Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

• Contents
• Map

Rose Wagner - August 14, 2002

What was the Appell like?

Where in Auschwitz?

Yeah, everyday.

You just walked out and you stand on Appell. But I don't remember what they did.

They counted?

They were counting.

Yeah.

They were counting us. This I knew.

Uh... And we were, we were standing, let's say, I don't know for how long, for a little while and then they let us go.

And if you had to stand there for whatever, an hour or two hours and somebody had, somebody had to go to the toilet, what happened? Did they go? Did they say, can I be excused?

Probably.

They--you mean they let people go do that?

You mean if they had to go to the toilet?

Yeah.

I don't know this. I don't remember this.

You don't remember that people were standing there and, and, um...

I guess you had to go when they told you.

Yeah. So did anyone soil themselves?

People went out, maybe they did it outside.

Yeah, I see.

You know. They did it outside. They did it in--because the German wasn't constantly standing there right in the front, because there were a lot of barracks. There were in aisles the barracks. You saw it.

What barracks were you in?

What barrack. I don't, I don't know what barrack. I have to ask my sister. Maybe she remembers.

Um, do you dream about any of this?

Many times.

Still?

Many times.

What in particular?

I dream what--mostly that I dream is about my home, my parents. Our life, the holidays, you know.

What happens in the holidays here? Is it a hard time, a good time?

Well, here the holidays you got grandchildren. So you know, it's a different, you know, already, it's a happy time. You have to be happy. I have all my kids here. You know my son?

I do?

Yeah. Did you meet him, where, at JCC?

Uh, I met him through C.H.A.I.M.

So you know Cindy.

I do.

So you know Cindy.

Do you have a daughter as well?

Pardon?

Is he your only child, your son?

No, I have two daughters. I have a daughter doctor and I have a son-in-law doctor. Dr. Rapp.

And what's your daughter's name?

Julie Rapp.

And you have another... R-a-p-p.

And you have another daughter as well?

And I have a younger daughter

Who's...

Uh, Renee Silberg. Yeah.

Um...

And they all live around here. My older daughter lives a block away from me.

Wow...

[interruption in interview]