Description
Object description
Polish Jewish inmate of Piotrków Trybunalski Ghetto, Poland, 10/1939-9/1942; forced labourer in Hortensja Glassworks in Piotrków Trybunalski, Poland, 9/1942-9/1944; forced labourer with Hassag-Eisenhutte AG in Częstochowa Labour Camp, Poland, 9/1944-1/1945; inmate in Buchenwald Concentration Camp, Germany, 1/1945-3/1945; forced labourer with Hugo Schneider AG, Colditz Labour Camp, Germany, 3/1945-4/1945; inmate in Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in Czechoslovakia, 4/1945-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Piotrków Trybunalski, Poland, 1928-1939: family; education; languages spoken; relations between Poles and Jews; anti-Semitism; father's involvement with Zionist movement. Aspects of period as inmate in Piotrków Trybunalski Ghetto, Poland, 10/1939-9/1942: arrival of Germans, 9/1939; initial treatment by Germans and how it changed; increase in Jewish population on creation of ghetto, 10/1939-1/1940; family member who was caught obtaining food from outlying villages; confiscation of Jewish businesses and property; deportations of inmates, 9/1942; behaviour of Poles during deportations; aid received from Poles.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as forced labourer in Hortensja Glassworks, Piotrków Trybunalski, Poland, 9/1942-9/1944: description of factory; barrack accommodation; fear of removal and lack of sabotage; working conditions as glass blower. Aspects of period as forced labourer with Hassag-Eisenhutte AG in Częstochowa Labour Camp, Poland, 9/1944-1/1945: work in munitions factory; rations and obtaining extra food; evacuation of camp, 14/1/1945. Aspects of period as inmate in Buchenwald Concentration Camp, Germany, 1/1945-3/1945: journey from Częstochowa to camp, 1/1945; nature of camp and death of inmates; procedure on arrival, 1/1945; clothing; volunteering to work; treatment in camp. Aspects of period as forced labourer with Hugo Schneider AG, Colditz Labour Camp, Germany, 3/1945-4/1945: description of factory and nature of work; stealing food and occasion when he was caught; nature of march away from factory to Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in Czechoslovakia, 4/1945.
REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of period as inmate in Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in Czechoslovakia, 4/1945-5/1945: in quarantine on arrival at camp; discovery of sick uncle in camp; problems of inmates' overeating on liberation, 5/1945; revenge taken by former inmates on kapo, 5/1945; character of kapos; prior recollection of disposal of dead inmates in Buchenwald Concentration Camp, Germany; story of behaviour of Jewish policeman whilst forced labourer at Hortensja Glassworks in Piotrków Trybunalski, Poland; reaction of inmates to arrival of Soviet Army, 5/1945.
REEL 4 Continues: kindness shown to him by Soviet Army NCO. Aspects of emigration to GB, 1945: background to move to GB, 8/1945; adapting to normal life in Windermere, GB. Reflections on Holocaust experience: long term effects of experiences; attitude towards Germans and Poles.