This Holocaust Author's Auschwitz Blog

Cracow (Krakow).

“..1,000 Jews from Moravska Ostrava. ..first station we reached was Cracow. I wish to add that we did not get any more water from ..early morning of ..17th; when ..people of Cracow wanted to offer us water they were chased away with lashes of ..whip by ..SD.” Max Burger.

The Polish people have not forgotten, under Treaty with both Germany and Russia, that Poland was isolated, even side stepped and then overrun by both powers. Both acted in accord, in order to steal from Poland what was rightfully Poland’s, its Sovereignty. Lest we Forget, while some 2,800,000 Polish Jews were Murdered in The Holocaust, we cannot forget the penalty for being Polish under Hitler’s regime. Between 5.6 and 5.8 Million Poles were killed as a consequence of German aggression. These were not simply the facts of War, or even the collateral damage brought about by War. There was also an attempt by Hitler to destroy many vestiges of Polish culture, dissolve their Catholic and Slavic nature and eventually, even their presence.

“..Farewell ..Cracow. ..driven out ..like a dog. Will I ever see you again? This place ..so close to me. ..wept my heart out on my mother’s grave ..shed last tear on my father’s tombstone.” Mordechai Gebirtig.

But that feeling is for another day, it is another page to be written! Here though, I will give a brief overview of what an impression Cracow and Poland and their People make upon Me during my stay. I will not forget the real reason I am here though, which is to place a stone before History which tells the World, that I will not Forget the 6,000,000 Murdered Jews of The Holocaust. In all that has happened to these 6,000,000 Jews of Europe, a newer tragedy must not beset their memory that would ignore the Fact that, having passed this way, every effort is being made to recall and name them. For those Jews, now consigned to History by a total indifference to their vibrancy and integrity, more and more of us will stand and deliver a posthumous Remembrance for them.

So Poland and Cracow will form part of the Narrative of the Holocaust, as it affected those Jews, who were Living and Breathing Cracovian’s at the time of Hitler’s invasion in 1939. Cracow had been occupied by Jews ever since the 14th. Century. Under the Nazi regime the City was situated in the General Government and lay on the River Vistula, some 60 kilometers West of Auschwitz. The Ghetto itself was established in March 1941 and was finally liquidated in May 1942. Cracow was one of the larger Ghettoes established by the Nazi regime and most of these Jews have been assigned to their deaths at the Auschwitz/Birkenau and Belzec death camps. Over the Centuries, and having survived numerous pogroms, some 57,000 to 64,000 Jews had established their existence here, and had grown in Influence and Commerce since the 14th. Century. These more than 57,000 Jews represented more than a quarter of the Town’s population and within 8 days of the German strike against Poland, the first killings were recorded around and about Cracow’s environs.

“..Old people ..women ..Children pass by ..like ghosts. ..old ..young ..some dressed ..some ..in their underwear. ..a blind old man ..eyes ..lost ..fighting ..with ..Germans. ..another elderly person ..with one leg ..on crutches. ..2 SS ..shout ..order for him to run. ..one comes from behind ..with ..butt of his rifle hits ..crutch. ..old man falls down. ..perhaps ..one ..among them unable to stand torturing people ..before their death. ..no such person in ..Cracow ghetto.” Tadeusz Pankiewicz.

Close by, and situated merely 5 kilometers from Cracow was the labour camp of Plaszow. It was utilised mainly for the exploitation of the Jews. The Camp became the means by which fortunes were made for those who exploited the Jews before destroying them. It was established in October 1942 mainly for the War economy of the faltering Nazi state, but Plaszow grew well from all it could exploit from the Jews of the ‘Generalgovernment.’ Formed from a region of the conquered Polish territories, it was overseen by Governor Hans Frank who overlooked his Murderous empire from Cracow.

After the War, between November 24th. and December 22nd. 1947, for the varying crimes at Auschwitz, this would be remembered as The Auschwitz Trial, But only a small fraction of those former staff members of the camp would be charged with any crimes. That any might not be charged at all is unthinkable, but the unspeakable fact is that such crimes against those Jews and others held and then Destroyed within Auschwitz and Birkenau’s confines didn’t appear as essential a process as the re-building of a Country. Those convicted were 41 officials of varying rank and position within the Camp hierarchy. 23 defendants were sentenced to Death, those others were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment and 1 was acquitted and released.

01) Hans Aumeier: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

02) August Bogusch: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

03) Therese Brandl: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

04) Fritz Buntrock: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

05) Wilhelm Gehring: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

06) Paul Gotze: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

07) Maximilian Graebner: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

08) Heinrich Josten: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

09) Hermann Kirschner: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

10) Josef Kollmer: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

11) Franz Kraus: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

12) Johann Kremer: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

13) Otto Latsch: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

14) Arthur Liebhenschel: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

15) Herbert Ludwig: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

16) Maria Mandel: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

17) Karl Mockel: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

18) Erich Muehsfeldt: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

19) Kurt Mueller: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

20) Ludwig Plagge: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

21) Hans Schumacher: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

22) Paul Szczurek: Death Sentence Executed January 28th. 1948.

“..In ..morning attended a special action from ..women’s concentration camp .most dreadful of horrors. ..Thilo was right when he said to me that this is ..anus mundi. ,,Evening ..towards 8:00 attended another special action from Holland. Because of ..special rations they get a fifth of a liter of schnapps ..5 cigarettes ..100 gms. salami and bread ..men all clamour to take part in such actions. Today and tomorrow work.” Johann Kremer.

23) Arthur Breitwieser: Life Imprisonment.

