Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

Nathan Nothman - November 30, 1982

Physical Problems from Camp Life

Do you ever see things here that remind you of the camps? Are there any experiences that happen here that bring that back?

No.

Okay.

It's a free country, it's a beautiful country. And I hope the country will be like this for many, many years to go.

Mm-hm. Do you have any physical problems as a result of the camp?

Emotional problems. I do. Everybody from us survive is not well--is disturbed. It's, it's impossible for five and a half years--we were the first one from 1939 to 1945 Poland Kraków was there. They didn't went to a small town, they want to go to big towns. Kraków is like Chicago. Kraków you didn't, you didn't, have it like Chicago. All I can say, you know, not population like, you know, it's a big city. So the German--the Nazi went to Chicago. Uh, I do remember, in Kraków there was--the Germany occupied every street, I mean, Jewish neighborhood. And they said every fur or silver supposed to be given to the authority--the German authority. There were trucks came to each building and who have it, like the very small percentage have--very small percentage. So they, they took the fur and silver and they were looking. If somebody didn't go they killed 'em there on the spot. They didn't, they didn't uh, there was no law. There was no country in the world to oppose this--there was nothing there. So they can done what, they done what they wanted. So I remember they took furs, and they took, they just took everything that they want. Pianos--some people had pianos--they--the rich people--so they took pianos. They took the stores--Jewish stores they emptied it. They just took everything to Germany. Everything what is good for them, they just empti...emptied it and to Germany. So that's--they just took, and they, they didn't ask questions. They didn't care.


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