street a “squad leades” arranged the people in ranks, without any distinction a5 to age or sex, performing his task with glee, a-satisfied smile on his face. Agile and quick of movement, hae was here, there and everywhere, He looked us over appraisingly, his eyes glancing up and down the ranks, With a sadistic smile he contemplated the great accomplishment of his mighty country Which, at one stoke, could chop off the ead of the loathsome wydra, He was the vi Human life meant nothing to ie8, and to inflict death and untold torture was a supreme delight, Because of his “heroic deeds,” he subsequently became { “deputy squad commander” (Unterschaa:feubret), His name was ~ Franz, He had » dog named Bacy, about which I shal speak Tater. _ Twas standing on line directly opposite my house on Wolynska Street. From there we were taken to Zamenhof Street. The ‘Uksainians divided our possessions among themselves under our very eyes, They quatrelled, opened up all bundles and assorted their contents, 6 Despite the large number of people, a deep quiet hung like a pall over the crowd, which was seized with mute despair. Or, was it resignation? And sti jorant of the truth. They photographed us as if we were animals. Part of the crowd seemed pleased and I myselé hoped to be able to zeturn home, thinking that we were being put through some identification procedure. At a word of command we got under way. And then, to our dismay, we came face to face with sack rely. Theze were-r I. road cats, empty railroad cars, waiting to receive us. It was a pic Es it and hot summer day. It seemed to us that the sun itself rebelled against this injustice, What vir children and mothers committed? Why all this? The beautiful, bright’ and radiant sun disappeared behind clouds as if Joath to look down upon our suffering and humiliation. ‘Next came the command to entrain, As many as 80 persons ‘were crowded into each car with no way of escape. I was dressed in my only pair of trousers, a shitt and a pair of low shoes. I had left a packed knapsack and a pair of high boots at home, which T had prepared hecause of rumors that we were to be taken to the Ukraine and put to work there, Our train was shunted from one track of the yard to another. In the meantime our Ukrainian ‘guards were having a good time, Their shouts and merry laughter were clearly audible. “The air in the cars was becoming stiflingly hot and oppressive, and stark and hopeless despair descended on us like a pall. I saw all of my coi in misery, but my mind was still Gable td grasp the immensity of out misfortune. I knew sulfering, brutal treatment and hunger, but I still did not realize that the hangman's merciless arm was threatening all of us, our children, our very existence. Amidst untold torture, we finally reached Malkinia, where our train remained for the night, The Ukrainian guards came into our car and demanded ou . Everyone who had any sur- rendered them just to gain a little longer lease on life. Unfortu- nately, I had nothing of value because I had left my home unexpectedly and because I had been unemployed, gradually selling all the 'vauables I possessed to keep going. In the mosing our train got under way again, We saw a train passing by filled with dishevelled, half-naked, staived people. ‘They, spoke #9 us, but_we couldn't understand “what they were saying. 7As the day was hot and sultry, we suffered greatly from thirst. Looking out of the window, I saw peasants peddling bottles of water at 100 zlotys a piece. 1 had but 10 2lotys on me in silver, ‘with Marshal Pilsudski’s effigy on them, which I treasured as souvenirs. And so, I had to forego the water. Others, however, bought it and bread too, a the price of 500 alotys for one kilogram. of rye bread. U: 1 suffered greatly from thirst. Then a German, who subsequently became the and picked out ten me got under way again and, withi We cate into the Teeblinke- Comp, Only ‘onary there did the horrible truth dawn onus. The camp yatd_was littered with cor still in their clothes and some naked, ces vide open, teuding tongues, skulls crushed, bodies mangled. And, blood everywhere, the blood‘of onr children, of ‘our brothers and sisters, our fathers and mother’ Helpless, we felt intuitively that we would not escape our destiny and would also fall victims to our executioners, Bat, what it ‘a nightmare! But what was termed “evict the great beyond under untold tortures. ‘We were ordered to detrain and leave whatever packages we had ‘with pro in the cars, CHAPTER I ‘They took us into the camp yard, which was flanked on both sides with barracks. Two large placatds contained instructions to Bre I ee tancrsteet sere at abi ander. Saivee death. All the while Ukrainian guards stood on the battack roofs, their machine guns ready. ‘The women and children were ordered to stand on the left, and the men were told to line up on the right and sit down on the ‘ground. At some distance away from us a group of men was busy piling up our bundles, which they had carried out of the trains. T managed to mingle with this group and started working myself, and here it was that I received the first blow with a whip from a 8 LL Te ee ee ern again, nother train arrived from Mi tuman cargo was corpses. We had in, under the whip lashes of the guai gruesome chore. I asked one of my wweré picked from our group, lined up five abreast, marched for some distance and ordered to kneel down. AlJ of a sudden there was a roat of machine guns and the ait was rent and yells of the victims. I never saw them again. Us ‘of blows with whips and rifle butts, the rest of us into the barracks, which were dark and had no flooring. 1 sat down on the sandy ground and ca began torturing us faces and bodies were nd erect, because if one wot_dead_as_incapable-of- anew, blows falling beaten and Sloody, stooped_over_but a -d their lust for brutality, we were split into groups. I belonged to a group that was assigned 9an ne to handle the corpses. The work was hard, because we had to centre drag a compse, in teams of two, for a distance of approximately ! a quarter of a mile. At times we tied ropes around the dead bodies One Friday, I believe it was the 28th of August, we returned to pull them to their graves. from work, with everything going off according to the usual ‘Suddenly, I saw a live, nude women in the distance. She was routine, “Attention, headgear off, headgear on,” and a speech young and good looking, but there was a demented look in her by Franz. He appointed a spokesman from amongst us and several WP) eyes. She said something to us, but we couldn’t understand he 5/| and were unable to help. She had weapped herself in a bed sh under which she was hiding a child, and was frant Jooking for shelter. Then one of the Germans saw her, of her to get into an already dug grave, and shot her and the dead. It was the first shooting I witnessed. I looked at the graves around me. I stood over one of them, — intending to throw in a corpse, when a German came up from behind and wanted to shoot me. I tumed around and asked him | what wrong I had done, whereupon he told me that I had, got up quickly and went unnecessarily, wanted to get into the grave. I explained that I had clothes, there was no gang bosses (Capos), who were to drive us to work. I Franz told us to work ha an abundance of everything, otherwise he would ‘measures, A Getman’s skill was reflected, Franz sa to master any situatior such a way that the Jews themselves crowd rithout even knowing ut to the yard. Since we slept to dress and accordingly we executed wanted to throw the cor Y } the order quickly, forming tanks. The commands were gi | ‘We had to carry or drag yepses on the run, since the slight- the Polish language, and by and large we were treated | est infraction of the rules meant severe beating. The corpses had ‘Franz again delivered a speech in which he said that fro | been lying around for quite some time and decomposition was 4 con everybody was going to work at his trade, already setting in, making the air foul with the stench of putre- ‘The first to be called were specialists in the building trades, and faction. It often happened that an atm or a leg fell off when I reported as a master construction worker, All those in that group ‘we put straps on them in order to be able to drag them away. were separated from the others. There were fifteen of us in the ‘Thus_we worked from dawn to dusk, without food or water, construction group to which Ukrainians were assigned as guards. on what would some day be our own graves. Practically all of ‘One of them, a private first class by the name of Kostenko, did us were being watched, either by a German holding a whip ot a not look dangerous, The second, Andcejev, a “guard,” Ukrainian militiaman armed with a rifle. While working, we was of medium size, robust, with a sound red face, a kind and were beaten on the head. At a distance stood a gravedigging level-headed man. The third one, Nikoda, was short, skinny, machine, ‘mean, with malevolent eyes, a sadistical ined type. There ‘When we returned to our barracks at ni for the men we had met the day before find them for they were no longer amon, ‘worked on assorting the bundles fell vict t, each of us looked | were also two other Ukrainians, armed with , we could not stand guard over us. We were marched to the forest and ordered to dismantle the barbed wire entanglements, as well as to cut timber. Kosteako and les, who were to Because they were starved, they pilfered food from the packages, Andrejev were very gentle and lenient with us. Nikoda, h and upon being caught, they were marched to the nearest open used the whip freely. Strictly speaking, there were no pro! grave and a quick bullet cut their miserable existence short. The among those th een picked for the construction gang, but fentire yard was littered with parcels, valises, wearing apparel, ‘not wanting to handle corpses, they reported as carpenters, and Kknapsacks discarded by the victims before they met their doom. I spent four days doing work with the corpses and living under those appalling conditions. were freely whipped and mocked. ‘At noon we stopped working and retuned to the barracks for ‘our meal, which consisted of soup, groats and mildewed bread. 