Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

Bella Camhi - November 18, 1999

Liquidation of Ziguenerlager (Gypsy Camp)

There was a gypsy camp.

Yeah.

Ziguener uh, uh, Lager.

Yeah, they got killed right away.

Do you remember that night?

Mm-hm.

What, tell, tell me some more about it.

Uh, remember, like I said you know, they were all screaming. Here you hear ???, the, the rooster you know, hollering. The cows moo you know, goats whatever. Uh, you couldn't see because it's dark. Uh, because I don't think a cow they will uh, like a little lamb, or a veal, whatever. It was awful. It was an awful thing. It was just terrible. I think they must have had a big hate about the gypsies, you know.

And the next day?

And the next day quiet. Oh we were waiting day by day that it, this was going to happen to us soon. But you have a bigger chance when you have a, a profession you know, that you were in a good job.

So what did they think you did?

Uh, are you kidding. I was such a good worker, you know. You have to uh, with a quota. You know, they will come and check uh, what uh, what do you fill up, what do you did, you know. And it was stinky in there because the clothes was getting you know, uh, enough for a--from the smell that the bodies were wearing it, you know. It was awful, awful. The clothing started deteriorating and, and, uh...

So they would get...

They weared...

get out of the train and you would come pick up the clothes after they took them off. And then, and take it to what, a warehouse?

No, we, we will separate uh, all the good stuff you know like uh, jams and stuff like this they were intact you know, they were not broken. And all the jewelry, diamonds in one place, gold in the other. And on and on and on and they will come in the night. They'll take us in the barrack and then take it and the following morning it was the same thing.

Was this the Kanada Kommando?

Right. In Kanada. Yeah. I got there because you know, I spoke the language.

Spoke German.

They wanted somebody...

Mm-hm.

that uh, But in the meantime, nobody liked me. But I like em. You know, I save my... Uh, saving my skin, but it was important there for everybody.


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