Sidy Weiss - January 7, 1987
Life During the War
Okay, and when they st...when they came to take you away, then what happened?
??? what happened, so that's what happened. We had a, we had a good life and just when the war started and everything started to change.
What kind of changes do you remember? Remem...
Before the war?
No, after the war, after the war started. What, what, what kind of--what memories are the most...
What I remember the most? Yeah. So, I remember the part, like I say, these are the most memories that I--I remember when they were taking us out from...
From your house you mean?
Yeah. It was uh, on two sides it was the, the police with the open guns and we were--they were taking us--oh, this I forgot to tell you. And uh, we didn't know where we were, we didn't know where we were going so everybody started to--how you call it? To pack. They didn't know what to grab first or what to do. And I was--how you call it? I took out a, a prayer book and I uh, read and I uh, he asked me that what do I think that this will help me and I said, "If we come back here I will tell you."
This is a Hungarian who asked you that? Who asked you?
I think that he looked Hungarian.
But, one of the soldiers--one of the police asked you, "Do you think this will help?"
Mm-hm.
And you said, "If we come back it will." You took, you took a siddur?
Yeah.
On to the, the cart--this open, this open cart. What happened next?
The next happened that we were going, we were going on the train with the packages and everything.
Were you all together in one corner, the family?
Yes, we were all sitting together except--how you call it? My, my mother was holding the, the little child. She was six years old.
How long were you in the train?
I don't remember the time.
Did you talk to each other?
Yes.
What did you say to each other?
Well, how you call it, my, my father said, my father said that uh, how you call it? Oh, the train stopped, and he threw out, the--he took out the--they took out the things, and uh, they said that uh, if somebody has any kind of money or anything like so it's, they're going to shot. And my father stood up and he said that uh, how you call that? I don't want that they should murder somebody, so I was the one. And after that he didn't talk for the whole, whole period.
Until you arrived at Auschwitz. When you got to Auschwitz--you, you had never heard of Auschwitz. Had you ever heard of Auschwitz before?
No, no.
Where did you think you were going?
They were taking us somewhere. I don't know where they were taking us.
Nobody knew where.
Nobody knew where they were taking us.
Did you get there at night? Did you arrive at night, daytime?
I don't remember.
When the doors to the, to the railroad car opened, what, what do you remember about your first, your first impressions?
What I remember is, I remember the--how you call that? I remember that uh, we got there and they were doing like this, that's what I remember.
The thumbs.
Yeah.
Mengele, was it Mengele?
Yeah.
What happened when...
In the--one was going on one side, and on was going on another side, and then, that's what happened. And after that uh, how long would we survive?
Well, how--you went in one direction?
Yeah.
And the, the other members of your family?
The other direction.
All of them except your sister. So, only you and she survived.
Husband: No, she passed away.
I know, but...
Husband: Yeah, oh yeah.
...but she survived Auschwitz. Um, when your mother and your father went in the other direction, did you think you were going to see them again?
I didn't know. I didn't know.
Well tell me what happened after they sent you in the other direction?
Husband: ???
This is a beautiful family.
Husband: That's her. She passed away. That's her uncle in Israel.
How did you get the pictures? How did you get the pictures?
I don't even remember how I got the pictures.
Husband: She has everything over here, from the mother, from the father.
How did you, how did you...
Husband: I have all the papers.
...how did they get the pictures?
Husband: ???
What I tell you that...
Husband: Oh yeah, excuse me. I think when they...
[interruption in interview]
Husband: I have all the papers over here.
So that's how she got the papers. They went back and they found...
Husband: Oh yeah, sure, all the papers. After then in 1947 she could tell you everything. Today she's a little bit too old.
That's all right.
Husband: In '47--now we got married, in '47, in uh, in June, yeah ??? and she went away--the sister left. We got married uh, Tuesday, in the month--and the sister left with the husband uh, Thursday. And I took that--and I went again to uh, to Prague...
I tell you, I tell you. Okay, that's it, that's it what I want to say.
Husband: Okay.
That's all?
That's all that I want to say.
Husband: ??? there's plenty left.
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