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Joseph Gringlas - January 22, 1993

And you were tattooed?

Yeah uh, eh, after awhile there being there in Birkenau, we,we, we, we, in Appell and we came out a big field. There was thousands, thousandsof us and there were, somebody go, went through with a pen. And you give himthe arm and I was tattooed.

What was that like?

My number was B2247. I still have it on my arm.

What was that like, being tattooed?

In a way I understood they got to you that uh, you're not goingto be sent away because they're going to keep you at work.

You thought that...

Yeah. Otherwise, the people were sent to the selec...uh, theselect...send them to the gas chamber. They didn't give them a uniform, theydidn't give them no-the tattooing, because they-the people what they're goingto keep for awhile they gave them a uniform out, with the stripes. And thenthe tattooing-had a feeling that for awhile we, we, for awhile we are safe.But not for long, but for awhile...

Did it hurt?

because they use us as a slave labor.

Did the tattoo hurt?

No, it didn't hurt.

It didn't.

No. They stick a pin in the skin.

So you had been through showers.

Yeah.

Deloused.

Yeah, Mm-hm, yeah that, yeah.

Then they gave you uniforms. Then you were in this field andthey tattooed you.

Yes.

And then to a barracks.

Then to-back to the barracks. And whatever things to do work.But that's-there wasn't much, working there, like a factory, it wasn't there.The only thing there was, when we were sent to Buna, that, then there waswork to do.