Isaac Engel - June 16 & 25, 1992
Bergen-Belsen
Mm-hm.
Fifty-five miles. So, they unloaded us on a ramp in Bergen-Belsen. Then we saw some dead bodies there. And uh, and we walked in, in the camp to Bergen-Belsen, but they didn't take us to the camp where they had the uh, uh, uh, there in that real death camp. They took us in, in the barracks where the Germans were there. About two and a half miles from the death camp. There were German army there stationed. So, they, they let us in, in the barracks. The German soldiers left, pulled out and they let us in. Because there still, the war was still going on. This was in the beginning of April, right in the beginning of April. Maybe the first of April. And uh, and they let us in. And where we uh, in, in there sometime. We didn't know it that there was a death camp over there. And they didn't give us no food, nothing.
Did you get to the camp? To Bergen-Belsen?
Where?
To the camp itself? Did you ever get--did they ever take you to the camp itself?
No. No, we were there--I saw it later. I went there later and I saw the graves. But I didn't--no.
But even here there were dead bodies around you.
Oh sure. Sure. Not everybody could hold out for six days. Some of 'em had food. But there was--actually it wasn't--but some of 'em couldn't hold out. And then there were dead bodies and after that too, in Ber...in, in Bergen-Belsen...
Mm-hm.
...in D Camp.
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