Life in the ghetto, The train and The last breath
1941-10-24
Life’s changed a lot since last time. The winter is coming soon and we now live in the Ghetto in Northeim. I, Paul and Tom live with 12 other people in one room. It’s pretty disgusting, we all do our so-called needs in a bowl and we don’t eat specially much. The smell in our room is not so nice as you may understand. I’m hungry all the time and it’s never quiet. Not even in the night, it’s an old man who snores every night. There’s also a baby, so you understand that it’s very noisy. I don’t know what they’re going to do with us but we take it day by day.
1942-09-30
Yesterday soldiers came to the ghetto and told all of us that we were going to live at another place. They forced us all to walk for a while and then we came to a trainstation. The train was not so fancy, it was a few sections and there was just an empty room. No windows, no seats, the only thing was the door. We stepped up in the train and sat down on the floor, it was made of tree, just like the walls and the roof. They threw against the door and the train whistled and it started to roll. I don’t know for exactly how long we were going with the train but I think it was for 2 days. We didn’t get any food but at least we had water to drink.
When we finally arrived we jumped off the train, it felt so good to finally be able to move again even though I was so hungry and tired that it felt I would fall asleep any time and any place. They told us to stand in two lines. One for men and one for women. Both I, Paul and Tom started to cry and we said goodbye. I followed them with my sight as long as I could. There I stood, all alone. I have no idea where my family is going and I don’t know where I am going. I hope I get to see them again.
1944-02-14
I haven’t seen Paul or Tom since that day when we arrived with the train. I work here with a lot of other people. We haven’t eaten anything in days and I’m only skin and bones. The only clothes we have is a striped pyjamas. We all live together in some kind of “house”, there’s a long corridor with beds on each side. We sleep very close to each other and it’s not so good. The worst is the nights. People are screaming because of nightmares, or maybe it’s the truth becoming a nightmare.
I’m out working, I’m tired and hungry as usual. A group of soldiers tell me and maybe 100 other people to come with them. My thoughts are now going around in my head and I wonder what they’re going to do with us. I’m thinking that I should stay calm, don’t stress yourself, everything is going to be okey.
They lead us into a building, we take the clothes off, we’re going in to the showers. They shut the door and everyone is panicking. It’s not a shower.
Thank you for that you always been willing to help people, thank you for being so kind, thank you for being you.
// Your friend