Eyewitness Testimony Marta Hudzik

Marta Hudzik, Questionnaire provided by the Fundacja "Polsko-Niemieckie Pojednanie" [Foundation "Polish-German Reconciliation"]. Marta Hudzik I. Before the Deportation 1. When were you born and who belonged to your family? On 6.01.1923 in Warsaw: My parents and my siblings. II. Deportation 2. When and under what circumstances did you become a forced laborer? On 20.09.1944 in Lopianki. 3. What was the transport to Kahla like? What conditions prevailed during the transport? We were transported in a cattle car. The conditions there were terrible: the cattle car was overcrowded and people died standing. III. Arrival in Kahla and in the REIMAHG labor camp 4. Do you remember which camp you first arrived at? Were you transported further? The first camp was in Breslau and then in Kahla. 5. What accommodation was there in the camp? What was the accommodation like? There were 10 women in one room. In winter, snow fell on our beds. 6. Was there enough fuel, blankets, and other items in the barracks? What condition were these in? There was no fuel. Each person had only one blanket. 7. What food was there in the camp? Was the food varied? How and when was the food distributed? The food was very bad. We received food against coupons. IV. Forced laborers in the REIMAHG 8. When and how did your day start? How long did it take you to get to the workplace? What was the morning and evening roll call like? Work started at 7 a.m. We walked 3 kilometers to the factory under German escort. 9. To which department at REIMAHG did you belong? Did the tasks change during this time? I worked in the sewing department, where I sewed covers for airplanes. Afterwards, I worked in the tool department. 10. How intense was the stress or pressure related to the work? The work was not supervised. 11. What impression did the German or foreign foremen make? How did the foreign foremen treat forced laborers from their own country? The foreman was a German from Posen who treated me relatively well. 12. What remuneration did you receive? Could you buy anything with it? I do not remember the amount of wages, but we were only allowed to buy a little beer in the village. V. Everyday life in the camp 13. Could forced laborers have personal contact with other prisoners? Could you move freely? There was contact among each other and we were allowed to move freely. 14. Did you notice that some groups of forced laborers were treated better than others? I did not notice that. VI. Behavior of foremen, officials, and civilians 15. Do you remember the guards or wardens? What nationality were they? How did they behave? After work, there were no guards and we were allowed to move freely. 16. Was there a danger of denunciation from other forced laborers in the camp? There was no danger of denunciation. 17. Were you a witness to mistreatment or a murder? Do you remember victims? Who were the perpetrators? There were neither mistreatments nor murders. 18. How did the German foremen and workers behave towards you? They behaved relatively well. 19. Did you have contact with civilians? How did they behave? Was there barter with the outside world? There was no barter, but young girls came from the village. 20. Were there escapes from the camp? What punishments were there for that? I heard nothing about escapes. VII. Health care and deaths 21. What happened in case of illness or bodily injury? What experiences did you have with health care, especially with the hospital? A sick person was transported to the sick barracks. The care was good. 22. Do you know anything about deaths in the camp? There were no deaths. 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? The camp was liberated by the Allies and we went in small groups wherever we could. 24. Where were you liberated? What physical condition were you in at that time? We were liberated in Kahla in camp V. IX. Return to the homeland 25. When did you return to Poland? In May 1945. 26. What questions were important to you? Would you like to say anything else about it? No answer.