Object numberM2010/001:006
DescriptionTwo-page typed testimony of Simon Sindler from Dolina recorded in Bucharest on 31 May 1945 by Jadwiga Sapera. The eyewitness account describes the arrival of the Death Brigade on 3 August 1942 in Dolina, pulling people out of their dwellings, cellars and hiding places and shooting from 6 in the morning till 7 in the evening.
Excerpt: "We were witnesses of this execution. He hung there for a further two days as evidence of the penalty to be paid for escape."
Keywords:
Aktion
Shooting in cemetery
Krieger (Gestapo)
Judenfrei
Wyzkow camp
Execution
Hanging
Jadwiga Sapera was born Hermina Silberfeld, to Polish Jews Nathan Silberfeld and Anna (nee Hollander) on 27 November 1914 in Miskolc, Hungary. In 1918, the family returned to their home in Stary Sacz, Poland. Hermina attended a convent, which gave her a knowledge of German and Catholicism that was helpful for her survival. In 1942, Hermina attained false identification papers of a Polish-Catholic woman, Jadwiga Eleonora Jarzemiszewska. As Jadwiga she was able to find new accommodation and work, and at the end of 1942, moved to Krakow to better safeguard her secret. In 1943 she moved to Warsaw and then to Budapest, until liberation. After the war she kept the name Jadwiga and got work in Bucharest typing the testimonies of concentration camp survivors for the Association of Polish Jewish Refugees. She found out her father had died of hunger and disease, but her mother and brother survived. She was reunited with them in Poland. She lived in Katowice with her husband Jan Sapera who she met and married in 1946. They immigrated to Australia in 1958 with their three children. In the last decade of her life she re-adopted her Jewish name Hermina.
Excerpt: "We were witnesses of this execution. He hung there for a further two days as evidence of the penalty to be paid for escape."
Keywords:
Aktion
Shooting in cemetery
Krieger (Gestapo)
Judenfrei
Wyzkow camp
Execution
Hanging
Jadwiga Sapera was born Hermina Silberfeld, to Polish Jews Nathan Silberfeld and Anna (nee Hollander) on 27 November 1914 in Miskolc, Hungary. In 1918, the family returned to their home in Stary Sacz, Poland. Hermina attended a convent, which gave her a knowledge of German and Catholicism that was helpful for her survival. In 1942, Hermina attained false identification papers of a Polish-Catholic woman, Jadwiga Eleonora Jarzemiszewska. As Jadwiga she was able to find new accommodation and work, and at the end of 1942, moved to Krakow to better safeguard her secret. In 1943 she moved to Warsaw and then to Budapest, until liberation. After the war she kept the name Jadwiga and got work in Bucharest typing the testimonies of concentration camp survivors for the Association of Polish Jewish Refugees. She found out her father had died of hunger and disease, but her mother and brother survived. She was reunited with them in Poland. She lived in Katowice with her husband Jan Sapera who she met and married in 1946. They immigrated to Australia in 1958 with their three children. In the last decade of her life she re-adopted her Jewish name Hermina.
Production date 1945
Object nametestimonies
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 210.00 mm
height: 300.00 mm
Language
- Polish Testimonial 6
PROTOKOL
This record (testimony) was taken in the “Refugee House” in Bucharest Calea, Mosilor 128 on the day 31/V/1945 with the aim of submitting this testimony, SINDLER SIMON presented himself: born 24/VI/1910 in DOLINA in the Stanislawowski region (voivodship) and gives the following account:
Following the outbreak of the Russian-German war, the Hungarians entered our small town. We did not however rejoice with their authority because after three months they withdrew and in their place DOLINA was taken over by SHUPO and KRIPO made up of Poles from the west of Poland.
Before the war DOLINA had around 6000 Jews. This was a rich small township. KRIEGER, a Gestapo from STANISLAWOW who frequently visited our township always left satisfied and kept DOLINA without a ghetto until an order (regulation) came out to make DOLINA Judenfrei (free of Jews) A Judenrat with Drem Weinreb at its head (during an action he was taken to Stanislawow and shot dead).
On Sunday, the 3rd August 1942 occurred the first destructive (obliterating) action. The “Death Brigade” arrived, encircled the township and from 6 in the morning to 7 in the evening the shooting continued. People were pulled out of their dwellings, cellars, hiding places and those who resisted were executed on the spot.
