Description
Object description
German Jewish civilian in Breslau and Berlin, Germany, 1933-1942; inmate in Riga Ghetto, Latvia, 8/1942-6/1943; inmate of Kaiserwald Concentration Camp, Latvia, 6/1943-8/1943, Stutthof Concentration Camp and Burggraben Subcamp, Stuttoff Concentration Camp, Germany, 8/1943-3/1945; secretary worked with United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Displaced Persons Camp in Berlin, Germany, 1946-1948
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Breslau, Germany, 1909-1933: family; education; incident of anti-Semitism at school; Aspects of period as student in Breslau, Germany, 1933-1937: restrictions against Jews even prior to 1933; effect of Nazis coming to power. Aspects of period as civilian in Berlin, Germany, 1937-1942: reasons for move to Berlin; how he was directed to become dental mechanic; memories of Kristallnacht, 9/11/1938-10/11/1938; wearing Star of David; attitude towards Nazi anti-Semitism and anti-Christian views.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as inmate in Riga Ghetto, Latvia, 8/1942-6/1943: volunteering as first aid helper during deportation; journey to ghetto, 8/1942; how he was interviewed by Schutzstaffel (SS) NCO about dentistry; detachment to carry out building work at Mitau; treatment of forced labourers by guards; escape from accommodation to find food, 12/1942; return to ghetto; hospitalisation; work harvesting reeds and behaviour of German guards; Jewish inmates selected to guard armoury; description of ghetto; deportations and executions in ghetto; further details of reed harvesting; degree of social life.
REEL 3 Continues: physical effects of starvation; personal survival philosophy; reaction to witnessing children being taken from their mothers. Recollections of period as inmate in Kaiserwald Concentration Camp, Latvia, 6/1943-3/1944: how criminals were appointed as guards; disconcerting situation on arrival; accommodation in barracks; story of his involvement in theft of clothing from inmates and escaping punishment; work as dental mechanic in German military hospital; privileges in exchange for hospital work.
REEL 4 Continues: lack of experience as dental mechanic and how he continued to work in hospital; unwittingly smuggling black market food into camp for fellow inmate; story of contacting friends in Breslau with help of German Army soldier; fate of parents; end of work in German military hospital; illness and collapse. Aspects of period as inmate in Stutthof Concentration Camp, Germany, 8/1944-9/1944: journey to camp in barges; camp work; how he escaped punishment from Schutzstaffel (SS)) commandant.
REEL 5 Continues: accommodation in camp; carrying bodies to crematorium. Aspects of period as inmate in Burggraben Subcamp, Stutthof Concentration Camp, Germany, 9/1944-3/1945: work in Schichau Seebeckwerft GmbH shipyard; conditions; story of being accused by fellow inmate of stealing his bread; character of Schichau Seebeckwerft GmbH shipyard; physical condition; liberation of camp by Soviet Army. Aspects of period of hospitalisation after liberation, 1945: hospitalisation and gradual recovery; opinion of Soviets.
REEL 6 Continues: relations with Soviets; reaction to finding himself stateless at end of war, 5/1945; repatriation to Germany via Poland, 12/1945. Aspects of period as secretary in United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Displaced Persons Camp in Berlin, Germany, 1945-1948: work as secretary to camp police; organisation of camp; life in Soviet Sector of Berlin; attitude of Soviet authorities towards United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. Aspects of emigration from Germany to GB, 1948: attitude towards arrival in GB; resuming education; employment and marriage.
REEL 7 Continues: Reflections on Holocaust experience: difficulty of speaking about experiences to wife; effects of Holocaust experience; importance of remembering Holocaust; belief in reconciliation; attitude towards his Jewish identity; receiving compensation; attitude towards Germans and Germany.