24) Luise Danz: Life Imprisonment.

25) Hans Koch: Life Imprisonment.

26) Anton Lechner: Life Imprisonment.

27) Adolf Medefind: Life Imprisonment.

28) Detlef Nebbe: Life Imprisonment.

29) Karl Seufert: Life Imprisonment.

30) Oswald Kaduk: 25 Years Imprisonment.

31) Alexander Bulow: 15 Years Imprisonment.

32) Hans Hofmann: 15 Years Imprisonment.

33) Hildegard Lachert: 15 Years Imprisonment.

34) Eduard Lorenz: 15 Years Imprisonment.

35) Alice Orlowski: 15 Years Imprisonment.

36) Franz Romeikat: 15 Years Imprisonment.

37) Johannes Weber: 15 Years Imprisonment.

38) Richard Schröder: 10 Years Imprisonment.

39) Erich Dinges: 5 Years Imprisonment.

40) Karl Jeschke: 3 Years Imprisonment.

41) Hans Munch: Acquitted.

“.. order came that I ..had to take part in ..exterminations. ..Special treatment in ..terminology of ..concentration camp means physical extermination..gassing…they were gassed ..yes ..absolutely.” Hans Munch.

A simple piece of mathematics here might explain a certain consternation with regard to Justice, or the lack of Justice for those consigned to the vagueries of The Holocaust. Here at Auschwitz and Birkenau, 1,100,000 Jews were Gassed, or were otherwise Murdered. The Cracow Trial represents an indictment for each of the Defendants which should have made them all culpable in these Murders. That 41 stood trial presents to the World an answerable case of over 26,000 Murdered Jews for each of those indicted. When we bring it down to its furthest level, and those who were executed, this represents one Perpetrator tried for every 50,000 Jews Murdered here. Where’s the Justice?

Day 16: Ha’avara exit from Germany!

1933 August 25th. Hitler now sought a wider emigration policy for the Jews of Germany. The Ha’avara Agreement Transfer of Jews from Germany to Palestine would be formally agreed between the German Ministry of Economy, and the Zionist Federation of Germany (die Zionistische Vereinigung fuer Deutschland)

1935 August 25th. Pastor Martin Niemoeller an anti-Nazi minister, preaches that the Jews are ‘The Christ Killers’ and their history is both:-

“..dark and sinister and under a curse for they brought ..Christ of God to ..cross but are also responsible for ..blood of all ..righteous men who were ever murdered.” Martin Niemoeller.

Pastor Niemoeller acknowledged too that when they had Destroyed all of the Jews, there would be no one left to defend the rights of the rest of us. History has shown that the relentless struggle against the Intolerant is not won by an indifference to the struggle of others.

1939 August 25th. Anglo Polish Alliance Treaty of mutual assistance signed.

Barely a week before Hitler’s aggression and Invasion of Poland, the timely pact between Britain and Poland signals a resolve that will eventually secure the end of Hitler’s dalliance with territorial gain and World domination. It will take approximately six more years, cost some 50 to 70 Million lives including the systematic slaughter of 6,000,000 Jews of Europe, Men, Women and Their Children.

1940 August 25th. Britain launches first air raid on Berlin.

The fight is to be brought to the door of the German people. They will be made aware that all such aggressions as Hitler forges will be met by the might of a World not weary from World War I to act in accordance with what is right. That right , with regard to support to fellow nations will be seen to lack that same effort when it comes to standing tall when faced with the realisation that All Jews, wherever they are, face Annihilation.

1941 August 25th. 1,500 Tykocin Jews are murdered while more than 2,100 Tykocin Jews will be murdered and 1,160 of Obeliai’s Jewish Men, Women and Their Children are also murdered. Meanwhile, in Belgrade 8,000 Jews are deported to Topovske Supe and are murdered. Winston Churchill hints at the emerging destruction within the Holocaust.

“..scores of thousands ..executions ..civilians ..perpetrated by German troops in ..Soviet Union” Winston Churchill.

While much of History continues to debate the exact timing of when the West, the Allies, even The Church knew of the emerging nature of The Holocaust of The Jews of Europe, Churchill acknowledges the Fact here. It clearly cannot be ignored that while Churchill was privy to Allied Intelligence, the intercepts from der Einsatzgruppe made this particular statement, an assessment that was all too categorical, given the nature of the Slaughter that faced the Jewish People in Russia! While it is not clear that Churchill is invoking the texts of der Einsatzgruppe transcripts, or that he is even referring to the Jews, it is clearly recognising what was being accomplished in Russia. When we look to the next paragraph, the Destruction of the Jewish People is being clearly undertaken, and the West obviously knew this!

1942 August 25th. 53,750 Warsaw Jews murdered at Treblinka in a 2 week period while 10,000 of Miedzyrzec’s Jews are also murdered. Taking place at this time is the Great Aktionen at Bochnia where 500 Jews are murdered in a nearby Forest. The final resolve is hindered temporarily as the Treblinka transports are halted due to an accumulation of unburied and uncremated corpses all littering the entire area.

1944 August 25th. Paris is finally liberated and Romania now declares War upon Germany.

The War is not going well for Hitler as Allied gains in Europe push the German forces steadily back toward the German Border. As we have seen, Hitler’s former axis members are jumping ship, noting, no doubt the precarious nature of the stricken hull will leave them exposed to the might – and certain victory – of the Allied Forces.

A Book a Day, or so of suggested reading!

18. Nyiszli, Miklos Auschwitz: A Doctor’s Eyewitness Account.