10 | Ww i OnUnder normal conditions, a meal unfit to be eaten, but, starved and tired as we were, we ate it all. sme to fetch us back to work, at which , when we returned to the barracks. routine, commands, etc. On that particular day there were many Germans around, Franz with his dog among them. All of a sudden, he asked, with a smile on his face, whether any of us knew the German language. Approximately fifty men stepped forward, whereupon he ordered out and form a separate group, smiling to allay who were days went by. We worked on the same assignment and lived under the same con Tworked with one of my for days, side by side, and fate was mitaculously kind to us. Perhaps it was because we were both professionals in our trade or because we had been destined to witness the sufferings of ous brethren and look at their tortured corpses. Our work proved satisfactory to our overseer, who showed us considerable kindness and even gave us each a piece of bread, which was quite a treat, since we were practically starving to death. Some people, in order to avoid a form of death, of which I shall speak later, voluntarily starved themselves until death claimed them. ‘A few days later a Germen master builder arrived with an assistant and the construction work got under way. There was a dearth of bricklayers, although many pretended to be skilled Iaborers to avoid handling corpses. Most of those men, however, had been killed off. Once, whie doing some bricklaying, I noticed aman I had known in Warsaw. His name was Razanowicz. had a black eye from which be shot. An engineer from Warsaw by the name of Ebert and his son also worked with us, but within a short time they, too, were executed, Fate spared me nothing, ‘The next job for my colleague and myself was hewing and dressing lumber. It was hard work for the both offs. For 25 years Thad not done such work ané my colleague was a cabinet maker by profession and not very adept with an axe but, with my help, he managed to hold on to the job. I am a catpenter by trade, but for many years I functioned as a member of the examining board 12 of the Warsaw Trades Chamber. Meanwhile eight more days of hard existence, which beggars description went by. CHAPTER V ‘The Treblinka Camp was divided into two sections. In Camp No. 1, there was a tailtoad siding and a platform for unloading human freight, and also a large open space, where the baggage of the new arrivals was piled up. Jews from foreign countries brought considerable luggage with them. Camp No. 1 also con- tained what was called the “hospital”, a long building measuring 60x18X6 feet, Two men worked there. They wore white aprons and had red crosses on their sleeves, and posed as doctors. They selected the elderly people and those who were ill, from the transports, and made them sit on a long bench with their faces towards an open grave, Germans and Ukrainians were lined up the bench and shot the victims through the neck, ‘The corpses fell right into the grave. Any time a number of corpses accumulated, they were piled in a heap and set on fir. Bazracks housing the Germans and Ukrainians stood at a dix tance, and so did the camp office, the Jewish workers’. sundry shops, stables, pig sties, a food storage house and an atms depot. Motor cars were parked in the yard. To the casual observer camp presented a rather innocent appearance and made the imps sion of 2 genuine labor camp. Camp No, 2 was quite different. It contained a barracks for the workers a laundry, a small laboratory, quarters for seventeen use and a , and there were steel wire entanglements between these losures. Ukrainians stood on guard along th wire enclosure. ‘The entire camp (sections one and two) was sutrounded with a barbed wire fence 12 feet high, disguised by sapli towers stood in the camp yard, each four stories high, and six one storied observation towers, Fifty yards beyond the last outer enclosure, there were tank traps. When I arrived at the camp, three gaschambers had already 13been in operation, and two more were added during my stay. A gaschamber measured 15 x 15 feet and was about seven feet high. The outlet on the roof had a hermetic cap. ‘The chamber ‘was equipped with a gas pipe inlet and a baked tile floor slanting towards the platform. The brick building housing the gas cham- bers was separated from Camp No. 1 by a wooden wall. This ‘wooden wall and the brick wall of the building, together, formed a corridor, ‘The chambers were connected wi a hermetically fitted iron door leading into each of the chambers. On the side of Camp No. 2 the chambers were connected by 2 platform which ran along all three chambers. The platform stood above the level of the ground. There was also a hermetically fitted wooden door on this side. Each chamber had a door on the side of Camp No. 2, which opened only from the outside by lifting it with iron supports and could be closed by iron hooks set into the sash-frames and is were admitted to the chambers through the doors leading from the corridor, the remains of the gassed victims were dragged out through the doors on the side of Camp No. 2, ‘The power plant operated alongside the chambers. It supplied Camps No. 1 and No, 2 with electric current. A motor, secured from 2 dismantled Soviet tank stood in the power plant and was used to pump the gas which was Jet into the chambers by connecting the motor with the inflow ich death overcame the hapless victims ity of combustion gas admitted into the $8 eyes, but was, nevertheless, a sadist. He often attacked us while = | 01 the floor and whipped us brutally. While doing this, his face 53) showed sadistic satsfacion and he laughed and joked. He finished zg <3) off the gas victims according to his mood at the moment. The & SJ cthee machinist was called Nicholas. He had a: pale face feng’ ae - the same mentality as Ivan. \Lalatost sent insane on the day when I frst dw men, women and children being lec into the house of death. I pulled my hair and shed bitter tears of despair. I suffered most when I looked at Idren, accompanied by their mothers or walking alone, entirely ignorant of the fact that within a few minutes 4 we worked and nailed our ears to the wall or made us lie down / b yi their lives would be snuffed out under horrible tortures. Theit eyes glowed with fear and still more, perhaps, with amazement. Jk seemed as if the questions: What is this! What for and why?” ‘were frozen on their lips. But, seeing the stony expressions on the faces of their elders, they matched their behavior to the oc- casion. They either stood motionless or pressed tightly against each other or against their parents, tensely awaiting their grue- some end Suddenly, the entrance door would fly open and out would come Ivan, holding a gas pipe, and Nicholas, bran saber. At a signal, they would begin admitting the victi taneously beating them mercilessly. The yells of the women, the weeping of the children, cries of despair and misery, begging for mercy, for God's vengeance ring in my ears to this day, mak- ing it impossible for me to forget the misery which I witnessed. Between 450 and 500 persons were crowded into a chamber measuring 125 square feet. Parents carried their children in the vain hope that the latter would thus escape death. On the way to their doom, they were pushed_and-beaten with cifle buts and the gis oipe. Dogs were set on them, barking, biting and tearing at them. To escape the blows and the dogs, the crowd rushed to its death, pushing into the chamber, the stronger ones shoving the weater ones ahead. The bediam lasted only a short while, for the doors were shut tightly with a bang. The chamber was filled, the motor turned on and connected with the in-flow tubes, and, within 25 minutes at the most, all were stretched out dead or, to be more accurate, stood dead. There being no free space, they just leaned against each other. ‘They no longer shouted, because the thread of thei lives had ‘They no longer had any needs or desires. Mothers iidren tightly in their arms. Thete were no more friends nor enemies, “There was no ‘There was no longer any beauty of ugl from the gas. There were no longer any rich or poor, for all were equal before God's throne, And, why all this? That is the question I keep asking myself. My life is hard, very hard. But, I mast live to tell the world about thé barbarism and all those foul deeds. As soon as the gassing was over, Ivan and Nicholas investigated the results, passed over to the other side, opened the door leading to the patform, and proceeded to heave out the gassed victims 1s¢ Their gang boss stood near them. from working all day on the construction job, but there wwas no one to appeal to and_we had to obey. We could have sefuséd, bot that szould have meant a whipping or death in the same manner, sowe obeyed without grumbling. ‘We worked under the supervision of a "Hauptmann, a medium sized, bespectacled man whose name I do not know. He whi us and yelled at us. When I looked at him questi stopped beating me for a moment and said: “If you wer carpenter, you would be killed.” I looked around and saw that almost all the workers were sharing my fate, A pack of dogs, as well as Germans and Ukrainians, were attacking us. Almost a fourth of the workers were killed and the rest of us heaved the corpses into the graves without any further ado. It was my luck that when the “Hauptmann” left, the “deputy squad com- ‘mandes” relieved me from work. Between ten and twelve thousand people were gassed daily. ‘We built a narrow gauge track and drove the corpses, on a roll- ing platform, to