Hannah Fisk - January 24, 1983
Punishments and Resistance in Camp
Um, when you were in the uh, the factory um, can you tell me anything about the guards? Where there any punishments or any, uh...
Oh, they were going back and forth day and night. They wouldn't let us a minute alone. When we used to go out to the bathroom, we had to go over and ask them for permission. Sure. Then they go with us. Like prisoners, exactly like prisoners. Wouldn't let us a minute alone.
Hm. Was there any resistance that you knew about?
Mm, yes and no. You know, it's very hard to say. But uh, most the time, no, most of the time.
Did anyone ever try to escape or...
No.
Okay.
No. We couldn't. Those uh, gate was so tall, you know, and there was uh, electric wires. If you go just through it, then you, you dead, so what's the use? Like I say, I could have escaped, that guy--he wanted to take me. You know, I told you that before.
Yeah.
But I said what the heck, the woman probably would get mad some day and go out and say to the Gestapo and say "I'm hiding a Jewish girl here." You never know. The guy's not home. He's on--and it's a matter of fact, he was only with us for three months and then they took him to the, to--they send him to Russia to the front. He cried. He came over to say goodbye to me and he says, "You might survive. But I don't think if I will." I says, "You will. You will, Otto. You're a nice guy. You will." He says, "I wish you luck," he says, "I wish you--it won't, it won't be long." He told me himself. He says, "Have faith. It won't be long now. We are really down. We are really down. The German are not going to last very long." So, he gave me a little bit of boost too, you know. It was nice from a German, to hear this, you know.
Sure.
He was a nice guy. I don't know whether he survive or not, I couldn't tell you.
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