Eyewitness Testimony Elzbieta Piechocka

Elzbieta Piechocka, questionnaire provided by the Fundacja "Polsko-Niemieckie Pojednanie" [Foundation "Polish-German Reconciliation"]. Elzbieta Piechocka I. Before the Deportation 1. When were you born and who belonged to your family? Elzbieta Piechocka, born on 18.11.1927 in Warsaw. Mother — Pozlewicz Feliksa. II. Deportation 2. When and under what circumstances did you become a forced laborer? During the uprising in Wola, I was taken by Ukrainians who belonged to the German army from Obozowa Street to the church on Wolska Street. Two days later, we were loaded by Germans into cattle cars at the West Station. In this cramped space, we were transported to Pruszków and there selected in the station halls. The next day we were again transported by cattle car to Breslau, and we stayed two days in this transit camp. 3. What was the transport to Kahla like? What conditions prevailed during the transport? From Breslau, we were transported to the camp in Ravensbrück, where we spent one night. Then we were taken to Kahla. III. Arrival in Kahla and in the REIMAHG Labor Camp 4. Do you remember which camp you first arrived at? Were you transported further? At first, I was in Camp 2, which was near the factory. Three days later, we were transferred to Camp 4, three kilometers away. 5. What accommodation was there in the camp? What was the accommodation like? The barracks were long and inside divided into rooms. In one room there were 9 double beds (18 people). In the center stood a stove, which we used for heating. 6. Was there enough fuel, blankets, and other items in the barracks? What condition were these in? For heating, we received a bucket of coal, which lasted only a few hours. Afterwards, water formed which froze. Each of us had a straw sack and two gray and worn-out blankets. 7. What food was there in the camp? Was the food varied? How and when was the food distributed? Every Tuesday and Thursday we received two loaves of bread for a week and some jam. At noon in the factory, there were various soups: rutabaga soup or kale soup. One hour after lunch, hunger caused stomach pains. IV. Forced Laborers in the REIMAHG 8. When and how did your day begin? How long did it take you to get to the workplace? What was the morning and evening roll call like? There was a wake-up signal at 5 a.m. and we had to walk 3 km. We had to be at the factory by 7 a.m. and worked until 7 p.m., seven days a week. For weeks we saw no daylight. 9. To which department at REIMAHG did you belong? Did the tasks change during this time? At first, I worked soldering cables, then I was transferred to sewing seat covers for airplanes. 10. How intense was the stress or pressure related to the work? Stress was low because the foreman (an old German) was a very good person. 11. What impression did the German and foreign foremen make? How did the foreign supervisors treat forced laborers from their own country? As above. 12. What payment did you receive? Could you buy anything with it? For a few marks I earned from work, I bought myself pants because in winter I had bare legs. V. Everyday Life in the Camp 13. Could forced laborers have personal contact with other prisoners? Could you move freely? In the camp, we were allowed to move freely. 14. Did you notice that some groups of forced laborers were treated better than others? The Eastern workers received less bread than the Western workers. VI. Behavior of Foremen, Officials, and Civilians 15. Do you remember the guards or wardens? What nationalities were they? How did they behave? The foremen were Germans, but I saw no violence from their side. 16. Was there a danger of denunciation from other forced laborers in the camp? I am not aware of anything. 17. Were you a witness to mistreatment or a murder? Do you remember victims? Who were the perpetrators? No. 18. How did the German foremen and workers behave towards you? (No answer) 19. Did you have contact with civilians? How did they behave? Was there barter with the outside world? No. 20. Were there escapes from the camp? What punishments were there for that? I am not aware of anything. VII. Health Care and Deaths 21. What happened in case of illness or injury? What experiences did you have with health care, especially the hospital? We received medical help. 22. Do you know anything about deaths in the camp? I do not know. VIII. Liberation 23. Did the Germans evacuate you from the camp in the last days of the war? If yes, what were the conditions of the march? On April 1, 1945, we were driven out of the camp because the American front was very close. We were driven for half a day and a night. We spent the nights during breaks. I stayed with three friends for two days in the forest. When we left the forest, we met a Pole who took us to his farmer, who was a community leader. 24. Where were you liberated? What physical condition were you in then? We stayed there until the Americans came on April 15. We tried to return to the camp in Kahla. Finally, we reached Kahla after using various transports. We remained under American care until the Russians came at the end of June. IX. Return to the Homeland 25. When did you return to Poland? I returned on 10.08.1945. That was two days after the burial of my mother, who died shortly after she returned... (interrupted, D. Antkowiak). 26. What questions were important to you? Would you like to say anything else about it? No answer.