the graves. ‘One time, after a heavy day’s work we were marched to Camp ‘No. 2 instead of Camp No. 1. The picture it presented was entirely different and I shall never forget it. ‘The blood froze in my veins. The yard was littered with thousands of corpses, corpses of the most recent victims, Germans and Ukrainians were barking orders loudly and brutally beating the workers with rifle butts and sticks. The faces of the hapless workers were bloody, their eyes hhad been torn by dogs. iackened and their cl ‘Two watch towers, both two storied, stood at the entrance of .Camp No. 2. They were both ascended by means of ladders, ~ and Gn these ladders some victims were being tortured. Legs were placed between the steps and the gang boss held the victim's head downward in such a way that the poor devil while he were being beaten mercilessly, the least _puni being 25 lashes. I saw ene for the first ‘The moon and the reflector lights illuminated sacte of the living and the corpses that were the place, ‘The moans of the tortured combined with the swishing ‘of the whips made an infernal_sound. sas oe In Camp No.2, T saw a number of people I had known in ‘Warsaw, but they had changed so much that it was difficult to 16 recognize them. They had been beaten, starved and mistreated. T did not see them very long, for new faces and new friends ‘came. It was 4 continuous coming and going, and death without end, I leamed to look at every live person as a prospective corpse in the nearest Fature. I appraised him with my eyes and thought ‘who was going to carry him to his grave it. Te was terrible but, living under such conditions, could, can get used to anything CHAPTER VI ‘One of the most efficient systems in the world is the German system, There are authorities upon authorities, departments and subdepartments, And, what is most important, there is always the cight man in the sight place. Whenever ruthless determina- tion and a complete destruction of “vicious and subversive ele- come necessary, good patriots can always be found execute every order. Men can always-be found_who ly to destroy and kill their feflow men. I never saw them show aniy compassion’ OF Fegiet. They never evinced any pity over the fate of innocent victims. They were automatons, who per- form their given tasks as soon as some higher-up presses a button. Such human hyenas always find a wide field for activity in. times road of evil is easier and are 1 Vicious ty jin disteputable resorts and carry on their subversive activities there, Today, all ethics have become super fluous. ‘The more vicious and depraved one is, the higher the pposition one occupies, Preferment depends on how much one has destroyed, on how many one has killed. People, whose hands dtip with the blood of innocent victims, are being paid homage to, and there is no need to wash those hands. On the contr are held aloft so that the world may pay them honor. The dirtier yee and hands, the higher the grade of glory their I achieve. i + amazing characteristic of the Getmans is their ability to discover, among other peoples, hundreds of depraved types like themse-ves, and to use them for their own ends. In camps v a —CCti(;(‘(N.U(i#éti4#éwedee eeeie for Jews, there is a need for Jewish executioners, spies,_stool pigeons; The Germans managed to find them, to find such vile Cleafures as Moshko from tke vicinity of Slonim, Itzig Kobyla from Warsaw, Chaskel the thief, and Kuba, a thief and a pimp, both Warsaw born and bred. CHAPTER VII ‘The new construction job between Camp No, 1 and Camp No. 2, on which I worked, was accomplished in a very short time. Tt tumed out that we were building ten additional gas: chambers, more spacious than the old ones with a capacity of about 150 square feet. As many as 1,000 to 1,200 persons could be crowded into one gas-chamber. The building was laid out according to the costidor system, with five chambers on cach side of the corridor. Each chamber had two doors, one door leading into the corridor through which the victims were ad- mitted, and the other door, facing the camp, was used to remove the corpses. The construction of both doors was the same as that of the doors in the old chambers. The building, when viewed from Camp No. 1, showed five wide concrete steps with baskets of flowers on cither side. Next came a long corridos. The Star of David stood on top of the 1oof facing the camp. The building looked like an old temple. When the construction was finished, the “Hauptsturmfuehrer” said to his subordinates: “Jew town has at last been completed”. PThe work on these gas-chimbers lasted five weeks, which, to- us, seemed Tike centuries. We had to work from dawnto dusk eee index the censetess-thieat of beatings with whips and rife butts One of the guards, Woronkov, tortured us merciless! a few of the laborers each ¢ay. Although out physical sufi surpassed the endurance of normal human beings, our sj sufferings were far worse. New transports of victims arrived eich day. They were oidered to disrobe immediately and were led to the three old gas-chambers, going past us og the way. Many of us saw our children, wives and members of our families among the victims, And, when on the impulse of heartache, one rushed to his kin, he was killed on the spot. We constructed _death- chambers for ourselves-and_our_brethten undef Such conditions. ‘After the work on the gas-chambers had been completed, I 18 was shifted to Camp No. 1 where I had to build a barber shop. Before killing the women, the Germans cut their hair off and preserved it carefully. However, I never learned what purpose the hair served. Pee were still in Camp No. 2 but, because of a dearth of mechanics I was taken each day to Camp No. 1, with “Deputy, Spalpsenoie’ Beanie cae Pee BS years old, tall, humane and_kind,-He-understood and pitied us. \ yyy "The first time he came_to-Camp-No.2 and saw the heaps of corpses of the gas victims, he paled and looked at them with, fear Snd-pij_He Teft with me at once in order to get out of sight of the gruesome scene, He treated_us workers very well. Frequently, he_surreptituously br some food fror Gernian_kitthen. His kind disposition was reflected in his eyes, Bar Te was afraid of his colleagues to whom he never spoke. Every deed and move of his showed his forthright character. While working in Camp No. 1, many transports arrived. ach tne a transport came, the women and children were diven into the barracks at once, whilé the men were Kept in the yard. ‘The former Were ordered to undress, and the women, anticipating ‘a chance to bathe, unpacked towels and soap. The brutal guards, however yelled orders for quiet, and kicked and dealt out blo ‘The children wept, while the adults moaned and screamed. ‘was no help, the whips were stronger. ‘The women and girls were then taken to the barber shop to have their hair clipped. Then they were taken, through another exit, to Camp No, 2 where, in freezing weather, they had to in the nude, waiting their turn to enter the gas-chamber, had not as yet been cleared of the preceding batch of . the winter, small children, stark naked_and_bare- ef, had to stand out in the open for hours on end, awaiting thee tmoa 2 the increasingly busy gas-chambers, The soles of their feet Iroze and stuck to the icy ground, They stood and wept, and some of them froze to death. In the meantime, Germans and Ukrainians walked up and down the ranks, striking and kicking the victims. A German named Zopf was a vile and savage beast, who took special delght in abusing children, When he pushed women around anc they begged him to desist because of the children, he frequently snatched a child out of a woman's arms and either 19tore it in halé or grabbed it by the legs and smashed its head against a wall and threw the corpse away. Such incidents were by no means isolated and scenes as tragic as that occurred at every turn. ‘The men endured tortures far worse than the women, They hhad to undress in the yard, make a neat bundle of their clothing, carry the bundle to a designated spot and deposit it on the pile, ‘They then had to go into the barrack whete the women were undressing and carty the latter's clothes out and arrange them properly. “After this task, they were lined up in ranks, and the Strongest and best built among them were then subjected to tortures, being beaten in a most fiendish manner, until blood flowed freely. ‘Then, all the women, men, oldsters and children had to fall into line and proceed from Camp No. 1 to the gas-chambers in Camp No, 2. Along the pxh leading to the chambers there food a shack in which some functionary sat who demanded that ables be surrendered. The unfortunate deluding themselves that they would remain alive, tried hiding wi they could. But the German fiends managed to find everyt if not on the living then later on the dead, Everyone approaching the shack had to lift his arms high and thus the entire procession fof death passed in silence, with arms raised high, into the gos chambers. ‘A Jew, sclected by the Gernans to function as boss”, stood at the entrance of the buil He urged everyone to hurry, o: the water would get « irony! With yells and blows, the people were then driven into the chambers. ‘The motor in the new chambers was defective, and tie hapless ims had to suffer for hours on end before they died. Satan self could not have devised a more fiendish torture. When the chambers were opened again, many of the victims were only half dead and had to be ‘nished off with rifle butts, bullets ‘or powerful kicks. People were often Kept in the chambers ovegnight with the ‘motor not tutned on at all. Overcrowding and Jack of air killed a large percentage of them in : very painful way. Hower. survived the ordeal of such nights, the children, part showing a remarkable degree of resistance. They were sti 20 a -- YF \, members of the camp were massacred onthe spot in ‘\fiendish manner with blunt tools..