"We were on our way back to Weimar, the old republic of Saxony and Goethe's paradise and home region. There was no attempt at anything like escaping, it was out of the question - our brains could only absorb so much! We now wondered what Buchenwald would be like!
As usual, the railway ran on time and gradually we mounted the slope leading up to the wooded area of Eisenberg - all nicely tucked away so that nobody could see too much. Near the bottom of the hill was a massive cordon of tank corps situated at the outer circle. On top of the hill was a full, S.S. training camp and then there were the guards and the electrical fence circling the entire concentration camp. Buchenwald had started out as a rehabilitation camp for dissidents and from thereon had gone from bad to worse.
We came to the camp station just next to and outside the fence and were greeted by the usual welcome party - ferocious dogs. Some of us were bitten straight away, pieces of flesh were bitten right out of our buttocks leaving bleeding and large open wounds. In this situation one just had to run for your life.
On my left side I noticed that there were newly built factories. I was walked or rather I should say rushed around with those dogs behind me, panting and drooling and trying to get a bite. At this point it was us against the dogs. Then suddenly the human "Welcome Society", came into view - they seemed to be as obedient as the dogs. They were armed with whips and comprised of the underdog, slave drivers or camp elders and CAPO's. Everybody had badges with red triangles.
Some of the guards were Germans who had survived the rise of the Reich with Hitler as Fuhrer - they had extra Rights and Privileges because according to the Nazi's they were not considered to be, "ordinary criminals". They were mostly just a bit left-wing, communist or socialist. There were also some religious representatives - mostly protestants. In addition, there were deserters and people considered to be abnormal.
They all wore ordinary civilian suits and berets usually of typical European origin. The suits had been altered using dye or by the addition of squares that had been sewn in so one could clearly see the markings and they also had the white-blue stripes of galley prisoners. There was a number under the triangle and a stripped ribbon with block and wing marks as well as armbands with the word "Capo" on. These camp guards now took charge of us instead of the S.S. standing beside us.
I remember all the details clearly. Auschwitz had looked like a forest with dead/death trees sticking out of a bog, very bare in comparison with this camp, which in contrast, had a a superb view, similar to what I would expect to see in a holiday camp.
At a four point crossroads elevated on a green, grass patch was a pole, very much like a totem pole. The pole had planks jutting out that were being used as sign posts. On one was a clearly drawn and painted caricature of S.S. marching figures. They were drawn in groups of four in full regalia with weapons. This particular plank pointed towards the S.S. quarters which stuck out in the distance. The buildings resembled high rise flats and were of a somber grey colour.
The rest of the planks at the crossroads had the following images: an affluent Jewish capitalist with the yellow star of King David, a political prisoner with a red triangle, a criminal with a green triangle and a purple, black and blue triangle representing: religions, homosexuals, saboteurs and deserters.
Lastly, was "Gouzloff Werke", which represented factory installations. These factories were next to the thick woods by the station and on the other side of the train tracks. Gouzloff was a German capitalist or industralist and a major shareholder in the company."
To be continued ...
As usual, the railway ran on time and gradually we mounted the slope leading up to the wooded area of Eisenberg - all nicely tucked away so that nobody could see too much. Near the bottom of the hill was a massive cordon of tank corps situated at the outer circle. On top of the hill was a full, S.S. training camp and then there were the guards and the electrical fence circling the entire concentration camp. Buchenwald had started out as a rehabilitation camp for dissidents and from thereon had gone from bad to worse.
We came to the camp station just next to and outside the fence and were greeted by the usual welcome party - ferocious dogs. Some of us were bitten straight away, pieces of flesh were bitten right out of our buttocks leaving bleeding and large open wounds. In this situation one just had to run for your life.
On my left side I noticed that there were newly built factories. I was walked or rather I should say rushed around with those dogs behind me, panting and drooling and trying to get a bite. At this point it was us against the dogs. Then suddenly the human "Welcome Society", came into view - they seemed to be as obedient as the dogs. They were armed with whips and comprised of the underdog, slave drivers or camp elders and CAPO's. Everybody had badges with red triangles.
Some of the guards were Germans who had survived the rise of the Reich with Hitler as Fuhrer - they had extra Rights and Privileges because according to the Nazi's they were not considered to be, "ordinary criminals". They were mostly just a bit left-wing, communist or socialist. There were also some religious representatives - mostly protestants. In addition, there were deserters and people considered to be abnormal.
They all wore ordinary civilian suits and berets usually of typical European origin. The suits had been altered using dye or by the addition of squares that had been sewn in so one could clearly see the markings and they also had the white-blue stripes of galley prisoners. There was a number under the triangle and a stripped ribbon with block and wing marks as well as armbands with the word "Capo" on. These camp guards now took charge of us instead of the S.S. standing beside us.
I remember all the details clearly. Auschwitz had looked like a forest with dead/death trees sticking out of a bog, very bare in comparison with this camp, which in contrast, had a a superb view, similar to what I would expect to see in a holiday camp.
At a four point crossroads elevated on a green, grass patch was a pole, very much like a totem pole. The pole had planks jutting out that were being used as sign posts. On one was a clearly drawn and painted caricature of S.S. marching figures. They were drawn in groups of four in full regalia with weapons. This particular plank pointed towards the S.S. quarters which stuck out in the distance. The buildings resembled high rise flats and were of a somber grey colour.
The rest of the planks at the crossroads had the following images: an affluent Jewish capitalist with the yellow star of King David, a political prisoner with a red triangle, a criminal with a green triangle and a purple, black and blue triangle representing: religions, homosexuals, saboteurs and deserters.
Lastly, was "Gouzloff Werke", which represented factory installations. These factories were next to the thick woods by the station and on the other side of the train tracks. Gouzloff was a German capitalist or industralist and a major shareholder in the company."
To be continued ...
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