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The person in question has given us the following information: I lived in Ungvár working as a clerk for the local bank. In 1944, I lost my job. After German invasion Jews were continuously harassed. In particular men were attacked in the streets and beaten up with no reason. Windows were broken, and they went on demanding money and jewellery from richer Jews. If they suspected that the people had more than what they gave, they took them into the City Hall, from where they returned home brutally beaten up. At the end of April, they ordered Jews to move into the ghetto. Staying in the ghetto was tolerable. For example, I had benevolent Christian friends who gave me food. Food was provided by a soup kitchen, which was not the best since it was unable to supply many thousands of people with sufficient provisions. Four weeks later, we were entrained. It was hot, the door was closed, grating covered the window, but you were not allowed to watch out even through the grating. The bucket of water that they handed in before departure was finished fast and was replaced only in Kassa. Gendarmes harassed us all the time; one time they asked for money, another time for jewellery, while they kept on threatening us and shooting around. Finally, they opened the door in Kassa, and handed us over to Germans. They gave us water but went on harassing us. They also had their own demands and went on threatening us. This is how we got to Auschwitz after three days of suffering. At the station of Auschwitz we went through the usual selections. My parents and younger brothers and sisters were made to step to the left into the group of the elderly and children, while those who were fit for work had to move to the right side. We, who were fit for work, were led into a disinfecting room before we had a bath, and they cut off the hair. We were lodged in Block C, where we went in a single dress without underwear. We stayed here overcrowded for three days, without a blanket, a coat or anything. We slept on the floor staying close to each other because nights were very cold and we were cold. During the day we had to line up for roll calls for hours, in scorching sun, in rain or in mud. We could not re-enter the block. If they did not count the number they expected we had to stand on the knees for hours. It was very painful to see how block leaders assaulted the elderly during roll call if they did not stand completely erect. Rations were so impossibly awful that I was unable to eat them. After three days suffering they transported me into Riga in a transport of labourers. I stayed in Riga for 2 weeks in quite good conditions. We took part in an airport construction; provisions were tolerable. Two weeks later, they took us in Latvia, in Dundagen. I had a very good life there, as I became the servant of the Oberscharführer. One day, the 13th of August, 1944, I escaped from the camp with the Latvian man and went hiding in the woods for a week. Unfortunately, they captured me in the woods a week later. Latvian policemen took me in Windau, where they wanted to shoot me. I escaped because of pure luck. On the way we met an SS car. One of the SS man drew me in the car, the policeman did not protest, and he put me in the SS kitchen in Windau. I had to work hard, from 3 am till 10 pm, but I was treated well and did not starve. When Russians approached us we left Windau for Libbau, where I worked in a laundry. I worked as a half Aryan woman. I had a good life there. I did this job for 7 weeks. We left Windau for Stutthof where we had a very bad life. We did not have to work but starved much and were treated very badly. We were beaten with dogs’ crop. We stayed here till the 2nd January, 1945. Frontline got close also to this place and we started to wander from one camp to another in freezing cold, badly dressed and without provisions. We starved and suffered all the way long. I kept on thinking on how to escape, I did not mind even if they shot me. I infinitely suffered and was determined to do anything. This is how we walked for 8 weeks till finally my plot was successful and I ran away the 10th of March. After a few days hiding Russians liberated me from my unhappy state. Completely exhausted and sick they put me into the hospital of Ghinov 25 kilometres form Danzig, where I stayed for four weeks also after liberation. When I recovered I remained in the hospital as a nurse. I managed to come home with the very first Czech-Slovakian transport. I got back my flat although it had been robbed, and I was glad to be reassumed as a clerk by the bank. Now, I was given 5 days off to come to DEGOB and look after my case of deportation. In 5 days I will return home and continue to work as before.

Labour Service