— aoe ne when dragged out in the morning, but revolver o Cases ade are souoc dee VAR BL ae ‘The Gernan fiends were especially elated when transports of victims from foreign countries arrived, because such deportations caused great indignation abroad. Not to arouse suspicion as to what was in store for the deportes, they passenger trains and permitted to take essent The people were well dressed and brought considerable of food ard wearing apparel with them, During the jo they had service and even a dining car in the tr attival ther were faced with stark reality. They from the tiains and subjected t supplies along. when as miny as 20,000 people were gassed in-one day. AlLwe heard was shouting, weeping and mo: “Those who were I alive'W de the work"around the camps, could neither eat keep from weeping on days when the transports arrived. ‘The less resistant s, especially members of the white-collar dass e akdownsand-committed_ suicide by hanging, waen they returned to the barracks at in henttted the corpses all day, thei and moans of the martyred v. abuse and tor- mn them by the gang bosses and the Germans, sport arrived from Warsaw, and from it some men were selected as workers for Camp No, 2. Among the wa few “Thappered-to-be working in the woods, dressing lumber, in stare tae Fro cnet spsocelaiota oc eke cal me oldsters and men passed through that spot of death. All one could hear was the yelling of the the victims walked in silence, Off and on a child wo 21 MAIN coller's brutal fingers w: grip cutting off the last pl people all walked with uplifted arms, stark naked and helpless. CHAPTER VILL Buildings, in which the Ukrainian militiamen had their quarters, stood between the two camps, The Ukrainians were constantly drunk, and sold whatever they managed to steal in the camps in otder to secure drinking money. The Germans watched them and frequently took the loot away from them, When they had eaten and drunk their fill, the Ukrainians looked around for other pleasures. They frequently selected the best looking Jewish maidens from the transports of nude women passing their quarters, d:agged them into their barracks, raped them brutally and then delivered them to the death-chambers. ‘After having been outraged by their executioners, the girls died a martyr’s death in the ges-chambers. icl fell out of line, jumped, nude 2s she was, over and started escaping in our direction. The d this and started pursuing her. One of them almost reached her but, as he was too close to her for a shot, she wrenched the rifle from him. It wasn’t easy to trade shots since there were guards all around and there was the danger ‘of wounding innocent bystanders, The Ukrainians saw red. A shot from the rifle she held wounded one of them. In her fury, the girl struggled -with bis comrades. She managed to fire another shot, which hit another Usrainian, whose arm had to be amputated as a result of the shot, At last they seized her. Poor girl! She paid dearly for her courage. She was mercilessly beaten, J upon, kicked and, finally, killed. She was our nameless heroine ‘ranspoit one day arrived from Germany and the new-ai 5 Js were put through the usual routine, When the people 2°)9/ were ordered to undress, a woman stepped forth with her two Sw | children, both boys, She presented proofs of identity showing that }\ | she was of pure German stock, and had boarded that train by 8 mistake. All het documents were found to be in order and her two sons were not circumsized. She to her children whom she tried to soothe by saying that their troubles would. soon be ee ‘up and they would return home to theit-father. She had 22 tears ia her eyes while she was saying this, because she was haunted by a terrible foreboding. to step forward. Thinking that this ‘meant freedom for her and the children, she relaxed. But, alas, it was decided that she was to perish together with the Jews, because she had seen too much and would be li spread information which perforce had to be Kept_a secret. Whoever crosse1_Teeblinka’ ie, and that Germin woman,together with her children, went to her death with she others. Her children wept just as the Jewish children l, for in death there is no racial distinction, all are equal. in Camp No. 1, I managed to ascertain who certain Jews were I had seen wearing yellow patches. They were men of vatious free professions and craftsmen who had been left over from previous transports, They were the ones who had built ‘Treblinka. he war was over, they hoped to become free ‘once more, but fate decreed otherwise. It would not do to leave witnesses who could identify the spot where those fiendish tor- tures were carried out. Ammng these men there were jeweless who appraised the stocks of precious metal, of which there was a lot. The sorting and classifying was done in a separate barrack to which no special guard was assigned, for the men were trusted. Where would they dispose of their ings, if any? Whatever they managed to stetl would eventually get back to the Germans again. is al the sight of gold, althoxgh they knew nothing about its value, It sufficed to give them something that glittered and to tell them th ‘When evictions were being carried out, the Ukraini peoples’ homes and demanded gold. They did so without the knowledge of the Germans and, of course, applied terroristic methcds, They took whatever was given them, Theit gecedy and savage and caused fear and lo: Uktaiaians were natives of Bes, hers had girls in the vicinity to whom they liked to make gifts. A part of their plunder was always in liquor. ‘When they noticed that the Jews worked on the gold under practizally no control, they began coercing them to steal. The Jews were coinpelled to deliver diamonds and gold to the Ukrainians 23sz. sna nse ges PREBYLINK A. Ssxkie orjenta AOLSATW IC anes e oS os op So pes ot to es Sujpitie cs 3 Sia) pte3 = =-522-55- 2 ° Le siete oe i ao Ea ees =< VMVZSUWM ro Sars Hs Zywoplot preeplatany aruten kohcsastya, — Plot 2 drutu kolesastego Parkan 2 desek at ao 24, £900 Pitas \Xo.0, = punkt obserwecy jnys Bc aonsor be killed. Day after day, a band of Ukrainians took valuables from the treasure room, A German noticed this and the Jews, of ‘course, had to pay the penalty. They were searched and the search disclosd gold and precious stones on their persons. They could not claim that they stole under pressure, as it would have been of no avail, They were tortured and now their lot was worse than that of the camp laborers. Only half of them were left alive out of 150 men, and those who survived suffered hunger and desti- tution and the tortures they had to endure was not of the common variety "The entice yard was littered with a vatiety of attcles, for all those people left millions of items of weating apparel behind them. Since they all assumed that they were being deported to ‘an unknown destination and not being sent to their death, they took their best an most essential possessions with them. The camp yard in Treblinka was filled with all one’s heart might desire and rere-were-burge quantities of everything. In passing, I saw 2 profusion of fountain pens, real tea and coffee and the ground was literally strevin with candy, Transports of people from abroad were wel. supplied with fats, All transportees were fully confident that they were going to live. Jews were pur to working at soiting the plunder, acranging things systematically as every item had to secve a definite pur- pose. Everything the Jews left behind had its value and its place, but the Jews themseives had none. Jews had to steal what they could and tum the stolen articles over to the Ukrainians. If they failed to do so, the Ukrainians killed them, If caught red-handed at stealing, they were killed on the spot. The traffic, however, con- tinued, a new accomplice taking over where the previous one left off, In that way the chosen few lived between the devil and the deep sea. ‘Once a transport of seventy Gypsies from near Warsaw was brought in. ‘Thee men, women and children were destitute. All they had was some soiled underwear and ragaed clothes. When they came into the yard, they were glad. They thought they had entered an enchanted palace, No less glad were the hangmen for they wiped them out just as they did the Jews. Within a few hours all was quiet and nothing was left but their corpses. 26 CHAPTER IX It was practically decided that I should remain in Cat ! camp No. 1 ema fermann, the master builder, and a ieee miker from Bohemia, made efforts to that effect, because they aad no such craftsmen as I and needed me. However, in mid- see) 1942, an order came for all inmates of Camp No. 2 a eae ce ‘no appeal against this order, we forth- it proceeded to Camp No, 2 without even tarying long enough ‘The first sight that met gy t met my eyes upon my return was the cor of recently gassed vietins on whom dentists had worked, eae ing theis artificial teeth with pliers. Just one look at this ghastly ze intensified my disgust with life. The dentists assorted ents oe poral to their value. Of course, what te B Shwha cones iged to lay their hands on remained in I worked for a while in Cam i it F ip No. 2 repairing the kitchen. ers in, Camp No. 1 were being given identifications con- see triangular badges of leather, Each group had a different color, and the badges were worn on the left side of the chest. tumors circulated that we workers in Camp No. 2 would also receive numbers but for the time being nothing came of it. At any rate, some system hed been introduced s0 that no stranger min, i rea aCe Mansport could smuggle in, a5 Thad done, to We began to suffer greatly f, is ly from the cold and they started issu- ing blankets to us. In my absence from Camp No.2, a eae shap had been lA baker from Warsaw functioned as its foreman. His job was to construct stretchers for carrying corpses am ee ees to the graves. The stretchers were con- cimitively, jy structed most