Eyewitness Testimony Boris Kvjatchinski

Boris Andreevich Kvyatinsky, Questionnaire provided by the Belarusian Republican Foundation "Understanding and Reconciliation." Boris Andreevich Kvyatinsky Kvyatinsky, Boris Andreevich I was born on May 19, 1928, in the Brest region, Pinsk district, in the village of Dobroslavka, in a peasant family. On May 17, 1944, I was deported from the village to Germany. The transport was in freight cars with metal grates. The conditions were terrible — there was a hole in the floor used as a toilet. We traveled for 5 days to the town of Grajevo without any food or drink being distributed. Many were unconscious because it was indescribably hot. From Grajevo, we went to the village of Rothenstein. The conditions there were also terrible. We slept on the floor, on straw; there was no sanitary hygiene at all, so we were all infested with lice. We lived in a "club" (inn) that was not heated. When the cold set in, we were transferred to the Bibra camp next to the factory. The barracks were heated with stoves placed in the middle. However, the heat was insufficient. We called the barrack where we lived the "doghouse for 15 people." Each person received two very thin blankets. We received new clothing in February 1945; until then, we only had our old clothes. The camp provided breakfast (coffee and 300 grams of black bread) and dinner. Lunch was served at the factory. It consisted of one liter of soup based on bone broth, and it remained the same throughout the war. The workday lasted from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. From Rothenstein, it was 40 kilometers to the factory (? information incorrect, M.B.), Bibra was right next to the factory. There were no roll calls. For every 40 men, there was an interpreter who was also responsible for the group. I do not remember any direct quotas. I worked on the construction of the factory, loading carts with earth under the command of a foreman. There were very different foremen — few were good people; mostly they were cruel, brutal men. I did not know the German language and was often beaten because of that. The foremen were only kind to their fellow countrymen. We received money every week in envelopes, up to 30 marks. You could buy pepper, mustard, lemonade, and beer with it. Because of my young age, I was not assigned to agricultural work. I had no contact with home, as it was liberated by the Red Army in June 1945 (he probably means "44," M.B.). We had no contact with other camps. The behavior towards other groups of prisoners was similar — for us, it was bearable, but the Italians were beaten every day. We had contact with Ukrainians, Russians, and Moldovans. There were families with children among us, but I do not know details about them. The guards were Germans — some were good, some brutal. I do not know if there were informers. I am not aware of any corruption. I did not witness murders or special mistreatment because the camp was very large. If someone was to be punished, the guards beat them with batons — the guards were also judges. The camp administration and the German workers behaved differently — some were good, some bad. We had no close contact with the local population; the locals were well-meaning — the women gave us bread when we went to work. I do not know if the population participated in punitive measures. I always came back very tired, ate, and went to sleep. There were some Germans who were good to us — a foreman named Paul never punished the workers and gave us time to rest. Some sat, others lay down, and some even slept. When the management came, he immediately started scolding us, but we respected him. I do not remember any escape attempts. Medical care was poor. People were afraid to go to the infirmary and preferred to endure the pain themselves. I cannot make statements about mortality. At the end of the war, the first group was driven towards Gera; I was in the second group. We traveled all night; in the morning, we could not continue because of American airplanes, so we went into the forest, and the guards went to a nearby village. After some time, they came to us, already in civilian clothes, and said we could go wherever we wanted. I lost all my papers at that time. I then went towards Gera and passed a village (I no longer remember its name), where I asked for food at a farm. The owner asked me where I came from, then let me into the house and gave me food, new clothes, and the opportunity to wash. I stayed there for two weeks. I do not remember his name. After two weeks, the Americans arrived. I know nothing about arrests after liberation. On January 13, 1946, I returned home. My further life went well; I worked from April 1946 until May 1988 in a factory and then retired.