At the end of July 1943, transports abruptly stopped coming. There was a short respite while the crematoria were thoroughly cleaned and prepared for further activities. The work started again on 3 August. Transports of Jews from Benzburg and Sossnowitz came first, and were followed by others without interruption during the whole month of August.
c. 132;000 (sic) – 136,000 | Jews from Benzburg and Sossnowitz. Only 4000 men and few women went to the camp. Over 35,000 were taken to the crematoria directly. Most of these died in the so-called quarantine camp from exceptionally inhuman treatment, starvation, various diseases, and last but not least, murders in their own ranks. Those chiefly responsible for the crimes committed against them are Tlyn, a professional criminal of German nationality who came here from the Sachsenhausen reception center, and Mieczislaw Katerzinski, a Polish political prisoner from Warsaw. |
At this time "selections" were started again on a particularly large scale in the women's camp. The camp doctor, an SS Sturmfuehrer and son or nephew of the Berlin police director, acted with a brutality which stood out even in this camp. The practice of "selection" was carried out without respite from this time until our escape.
c. 137,000 (sic) – 138,000 | 1000 Gentile Poles from the Pawiak prison in Warsaw and about 80 Greek Jews arrived at the end of August. |
c. 138,000 – 142,000 | 3000 Gentiles from various transports. |
c. 142,000 – 145,000 | 3000 Jews from various Polish labor camps and a group of
Russian POWs arrived at the beginning of September 1943. |
c. 148,000 (sic) – 152,000 | Family transports from Teresin (Theresienstadt), which arrived during the week following 7 September 1943. |
13. Treatment of the Theresienstadt Czechs, September 1943 – March 1944. For some reason unknown to us, the Theresienstadt transport enjoyed exceptional treatment. Nobody was gassed or even shaved, members kept their belongings and were billeted by families in a separate section of the camp. The men did not have to work, members were allowed to send mail to relatives, and a special school for the children was permitted under the leadership of Fredy Hirsch, at one time youth leader of the Makabi of Prague.*
* The largest Jewish sports club in Czechoslovakia – footnote in original document.
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