Luba Elbaum - January 20, 1982
Arriving in Auschwitz
This is at Auschwitz. So you trans...
Auschwitz. We were waiting, we were waiting. It was Friday night. They put out the ??? all of us--three thousand people--they were all us in a big, big place. Over there went out selection--a big place. Like it was Saturday--it was Sunday. They let us stay these two days over there. They give something in to eat and they let us stay. And then everybody came in and they said, "We're going for, we're going for selecija." And then Monday morning Mengele was standing--he was tall and we have to take it like this. All our clothes go in naked. The shoes--taking the shoes and our clothes, because we still have our clothes on in Płaszów. So they said us to take everything off to hold in the hand. So first we have to put in one place the shoes. In one place the dress. And then was Mengele was good. He said, "Right," if you--if he like you, he put you right. If he don't like you, go links. Over there where we're staying big autos and take away right away to the Krematorium. And the other women with the children, with the men. And who he liked, he say to go. So you have to give away the shoes, give away the clothes and go. It was a barber, he shaved your hair, he shaved your arm, he shaved you up, everything. And then they give you a hot shower and they give you about like I mean one sock, one shoe, one everything. And then when went out and one each other you don't even recognize. It was already, it was already day but ??? not recognize nothing. When you came out you had your girlfriends, or you have your friends, you don't know who you are, but the name. If you remember the name, they know you. So we go on a whole night--like Monday night--a whole night. And then we came to Auschwitz they give us Blocksperre. We came in--also they give us a block in night. They're living. The women on the right they took away to the crematory. And those who go on the left they give us someplace where to stay in the night after left maybe, and the whole transport maybe living two, two hundred people.
Out of how many?
About three thousand probably came.
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