primitive, just two poles with pieces of board ‘The “Hauptsturmfuehter” and the two command: 4 lants ordered me to build a laundry, a laboratory and an accommodation for 15 women All ofthese stuctures were tobe built from old mate tial. Jewish-owned buildings in the neighborhood were being dis- ‘antled at that time. T rognized them as such from the house numbers. I selected my cew and started the job, I brought in some of the new lumber from the woods myself, Time flew fast on the job; the days fitted by one after the other. The gruesome 27sights one saw continually became commonplace and I grew callous. We were fed badly, transports ceased to arrive, hence there were no hapless purveyors of food and old supplies were only grudgingly issueé. All we had to ext was mildewed bread which we washed down with water. Malnutrition caused an epi- demic of typhoid. Anyone stricken with it was not given medica- tion nor a bed. A bulet through the neck and all was over. At that time Katyn was being much talked about by the Ger- mans, who used the topic for propaganda purposes. Accidentally, wwe got hold of a newspaper from which we learned about atrocities, According t) rumors, Himmler himself had come to idents and ordered be burned, and there were plenty of corpses to burn. ‘There was no id but the Germ: ce they were, for ne being, masters 1¢ land which they had wrested ftom us by brute force, Thiey were loath to leave any t traces behind them, so it became find some way to remove all evidence. ions ther got under way. Again the corpses of oldsters, children, women and men were exhumed, Whenever a grave was opened, a te:tible stench polluted the air, as the bodies were in an advanced stage of puttefaction, It turned out that ‘women burned easier than men. Accordingly, corpses of women were used for kindling the fires Since cremation was hard work, rivalry set in between work gangs as to which of them would burn a greater number of bodies. Bulletin boards were rigged up and the daily score was marked down. The results were very poor. The male corpses woul burn at all, although they were sprinkled with benzine. The ex- pense was considerable and the results inadequate, Whenever an airplane was noticed flying overhead, the work was discontinued for the moment and the corpses were covered with foliage as cam- ouflage against aerial chservations. ‘The sight was terrifying, the worst that human eyes have ever beheld. When corpses of pregnant women were cremated, the abdomen would burst open, and the burning of the foetus inside the mother's body would become visible. However, this made no ion whatsoever on the German killers, who stood around ching, as if at a badly functioning machine which produced 28 At last an “Oberschaarfuehrer” with an "SS" badge pinned to hhis tuniz came to the camp and what he introduced was a veritable hell, He was about 45 years old, medium sized, with a perpetual smile on his face. His seemingly kind face belied a villainous soul. He got pure pleasure from looking at the burning corpses, and the flames licking at them were a precious phenomenon to him, which hhe caressed with his eyes. This is the way he got the hell started, He put a macti exhuming the corpses into opetation, which could, in one dig up many, many dead bodies. A fire grate made of rail ies was laid out on cement foundations, and workmen had to the corpses on the grating and set them on fire. I amnot a young man and I have seen a lot in my lifetime, but Lucifer himself could not possibly have devised a worse hell. Can you imagine 3,000 corpses, recently alive, burning all at once oon such an immense pyre? Looking at the faces of the dead, one can ordnarily think that they might arise momentarily and awaken from theit deep slumber. But here, at a given signal, they set the giant tcrch on fire and it burned with a huge flame. If one stood nearby, one could well imagine hearing moans from the lips of jose martyrs, and children calling their mothers. Horzor and pity overwhelmed one, but one still stood by and continued the ‘ghastly task. ‘The Germans stood around with satanic smiles on their faces, faction over their foul deeds. They drank toasts with choice liquots, ate, caroused and enjoyed themselves near the warm fire. Thus, even after death, the Jew was of some use. ‘Thougl: the weather was bitter cold, the pyres threw off heat like that froma stove. Aad thé heat came from the burning bodies of Jews. The Getman fiends stood-warming themselves, driaking, eating and At last the fires died down, leaving nothing but athes, which went to enrich the silent soil. Human blood and , which could tell a lot human ashes! What a fertilizer for the s were it only able to talk. Day in and day out the poor toilers labored with the corpses and collapsed from physical exhaustion and mental anguish, While they suffered, the fiends rejoiced, each+day perfecting the hell they created. Tt gave light and warmth, and all traces of the condemned were being obliterated. What of it if our hearts bled! ‘The “Oberschaarfuehrer,” who devised this infemno sat by the 29fire, laughing, fondling it with his eyes. It meant the realization of his perverted dreams and wishes. The cremation of the corpses proved 2 complete success, The Germans built additional firegrates and augmented the crews serv- ing them, so that from 10 to 12 thousand corpses were cremated at one time. The result was one huge inferno, which from the distance looked like a volcano breaking through the easth’s crust to belch forth fire and lava. The pyres sizzled and crackled. Smoke and heat made it impossible to remain close by. ‘The new transposts were handled in a simplified manner, cre- mation following directly after gassing. ‘Transports were now arriving from Bulgaria, comprising wealthy people who carried large supplies of food with them. They were killed off just as the others, but we benefitted from the supplies they brought. As a result, our food improved considerably. The Bulgarian Jews were strong and husky specimens. Looking at them, it was hard to believe that after twenty minutes in the gas-chambers, they would all be dead and gone, ‘They were not permitted to die easily. A small amount of gas was blown into the chambers so that their death agony lasted through the night. They also had to endure severe tortures before entering the gaschambers, Envy of their sd appearance prompted the executioners to maltreat them all the more. One day, a teansport artived in Treblinka when we were already locked in our barracks for the night. Accordingly, the Germans and the Ukrainians took care of the victims without our help. All of a sudden we heard yells and reports of heavy rifle fire, We stayed put and waited impatiently for morning to come, so that we could learn what had happened. When day came we saw that the yard was littered with corpses. While we were working, the Ukrainian guards told us that the people who hhad come on that transport refused to be led into the chambers and had begun a dramatic resistance. They smashed all they could lay their hands on and broke open the chests with gold that stood in the corridor leading to the chambers. They wielded sticks and every weapon they could get hold of to defend, themselves, ‘The unequal struggle ended soon, and by morning the yard was strewn with dead bodies and the improvised weapons the Jews had wielded in their last fight for i as well as those vho died from gas, 30 — At dawn it was all over and the rebels were cremated, To us it ‘Was one more warning that we could not hope to escape our fate, CHAPTER X About that time, the camp discipline became stricter, a guard- hhouse was built, the number of guards increased and a telephone installed in Camp No. 2. We were short of hands for work, and 50 men were sent from Camp No, 1. Not being satisfactory, they were finished off after 2 few days. In that they constituted poor labor material, they were not worth the food required to keep them ve. ‘The "Schaarfuchrer" and the master carpenter, a German ftom Bohemia who I have already mentioned, came to me for advice about the construction of a four story observation tower. He was very satisfied when I gave him the required information and re- ciptocated by bringing me some bread and sausage. I made the specifications for the lumber and screws and proceeded with the construction. Whenever I started on a new job, I knew that my life would be spared for a few weeks longer because as long as they needed me, they would not kill me. When I built the first tower, the “Hauptsturmfuehret" came and praised me greatly, and ordered me to build three more such towers around Camp No. 2. ‘The guard in camp was increased and it became impossible to get from one camp to the other. Seven men. joined in a plot to dig a tunnel through which to escape. Four of them were caught, and wete fiendishly tortured for an entire day, which in itself was worse than death. In the evening, when all hands returned from work, an assembly was called and the four men were pul hanged. One of them, Mechel, a Jew from Warsaw, yell before the noose was tightened on his Long Tix Sle Maha Some among us were very religious, saying prayers each day. A German by the name of Karol, who was Deputy Commandant them, He even gave them a "tal devotions and, when one of the men died, he gave permission to bury him with the usual ritual and to erect a tombstone for him, I advised the men not to do it, as the dead would be exhumed 31and bumed after our tormentors had had their fun watching the ceremony. The ed to heed my advice but they found out in due time that I had beea right. April, 1943, came aiound, and transports b from Warsaw. ‘These people were treated brutality, due to the armed struggle, which raged Ghetto at that time, the women even more harshly than the men, Women with n were picked out, led up to the fires and, after the executioners had had their