Sky Tinged Red: A Chronicle of Two and a Half Years in Auschwitz by Isaia Eiger

Author:Isaia Eiger [Eiger, Isaia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Holocaust/Memoir
Publisher: Beaver's Pond Press
Published: 2014-04-24T00:00:00+00:00

In February, new transports were coming more frequently, and more people were coming into the camp. At the same time, the pace of construction of the new Section B accelerated. Because of the need for workers, the Building Authority started distributing additional food rations twice a week, consisting of half a loaf of bread and a chunk of wurst. This additional food greatly alleviated the hunger situation in camp. This was only for the men; the women did not receive this extra food.

The distributions took place on the main street between the existing and new camp sections. All blocks lined up before roll call alongside the Kapos, Blockälteste, and selected Stubendiensten who were to distribute the rations under the supervision of the SS men. In single file everybody approached and the distribution went pretty fast, but as always, in addition to food, people received a few slaps here for good measure. Sometimes a Stubendienst might accuse someone of trying to get food a second time and no amount of denial or witnessing by Kapos or foreman would help; the falsely accused man was lucky to escape alive. It was especially bad for the targeted person if Lagerältester Danisch was around. The former horse thief and arguably the worst slugger in camp hated real or perceived thieves. Mimicking the horses he once knew, he kicked and trampled the helpless victim until there was no life left.

One of the most active people at the distribution of these special rations was Meir Itsche, the main protégé of Franz Danisch who, as such, yielded a lot of power and influence—both for bad and good. Here he kept busy supervising and helping hand out the portions. The portions were not exactly equal, so he had the opportunity to give somewhat larger portions to those he wanted to reward and smaller ones to those he didn’t care about because they could do nothing for him. This was pretty much the rule in camp: those who distributed the food were the masters of our existence. Complaining would make things even worse.

Meir Itsche’s function in the block was not well defined. He never went to work with a commando, but rather stayed in camp. He was known to obtain supplies and clothing from the warehouses for distribution, but it was widely known that people only received the goods if they could give him something of value in exchange.

With the large number of transports arriving that February and the speed at which we had to work, the overseers could not watch us all the time. As a result, we were sometimes given gifts of food by the arrivals that would otherwise be taken away. If they came from Western European countries, where they still believed in the resettlement ruse, that food was of the kind we hadn’t seen in years. Occasionally, some asked one or another of us to take valuables for safekeeping until they got settled in camp. That was very risky for us because of the searches and the possibility of informing.

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