Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

Bella Camhi - November 18, 1999

Liberation

No Germans, no Germans were there?

So whatever. No Germans.

They just disappeared.

Just disappeared. And finally we reach the beginning of '45. Because we were liberated... We, we liberated ourselves uh, May 1. Let me tell you, the Germans were so scared. Oh, I, I had everything in mind to do damage. But then, I says, if I really believe in God and religion, you don't do those things because those people are not the one to put you there. Regardless they are Germans, you know. And uh, a couple let us in. And then before that they were coming and they want our uniform.

The Germans want your uniform? The--your prisoners uniform?

They wanted, they wanted, yeah. They want to pretend they are refugees. Now this was a thing to, to--because if you get caught in a German uh, uniform, you are dead. They were shooting everything was moving the Americans.

You were liberated by the Russians, but now you moved into the American.

Oh yeah we, oy, they--going--this was the worst part. I mean, this was--the bridge was broken. It's a bridge between uh, uh, Munich and whatever, you know. They made a bridge with those wooden uh, and it was wobbling. Oy, do I remember that. And then on the end of the other uh, it's got to be a big river. There a...again, a step ladder with ropes. And you're going up and you see the water and a lot of people did slip up--down and stayed down. I mean this--you're talking about something, the two and a half years that trauma was you know, the worst thing in my life.

And this was with the Russians.

Yeah, because we wanted to go in the American side.

So you were running away from the Russians.

Yeah.

The Russians liberated you, where were you?

In the middle of nowhere.

Yeah. So they found you in this...

In the middle of nowhere.

And then...

All I, all I knew how to say is ???. Oy

What is that?

??? is good.


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