fill of watching the ters stricken women and children, the latter were killed right by pyres and thrown into the flames. The women fainted from fear and the brutes dragged them to the fires. Panicstricken, the chil- dren threw themselves ia their mothers’ arms, The women begged th eyes closed so as to shut out the sight of theic indings, but their tormentors only made faces and kept their victims in agonizing suspense for minutes on end, While batch of women ard children was being killed, othets stood turn. Time and again children were dragged ' ans and tossed into the flames alive, their totmentors laughed, urging the mothers to jump hero into the fire after their children, mocking them because of cowardice. ‘A number of men from Camp No. 1 were sent into our camp as workers, They were tesribly frightened and afraid to talk to us, for Camp No. 1 was known to have a very stern discipline. After ‘a while, however, these men quieted down and gave us to under- stand that mutiny was planned in Camp No. 1 and would take place in the end. We wanted to establish contact with the inmates of Camp No. 1, but no opportunity presented itself, for there were watch towers and guards all around. We decided that by Spring we would either try for freedom or perish ‘About that time I cought a cold and fell ill with pneumonia. All sick people were being killed cither by shooting of injections, but it seems that they needed me. Accordingy, they gave me what medical attention and care was feasible. A Jewish physician at- tended me, examined me every day, administered medications and consoled me. My German superior, Lefler, brought me food: butter and cream. Whenever he confiscated any food s of food regulations, he shared it ge to live and what medical ir bit and, even under the conditions I lived in, to come in 32 1 recovered, Back to work I went to finish the construction of the observation towers. ‘One day the “Hauptsturmfuerhret” accompanied by the camp commindant and my superior, Lefler, came to see me. They asked whether I would undertake the building of @ blockhouse. It was to be constructed of logs and serve as a guard-house in Camp No. 1, When I began explaining to him how the job should be done, he turned to his companions and remarked that I had undes- stood him in a flash. “There wasn't any lumber or building material on hand. W to cut wood with saws. I suggested making a shingle roof, we had to make the shingles ourselves. As a result, I was able to ‘make things easier for 2 good many camp inmates, who were relieved from the work on corpses and were assigned to assist me. I built the blockhouse in Camp No. 2 in such a way that it could be taken apart. They so much that the “Haupt- sturmZuehret" and Lefler bragged in front of their colleagues that the work themselves. and to transfer it to Camp No. 1, but ‘maste: carpenter were unable to. pat the str selves It was evidently easier for them to than -o work, Again they called on me for assistance. ‘This suited me to perfection because, in that way, I wa: gain access to Camp No. 1 and to contact out companions in misery there. I needed assistance in my work and, although four ‘men would have been enough, I asked for eight. ‘When I entered Camp No. 1, I did not recognize it at all. It was spotlessly clean and the discipline was extremely strict. Everyone was awe-stricken at the sight of a German or Ukrainian. Not only did the inmates of Camp No. 1 not speak to us, but they were even afraid to look at us. Starved and ill-treated as they were, they nevertheless had a secret organization, which functioned efficiently. Everything was carefil ned. A Warsaw baker by the name of Lejlajzen, who acted as liaison man between the con: tors, worked near fence in Camp No. 1. Hi vith, as German and Ukrainian guards fence was screened by saplings behind whi ‘been posted. “The workers in Camp No. 1 were continually threatened with atchers might have 33whippings and by comparison with them we enjoyed real freedom. We, for example, were permitted to smoke while working and even received cigarette rations. We took advantage of our relative freedom for our poses, Some of us drew our guard into conversation to divert his attention, while others used that oppor- tunity to contact inmates of Camp No. 1. In due time, we became members of the secret organization's committee, a fact that gave some prospects of deliverance or of heroic death. All this involved considerable risk because of the watchfulness of the guards and strong fortifications of the camp. However, “freedom or death" was our motto. In the meantime, I completed the construction of the blockhouse. To celebrate the occasion, the "Haupisturmfuehrer” treated us to rum and sausage, While we worked on the blockhouse, we received additional daily tations of Y4 kilogram of bread per head. CHAPTER XI In contrast to our camp, the terroristic regime in Camp No. 1 ‘was getting worse, with Franz and his man-eating hound lording it over the inmates. During my first stay in Camp No. 1, I had noticed a few boys, aged 13 and 14, who tended a flock of geese and did odd, small chores. They were the camp's favorites. The "“Haupisturmfuchrer” tock as solicitous care of them as a father would of his owa children, looking after their needs and often playing with them for hours on end, He gave them the best of food and the best of clothes. Those boys looked well and thrived because of the good cate, the food and the fresh air they were getting. I thought that they would be spared and that no harm would come to them, bu: when I retumed to Camp No. 1 now, 1 at once noticed the absence of these boys. I was told thet after the chief had had enough of them, he got rid of them by way of the gas-chamber. ing completed our assignment we returned to Camp No. 2 igh hopes of being fiee soon. However, we had nothing def- inite to go on and the con:act was broken off again, # ‘The cremation of corpses had been going on in Camp No. 2 je we had been away, but as there were so many of end was not in sight, Two more machines for exh corpses were brought in, more fire-grates were constructed and 34 , the work was speeded up. Practically the entire yard was taken up with the foes TE was midsummer by then, and the fre grates gave off a terrific heat, making a real inferno of the place. ‘We imagined we ourselves were burning. Several new transports arrived, from where 1 did not know. ‘Two transposts of Poles arrived also, but I did not see them alive s0 I do not know how they were treated when they had to distobe and enter the death-chambers. They were gassed just as had been. While working on their corpses, we saw hhad not been cizcumcized and we also heard the Germans remark- jing that the accursed Poles would not rebel again. “The younger inmates of our camp were losing patience and were anxious to rebel, but the time was not feasible. We had not as yet completed the plans for attack and escape. Contact with Camp No. ficult, but it did not take us long to com- oon Lefler, my superior, told me "“Hauptsturmfuehrer" wanted to build a gate for the blo and that the job would be entrusted to me. He told me to dr ion for the lishing contact sorts of pre! ssed our plans 1, who, however, did not give any de! 1g us only not to give up and to wait,“ (2OVOTALINCL, “amp No. 2 we began to organize in groups of five, ead ‘group being assigned to a specific task such as: the wiping out of the German and Ukrainian garrison, setting the buildings on fi covering the escape of the inmates, etc. All the necessary pa j Ee ‘was being prepared: blunt tools to kill our keepers, ation, Tumber for the construction of bridges, benzine for setting fies, etc. a date for starting the revolt was fixed for June 15th,-but, ‘as opportunity was lacking, the zero hour was postponed several times and new dates were fixed. The committee on organization used tomer after we had been locked in the barracks for the i. When the sest of our fellow inmates, wom out by the day's toil and abuse, fell asleep, we gathered in a corner of our bartack, jn ne-of the upper-bunks,and proceeded with making. our plans-We held the younger men in check, for they were 35eager for action and wanted to get things going without proper preparation. We decided not to.do_anything without the inmates of Camp No. J, since to do that would be tantamount itting suicide, ‘We, in Camp No. 2, vere but a handful physically fit for combat. As I have better food and treatment than the inmat we were only about 300 as against their 700. ‘The inmates of Carap No. 1 were practically starved and had to endure brutal punishment, which assumed fien: were caught in any trafficki the Ukraini fone of them on whom a piece of sausage had been d to a post and forced to stand motioniess through ingly hot day. As he was physically quite strong, he with- stood the ordeal and dd not betray the Ukrainian with whom he had trafficked, I must add in nnditions, we knew that the inmates of Canp No. 1 would revolt, but, since we were unable to accomplish anything without them, we completed our own preparations, and waited for a signal from CHAPTER XII In the meantime, life" ran its “normal” course. Macabre notions were never lacking, ani the German garrison suddenly felt the urge for diversion and amusement since they had no other worries Accordingly, they organized compulsory theatrical performances, concerts, dancing, etc. The “artists” who were relieved Sundays and were compulsory, Gesmans and Ukrainians. Women were forced to sing in choirs, while the orchestra was made iip of tree musicians, who were compelled to play daily at roll call after the tortures, When masch- ing to Work, the inmates were forced to si 36 ‘The Germans ate their midday meal between-noom-ynd-4 P. and thé Jews had to stand in the yard, in front of the mess hal and fumish fusic and-singing. The members of the choir had to work just as hard as the rest of the