The brigade was made up of around 120 people, all SS men, and the leaders were Müller Schulz (a Pole from LWOW). People taken away on a Sunday were immediately shot dead in the Jewish Cemetery.
I, my wife, my mother and child were bunkered down (were hiding in a bunker) in our home. On Sunday we stayed in the bunker but on Monday we were discovered by the night guards of the Citizen police made up of civilian Poles and Ukrainians. We were betrayed unintentionally by a young boy who entered the cellar of our home to get some candles and he was spotted by a lookout and then he tracked. On Monday night we were taken to the magistrate and later we were taken to goal. The next evening a selection occurred. Women, children and the elderly were taken to the Jewish cemetery and from the goal they were given 200 and they were shot. From the windows of the goals we saw the execution scenes. In the cemetery there was already a deep ditch (hole) dug up on top of which where laid out wooden boards (totesbrett). Jews undressed naked and walking across the wooden boards were shot and fell straight into the ditch. We heard shots and we saw falling bodies.
I remained in goal with my wife. My child and my mother were taken away. We stayed in the goal until Thursday. We were supposed to be sent to the WYZKOW camp with one aim, and we were the next ones to go. Luckily we were not accepted. On Thursday occurred a new selection during which my wife was taken away and in the same way that I have described earlier they were shot dead in the cemetery. Till Saturday I was still in goal.
On Saturday at 4 in the morning the Ukrainian police took the rest of the people, 27 persons and took them to WYZKOW which was 45 kilometres from DOLINA. We went on foot but part of the way we travelled by railway. In WYZLOW we were put into a cellar where we were lying till the morning. At 7.30 we were taken to a square by the Gestapo and again a selection occurred. I ended up selected to a group which was to be executed (the goal serving group). Sitting in the group which was earmarked for execution by shooting I was noticed by Vorarbeiter FELD who paraded at the side of the Gestapo Müller. I remembered him only when he pointed out to Müller that he knows me and that I am a good worker. He immediately ordered that I be taken away from that group and as a result of this incident during every selection I was allocated to the group who were not going to be executed. During the 8 weeks of my being in WYZKOW from the entire group that numbered 312 persons only 10 remained. This last group of 10 persons lived in two stables. Six in one stable and four in the second stable. On the 25th October I escaped from the camp to Hungary.
The camp consisted of two stables. We worked building another house which had to serve the Gestapo who were arriving on leave. Our sustenance (food) consisted of soup (porridge flour) once per day and sometimes very little bread which was commandeered from the Judenrat warehouses in Dolina. Sometimes Muller asserted that we will eat bread for as long as the Jewish flour will not end. We supplemented our food with raw mushrooms we found in the forest. We were guarded by 3 SS-men who treated us very well. They were familiar Volksdeutscher from Bolechow and Slotwin. But when an action came around they had to shoot us. Müller was always our superior in the camp. From time to time someone would be brought into the camp. Among others was brought in a Polish family from Lwow, the dentist Mohra with his wife and three children who were caught on …… and thrown into Wyzkow. His wife behaved a little nervous. Muller and other SS men killed here by beating her with a matlock on her head and her entire body until her spirit left her and she died. The children were also shot dead during the selection but he remained alive.
After the murder of Vorarbeiter Feld he became the Vorarbeiter. After a certain period several Jews escaped from the camp and he was held responsible for the escape and was right away hanged. Before he was executed he was asked what his final wish was. He asked for a cigarette. His wish was granted. He perished with bravery and peace. We were witnesses of this execution. He hung there for a further two days as evidence of the penalty to be paid for escape.
A butcher from the vicinity of our city, his name was Kohn who came from (descended ) from Germany was also hanged because during work he left to satisfy his physiological needs, but the reason given for the execution was that he was trying to escape. One of our co-brothers Weiss managed to secretly enter a village with the aim of swapping his trousers for bread. He met with death by hanging.
When I was in Hungary I found out that the Wyzkow camp was liquidated, and Müller was transferred to Lwow where he also was the head of a Jewish camp.
From the people from the city of Dolina who remained alive (survived) I remember JOZEF TANNE (had a Masters; Degree) - from Dolina and Medical Doctor Dr. Tanner - from Dolina.
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Mrs Jadwiga Sapera