Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

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Abraham Mondry - June 15, 22, 29 & July 13, 1992

Can you describe to me what the platform was like when you arrived at Auschwitz?

Hm?

Can you describe the platform when you got to Auschwitz? What, what did you observe there?

It was right on the station, a big, a big piece of land, you know. And they throw everybody out. Everybody had to run. They come here. They said to leave all the cases, all the suitcases and packages, packing it, to put it all on one row. And after you have to line up. You have to line up, like in five, six in a line. Then he come up, that Mengele. He say, all our turns would come, he look at you. You look young, you look younger, you know, he put you on this side. You go in camp. All women, women, young women he put in the camp. This one there and this one.

Were you confused? What did you think was happening? Did you, do you have any thoughts about it?

They took them away. After they know, after they find out. When we got to camp, we find out that they're not alive no more.

He sent you in one direction and then what happened? You went to one direction.

They took us to the camp. Take...You gotta take all the clothes, take a shower, you know, take disinfection. They call disinfectant. And they give us our uniform. It was a pair of wooden shoes, you know. You know the Dutch shoes.

Uh-huh. Did they shave you?

Huh?

Did they shave your head?

Yeah.

And the tattoo?

Yeah, after, the tattoo. After, I went through a line, registered.

What did you think about the tattoo?

I tell you uh, we, we didn't think nothing. Our mind didn't work.

Okay, I understand.

We couldn't think nothing . Nothing you could do.