Smoke Over Birkenau [Illustrated Edition] by Seweryna Szmaglewska

Author:Seweryna Szmaglewska
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Published: 2017-02-22T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter X — the new camp

THE PRISONERS do not know whom to thank for the effective intervention in the camp affairs, or who induced the German authorities to sanction food packages, nor do they know who fights for them. But it is obvious from the behavior of the SS men that there are eyes, quite near the camp, to whose glances the Germans must bow—that there is some higher resort for whose benefit they endeavor to keep up appearances.

One day during morning roll call the women were told to take the kerchiefs off their heads. The length of the hair was inspected. Those who had had their heads freshly shaved were ordered to continue wearing the kerchiefs, but the others had their kerchiefs confiscated and were ordered not to cover their outgrowing hair, especially when going to work outside the camp. The camp authorities are evidently trying to demonstrate to someone who watches the marching columns that the women’s heads are not shaved in the camp.

They also start to show new consideration for the prisoners. Up to now, if it rained, the prisoner remained at his task and was not allowed to leave before the whistle; now the working columns are permitted to seek shelter in neighboring barns and huts, and even to make fires to dry their clothes.

If the rain is intermittent and there is no hope for it to stop, an SS man, most frequently the head camp doctor, swathed in oilskins, comes out into the field on his bicycle to call the columns back home.

The prisoners are at a loss to guess whose work this is, but they know it is not the Germans’.

At the same time the bathhouse in the women’s camp is made accessible to all women, especially to those returning from work in the fields.

In addition—and this is the most vital news in this unbearable overcrowding—more and more frequently rumors are heard that a portion of the women will be transferred to a sector being vacated by men prisoners. This sounds improbable, as improbable as the tales of food parcels once sounded, and almost as improbable as the talk of impending freedom.

But one day the women see the male prisoners coming out on the road from the men’s camp, carrying their bundles, blankets and other baggage, everything they are allowed to take, even the plants and flowers they grew. They are moving to another sector which can be seen in the distance beyond the railroad platform. It is called BIId, and adjoins the gypsy camp. Their old camp will be taken over by women.

We have heard so much of the ideal cleanliness of the men’s camp, of its high sanitary standard, and absolute freedom from lice. Well, in a few days we shall see.

Up to now, all you have known is your own camp, although beyond the wires you can see the outlines of the barracks of other camps, extending in long rows, all inhabited by people who may be even worse off than you are.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.