inmates, but bad special hours for singing and playing. By and large, out tormentofs had quite a lot of fun with the rest of us, dressing us up as clowns and assigning functions which made_us,heart-sote as we were, laugh aswell. A Jewish watchman, especially selected by the Germans, stood in fron: of the door of our barrack. He wore red pants like those of a Greassian, a tight-fitting jacket and, on both sides of his chest, wooden cartridges. He wore a tall far kalpak on his head and cacried a wooden rifle. He was forced to clown and dance to the point of exhaustion. On Sundays, he wore a white linen garment with red stripes on the tronsers, red Facing: and a red sash. They often made him drunk and used him for horse play As no one was permitied to enter the barrack during working hours, he stood on guard at the door, His name was Moritz and he came from Czenstochowa. pais | her such poor wretch was the so-called “privy-pit boss” (Gebetsentban). Viney cinsasl les a conan ode ay tow a pointed beard. He wore a large alarm clock on a string around his neck. As no one was permitted to remain iy the privy: pit longer than three minutes, it was bis entering it. The name of came from Czenstochowa where he had been the owner of a metal products factory. While Moritz accepted what kindness the Germans showed hhim as a matter of course, without even realizing what pitiful figure he cut, Julian was a poised and quiet man. When they began their horse play with him he wept bitterly. When working on the fire-grates he wept also, His garb, his appearance and the task he had to do provoked the German fiends to abuse him al! the more and to laugh at his expense, i For quite some time I had been working in Camp Np, 1, return- ing every evening to Camp No. 2, which gave a chatce (o make contact with the insurgents in Camp No. 1. I was being watched less than the others and treated better. ‘Time and again, the Ukrainian guards entrusted some of their possessions for safe- keeping with me knowing that 1 would not be starched. My superict brought me food himself and saw to it the I did not a7o eo share it with anyone else. I was never obsequious with the Ger- mans. When 7 talked to Franz I never removed my headgear. Had it been another inmate, he would have killed him on the spot, but he whispreed to me time and again in German: “When you talk to me remember to take your hat off.” Under those cit- Gumstances, I kad almost complete freedom of movement and an opportunity to make all the necessary arrangements, No transports had been coming to Treblinka for quite some time. Thea, all of a sudden, as I was busy working neat the gate, I noticed quite a different spirit among the German garrison and the Ukrainian guards. The "‘Stabschacfuebrer,” 2 man of about fifty, short, stocky and with a vicious face, went away several ti by car. Then the gate flew open and about 100 chillden. A few cats followed them casrying all their possessions, filthy tatters, torn bed clothes and sundry junk. They arrived almost unescorted except for two Ukrainians dressed in Getman uniforms, who were not fully aware of what wanted to have the matter taken care of with al demanded ar. and again knocked on the gate demanding admit. tance, whereupon the “Stabschaarfuehrer” came outside and handed them a sealed envelope which they took and depacted. ‘The gypsies were gassed just like all the others and cremated, July was drawing to an end and the weather was blistering hot. ‘The hardest work was on the graves, and the men doing that work were barely able to stand on their feet because of the sickeningly foul odors. About 75 percent of the corpses had now been cre- mated, and all that remained to be done was to grade down the soil and to straighten it out in such a way that not a trace could be found of the crimes committed on that spot. Ashes are silent. Tt was our job to fill i ‘ith the ashes of the cremated ¥iclims, mixed wi A parcel OF groand was then gained which hadl to be utilize one way or another. It was fenced in with barbed additional plot irom the other camp had been includ 4 space for planting. An experiment was made ia pl 38 vegetation on this area and the soil poe out to be ete ‘The rdeners among us planted lupine, which grew very well. Terualccececa ene Fall 6 ide over what they had accom- plished and thought that they deserved some small and modest diversion. It began by retiring from active service the grave- digging machine which had been exhuming our dead brethren. It was pointed skyward, its scooping shovel high in the air. The Germans fired salvos, and followed it by a drinking orgy, metti- ‘ment and jests. ‘We, too, benefited by a few days respite from work, but we realized only too well that our lives were drawing to an end since only 25 percent of the graves awaited emptying, after which the few of us who were the only witnesses to the appalling crimes that had been committed would be killed. However, we restrained ourselves and waited patiently for our liberation. : At that time I was working steadily in Camp No. 1, for since a portion of the area of Camp No. 2 had been joined with Camp No. 1, one of the towers had to be shifted. I was, therefore, able to remain in contact with our comrades in Camp No. 1. Within a few days the remaining 25 percent of the graves were emptied and the bodies were cremated, As I pointed out before, the weather was extremely hot, and each grave, when opened, gave off a nauseating stench. Once the Germans threw some buming object into an opened grave to see what would happen. Clouds of black smoke began to pour out at once and the fire that started glimmered all day long. Into some of the graves corpses had been thrown directly upon gassing. The bodies had had no chance to cool off. They were so densely packed that, when the {graves were opened on a scorchingly hot day, steam belched forth as if from a boiler. ‘At one time, when the corpses were placed on the fire an uplifted arm was noticed. Four fingers were balled into fist, except for the index finger, which had stiffened and pointed rigidly skyward as if calling God's judgment down upon the hang- but, nevertheless, all present were un- nerved. Even our fiendish tormentors tumed pale and could not turn their eyes away from that ghastly sight. It was as if some higher power were at work, ‘That arm remained pointed upwards for a long, long time. A portion of the pyre had Jong since turned to ashes but the retributive jusspoiled the high good humor of the hangmen for a while at least. T continued working in Camp No. 1, returning to Camp No. 2 for the night, I was constructing an enclosure of bischwood a low fence around the flower garden where animals and birds wete also ae It was a quiet, pretty spot. Wooden benches were scattered around for the convenience of the Germans and Ukra . But, alas, that serene spot was the seat of infamous plotting, only topic of which undoubtedly was how to torture us, the helpless wretches, CHAPTER XII ‘The “spokesman” of Camp No. 1 frequ work from a distance, It was prohibited 0 any of us, but he frequently spoke a few words to me st jously. He was 2 Jew of about forty-five, tall and pleasant, by the name of Galew- ski. He was elected "spokesman" in August, 1942, when J camp “authorities” were coming into existence, and was the main- stay of the organization movement. Because he did not prostitute himself, as some of the others had done, but always considered himself one of us unfortunates, he was frequently beaten and persecuted on par with the rest When he came to me for 2 brief exchange of words, he had been set free from a three day confinement in a prison cell. there, he was let out but once a day to empty the ordure bucket, whe: he was returned to his dark dungeon. Now, he took full advantage of the fact that no one was neat me and categotically demanded that the younger element be patient because the hour of deliverance was approaching. This he re- ‘peated several times. I had the feeling that the zero hour was near and the end in sight. On my return from work in the evening, I called a meeting fe checked the stite of our preparedness. Everybody was tall that night, seeing ourselves inferno, “The heat was becoming unbearable, Ie was pra impossible to keep going. The frightful stench and the heat radiating from the furnaces were maddening, The Getmans, therefore, decided that we were to work from 4 A.M. till noon at which time they herded us into the area where the bassacks stood. We again became 40 watched me at i desperate with fear lest it become impossible for us to get out, but we managed to find a way. We convinced the Germans that it woulé be better if the corpses were cremated as soon as possible and saié that there were volunteers among us who, for additional bread rations, would gladly work overtime. The Germans agreed P.M. and from 3 P.M. to 6 PM. We selected the proper men and waited from day to day for the signal, Beyond the area of our barrack there was a well that furnished the kitchen and laundry with water. We took advantage of this “opening” too, although it was continuously guarded, We made frequent, superfluous trips to fetch water, so as to get the guards used to our coming and going. ‘There were, at that time, no transports whatsoever and the only executions were those carried out on is Jews, for our executicners simply could not remain idle. Then the Germans were al. in a good mood once again, and there was a chance to resume cheir murderous activities because new martyrs had astived: 1 transport from Warsaw which was supposed to proceed abroad. Alll the people in that transport were well-to-do and looked pros- perous. They numbered about 1,000 men, women and children, ‘We guessed that it was a transport of people who had paid plenty of money to be conveyed to a place of safety, As I sub- sepenty leamed, they were fist housed in the Hotel Polk, a first-dass