Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

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Fred Kendal - May 25, 1983

Okay. And, you were liberated, you were liberated...

Yeah.

...uh, when? Do you recall?

I believe that it was--now, I believe it was in 19... either 19...at the end of 1943 or the first part of '44. I couldn't, couldn't exactly give you.

And when you uh, when you actually wound up in a displaced persons camp, do you know what they were like and how...

Comparing to everything else, it was great, you know. They were, they were--it depends where, okay. Now I recall when we were in Vienna and those were like--really they were not--they were like staging areas. It was like an area that you get deloused, then you get some clothes and some, you know, and I remember no matter each camp you went into the first thing they did is spray you with DDT you know all over, you know. And um, first thing you were asked to take a bath and they sprayed you with DDT and many times you got clothes. The UNRRA and the HAIS, they were a lot of help. They were just--what I remember were just big long rooms where there were bunks on both sides of the room and, and it's--people were just --actually their total possessions was what they could carry on their back and, and, and the bunk. That was the--that was your home for the time that you were there you know. Also remember that most of the time the kids were on the upper bunk. The parents were on the lower bunk, you know.

Wife: ???

Yeah, um...

Did you have any contact with German citizens while you were in Vienna at all?

No, none. Not in Vienna. It was primarily--actually I don't re...I can't give you a period of time how long we were there but somewhere in the back of my mind I do remember where there was a Rothschild hospital or a Rothschild building or if I remember it was the Rothschild Center while we were--yeah. Interesting incident, that was the first time in my life I remember seeing a colored person. Up until that point I never saw one. And as kids our--there was a Jeep that came up with some officers and the driver was a colored person and the kids were running from all over to see that colored person. That was the first time--first incident.