Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

Helen Lang - February 23, 1982

Treatment by SS Officers

Was he an SS man?

SS man.

He was an SS man.

He was an SS man. He says, "Watch out." He says, "Take care of yourself." And that was it.

Did he ever approach you for any other reason?

Never. Never. Never. So when he left, so I had salami. Who had salami there, you know. So I took it there and I, you know, at night and nobody sees it. I didn't want--because if the girls would see it they all would jump on me. Everybody--I couldn't give eight hundred--the girls--that little piece--I think was two breads, you know, salami, a margarine and, and jam. Whatever they give him, he give me everything. I don't know the guy involved survived. I don't know where he was going. After that the two Germans came.

Two women.

The two women. So then I was called too, you know. As I say, I, I was very lucky. So then I was with her and they stayed with us for a long time. So these girls who came in were sick, and I told you with these bugs and the legs--they had to replace them. And I says to her--Macha--she was going to take them back and bring healthy ones. I says, "You know, I would like you should take me with you. Maybe I could find some relatives there to bring 'em over here." She says, "Good, come with me." Can you imagine--yes. So I had already a coat at that time. It was in the fall, like--and I had a coat where my hair was maybe that long. So she says to me, "Put on a babushka, you know, make it, you know, cover it up like, make--fix it up nicely. We'll go on the train. You gonna be traveling like a Gentile." So we went with the train and I looked around and I said to--and I thought to myself, "Is it possible, is it true? Me as a Jew on a German train? They're all Germans around here and I am the only Jew, that I should be able to travel on a train now?" Yet, is it possible, you know. All, all these things were always on my thoughts. So where did we go? We went to Stutthof. When we arrived to Stutthof, who was there, that German--that guy, you know. He says to me, "What are you doing here?" So that the Macha says to him, "Well she's my ???." You know what that ??? is? A mate.

Hm.

You know, a German, better, worse. ???. I remember it. She--"Oh, my ???." He says to her, "You better take good care of her." She says, "Yes, I will commander," you know. "Oh yes, I will take care of her."

You don't remember his name?

No. No, as I say, he never spoke to me...

Yeah.

You know. We go a little bit further, there is the Polish guy, you know, I helped to put the number.

From Birkenau.

No, Stutthof.


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