Eyewitness Testimony Francois Muylaert

Oral Interrogation Process June 3, 1949 appeared before us Guillaume P., State Commissioner, assisted by Mr. Joseph Offermanns, clerk. The undersigned declares the following to us: Francois MUYLAERT, born on July 22, 1918, in Molenbeek St. Jean, residing in Molenbeek, 119, Rue des Quatre Vents. I was arrested as a resistor on May 3, 1944, and interned in Louvain for a few days. Thanks to the intervention of the police officer Cuvelier, to whom I paid 7000 francs, I was provisionally released. I was arrested a second time on August 4 and sent to the Kahla camp on August 8. I was part of the first convoy that went to this camp. Upon our arrival, the camp had only 2 barracks; the rest was still under construction. There were no barbed wire fences; these were erected three months later. Initially, there were armed civilian guards, who were later replaced by SA men of the Volkssturm, Belgian SS. The first convoy included Belgians and French. We were made to listen to a speech, translated by Mr. Lints, in which we were told that we would be punished for 3 months and that afterwards we would have a different regime. We received an ID card that was practically useless. After some time, some were allowed to go out on Sundays and stay within a radius of 2 to 3 km. As for me, I never went out to spare myself worries and due to the fatigue resulting from forced labor. I was several times in the camp’s infirmary, which was ultimately run by a Belgian doctor named De Bruyn. I cannot complain about him, although the care was completely useless. I was sent to the bunker for 2 days because I made a fire. p. 22 Punishments generally took place in Camp 0. I spent the last 2 months, March and April, in the camp’s infirmary and a few days before the liberation of the camp in the hospital in Hummelschein, which was set up in a castle a few kilometers from the camp. The Kahla Camp E was located in a valley at the edge of a small stream, 1 or 2 km from the mountain where an underground factory was. The camp consisted of about 15 barracks. I name as witnesses: Mr. Lints, who was the translator for the doctor, Mr. Vaes, who worked in the camp office, Mr. Presper Troch, Rue des Etangs Noirs in Brussels, Mr. Léon van den Bossche, residing in Rue de Nivenu in Brussels, Mr. Joseph Deceoler, deceased, residing Avenue Jean de Brug. I solemnly swear that the present statements are truthful and complete. p. 23