establishment on Dluga Street in Warsaw and thea brought to Treblinka to be killed. We found out who these people were when sorting their belongings after their murders. ‘The same thing happened to transports coming in from abroad. ‘The people were told that they were being evacuated to Tre- blinks. The poor wretches kept poking their heads out of the dndows when they passed a station, asking casually how her it was to Treblinka. Tired as they were, they eagerly looked forward to reaching an asylum where they could rest up from the hardships of the journey. They arrived at last and, before :hey had time to be scared or surprised, they went to theit eternal rest. At this writing, lupine grows over the spot where their ashes were dug in, Next came 2 transport from the ‘Treblinka Penal Camp. It consisted of approximately 500 Jews, all barely alive, worked to the bone, worn out and brutally mistreated, ‘They looked as if they were begging to be killed and they were killed like all the others. Z AL‘We were, however, drawing closer to the end of our suffering. ‘The day of our deliverance was approaching, At that very time, my superior, Lefler, who had been treating me so well, was sent to Majdanek. He insisted on taking me along to work there, and Twas in a terrible predicament. If I went to Majdanek, I would be unable to find a quick way to freedom in the new surroundings and it would take a long time to become acquainted with new people and new conditions. However, the decision did not rest with me, and, what was more, I had to pretend that I was elated over Leller's honoring me by his choice. Luckily for me, the “Hauptsturmfuerhter”” refused to permit my being taken away. He needed me for the time being. I, for my patt, was very content, About that time we were ordered, for some reason unknown to us, to write letters. Some of us were naive enough to do it, but of course not all of us. Later on I saw with my own eyes that the letters were bumed. I do not know whether it had just been a whim, a practical joke, or something else. CHAPTER XIV ‘The definite, irrevocable date for the outbreak of the revolt was ‘our preparations, checking a5 to whether everything was in readiness and whethet our men knew the pafis they had to play. ‘The happeard that Tad not show vp in Camp No. 2 fot a number of days because I was busy constructing an octagonal building with a suspended roof, resembling a guard-house, that wwas to house a well. I was also constructing a portable building in Camp No. 2, which could be taken apart and which I had to move subsequently to Camp No. 1, where it was to remain perma- nently. T was growing impatient because I was unable to get in touch with Camp No, 1 and the zero hour was approaching. August 2nd, 1943, was a scorchingly hot day. ‘The sun shone brightly and its rays penetrated the small, grated windows of our barracks, We had practically no sleep during the night and dawn found us awake and tense, Each of us realized the importance of the moment and thought only of gaining freedom. We were disgusted with our miserable existence and all that matteced was a to avenge ourselves on our tormentors and to escape. As for my- self, I craved but one thing: to crawl into some quiet patch of woodland and to sleep quietly and restfully. At the same time, we were fully aware of the difficulties we would have to overcome. Observation towers, manned by armed guards, stood all around the camp and the camp itself swarmed with Getmans and Ukrainians armed with rifles, machine guns and revovers. The camp itself was surrounded by several lines of fences and ditches. However, we decided to risk it, come what may. I, for one, sesolved t0 give the world a description of the inferno and a sketch of the layout of that accursed hell hole, ‘That resolution had given me strength to struggle against the fiends and the endurance to bear the tortures. Somehow I felt that I would survive our break for freedom. A presage of storm was in the air and our nerves were at high tension, ‘The Germans and the Ukrainians aoticed nothing un- usual. Having wiped out millions of people, they had acquired enough experience to know that they need not feat a paltry hand- fal of men such as we. They barked orders which were obeyed as usual. Those of us who belonged to the committee felt rest- Jess because we had no instructions as to the hour of the outbreak. 1 was fidgety although T kept on working, worrying all the time lest we should fail to establish contact which, in turn, meant petishing miserably. However, I found ways and means of communicating with Camp No. 1. My superior Lefler was no longer there, and had been replaced by a new man whose name I did not know. We nicknamed him “Brown Shirt”. He was very kind to me. I walked up to him and asked for boards, Boards were stored in Camp No. 1 and he, not wanting to interrupt our work, went along wich some men to fetch them. ‘The boards were brought. J inspected, measured and rejected them as unfit for the job to be done. I volunteered to go over myself to select the material, but I mide a wry face as if I did not like the idea. And so I ‘went to tie stotage shed with my superior, all the while trembling with exci'ement. I felt that unless I made the most of that oppor- ‘tunity all was lost Presenily, I found myself in Camp No. 1 and nervously looked around appraising our chances. ‘The storage shed was guarded by a Jew about fifty years of age, wearing spectacles, “1 knew 43nothing of him since he was an inmate of Camp No. 1, but he vwas a member of the organi ‘My three helpers engaged the German superior in a conversation to divert his attention, while 1 intentionally went away t boards., Suddenly, T beard someone whispering in my ear: “Today, at 5-30 P.M.” I tumed around casually and saw the Jewish watchman of the storage shed before me. He repeated the above words once more and added: “Thege will be a signal.” Feverishly I collected what boards were nearest to me, told my comrades-fo-pick them-up and started working, trembling with fear lest L-betsay_my emotions, Time thus went by until noon, at which hour all hands seturned from work. Again our com: mittee met furtively and the sword was passed around. T asked everyonet0 Keep cool and remember their individual assignments ‘Th Younger ones among us were greatly agitated. Looking at our group, I began to beli Volunteers Tor the aftermoon work shift were then selected. ‘We assigned the weaker and less valuable men to the firs becaus the way for escape ({8e others A crew was also picked for the water fetching chor€ as there was a great need for large quantities of water around 5 P.M. The gate leading to the well was opened wide and the number of water carriers was considerably augmented. All those assigned to work with the corpses wore only overalls which were marked. A penalty of 25 strokes with the whip was ‘meted out for wearing any other clothing while doing this par- ticular job. On that day, the men wore their clothes under the overalls. Before escaping, they would have to get rid of the overalls, as the latter would give them away. ‘We remained in our barracks, siti + in a group, look- ing at each other, and every few minutes someone would that the time was drawing near, Our feelings defied if , re the athes of ous brethren were buried. Sorrow and suffe 1g had held us fast, but we who were wanted to escape from the place wh ictims had perished, The long pro- caravans of death, stood before our eyes 44 camel and called for vengeance. We knew what this earth hid beneath its surface, We were the only witnesses of it. In silence we took leave of the ashes of out fellow Jews and vowed that, out of their blood, an avenger would arise. Suddenly, we heard the si shot Sze inte the ai. We jamped up. Everyone fell to his particular task as pre- peugeot peiaund faite ee eet most difficult tasks was the luring away of the Ukrainians f the observation towers. Once they began shooting at above, we could not possibly escape alive, Gold, however, held an immense attraction for them, and they continually trafficked with the Jews, When the shot rang out, one of the Jewish traders sneaked up to the tower and showed the Ukrainian guard a gold coin, The Ukrainian, totally oblivious to the fact that he ‘was on a post, dropped his machine gun and hastily clambered do the coin out of the Jew. Two other Jews were lying in wait fer him, a little to the side. They grabbed him suddenly and finished him off, taking his revolver. ‘The guards on other towers were also taken care of quickly. y in we happened to run int way Gulwas-killed. The attack was so sudden that bet Germans wexe_able to collet their wits, the road to free 5 stood open forus, Weapons were snatched from the guard- house and each one of us grabbed all he could, As soon ‘as the under way from every direction, from Mal- Kosowa and from the Treblinka Penal Camp. When they saw the fires and heard the shooting, they sent help immediatel Our objective was to reach the woods, but the nearest was 5 miles away. We ran across swamps, meadows and ditches, bullets coming after us fast and furious. Every second counted. Al that mattered was to-teach the woods, because once there, the Gemians would be loathe to go in after us. : ‘Running straight ahead as fast as I |, I suddenly heard the command: “Halt!” right behind me, just as I thought I was safe. 45By then I was tercbl speed. ‘The woods SuzY._,| strained all my willpower to keep going. “The phase was gaining and I heard his running feet close kehind at mitt. heard a shot and in the same instant felt a severe pain iO my left shoulder blade, Ttumed around and saw a guard fon side He coll i 1 was free and_san into the woods. After penetrating a litle deeper into the thicket, I sat down among the bushes, From the distance T heard a lot of shooting. Believe it or not, the bullet did not ee Tt went thi top- Yanko Wiernix