Anna Greenberger - August 24, 1982
Stealing in Camp
My sister Edith--see if they were--we were stealing sometimes. Stealing--you have to steal. We were afraid. She went always to steal something, Edith, who is in Toronto. But they were shooting at us. So because they were shooting, my mother was uh, she slipped for a few times, so she wouldn't give us. She uh, steal potatoes and she put it in coat in the lining. But we were cleaning up the basement and there was so much food and they didn't give us. So much food. And I ate so much raw potatoes and, and uh, all kind of vegetables that was coming back on me already. But who cared? I didn't care. So we came--when we were coming out they looked through everybody if we didn't steal nothing. So we were there fore a whole year. The cold--we had to exchange sleeve. Once, they made all kinda, you know, things fun. First of all we had a yellow stripe here on the coat and a yellow cross on the coat on the back and yellow star. I--so we were exchanging the sleeves, that uh, it shouldn't be the same, even. And we got winter clothes and between--would you believe it--between so many million Jewish coats, recognized my coat. Another girl had on my coat and it was a new coat because that--the twins' father was a tailor and he made me a coat a year before we went to concentration camp. It was a beautiful blue coat. And I went to the SS--to that girl, and there I said uh, "You are so little, small." I said, "It's my coat." I had a needle in it and even the cologne you could feel...
Mm-hm.
...on the--I said, "I want back my coat." She says, no, she wouldn't give me back my coat. She says, "You're just making it up because it's a nice coat." I said "No, I have witnesses." Because girls were from my uh, town and they came as a witnesses and I went to the SS woman, and uh, German, and I told her. Frau ??? Frau uh, whatever, ???, or how I called her. I said, "I found my coat and this what I have it very small on me and I am working very hard and I want my coat back." And she says, "Come and show me who..." I did...you know, it wasn't human, but I didn't--everybody was looking out for themselves. I--first of all it was sentimental meant for me, it was my coat, and it was my coat. And the SS woman came with me and she told the girl she should take off the coat right away and she should give it to me.
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