EXCERPT FROM APPENDIX B – FELLOW RESIDENTS IN THE GHETTO AND CAMPS
“Surely many others will write about the odysseys of the Jews of Zawiercie after the first bombing of the city, as well as about the escape of almost all Zawiercie residents to Piltz. Therefore I will not elaborate on that account. All I will add is that amongst the refugees in Piltz there were also Jews from Bedzin, Sosnowiec and from other Cantons in Zaglembie. Before the refugees had managed to figure out what their next step would be (on Monday morning), the German tanks and troops were already standing in the town square in Piltz. The German beasts immediately shot dead a few Poles and Jews. Polish hooligans took advantage of the disorder and started robbing Jewish businesses, with the pretext that Jews were hiding merchandise for selling on the black market. My grandmother’s store too, was plundered. The hooligans continued their plundering until a German officer passed by and forbade them to continue.
I personally remember the bloody Wednesday (March 1941) because that was when I was sent off to a work camp. On the first bloody Wednesday the first big raid took place, when the Nazis pulled out hundreds of Jews from their beds. Accompanied by beatings and shootings, these Jews were packed into the hall of Berent’s factory. The Nazis pulled out the beards and payot (sidelocks) of many Jews. There were many dead. I too was pulled out of bed by the Nazis. I barely got dressed and – beating and pushing me with their riffles – they shoved me down the stairs. I still managed to behold my mother’s crying eyes, which accompanied me into the deep, dark night.
I never saw my mother again.”
