Object numberM2010/001:012
DescriptionTwo-page typed testimony of Jozef Stern, born in 1913 in Wolka Mazowiecka, recorded in the Refugee House in Oradea Mare, Bucharest, on 15 July 1945 by Jadwiga Sapera. The eyewitness account describes how he hid with the help of Ukrainian peasants, frequently having to change hiding houses. He describes living in constant fear. He describes the fate of his brother Efraim who was thrown out of hiding on 27 May 1944 and was captured and brutally tortured so as to betray the hiding places of his family. His eyes were burnt out and he was cut up whilst alive. His sister Chaya was also tortured, beaten, her fingers broken and after further tortures she was shot dead.
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.
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
Subjecttestimonies, torture, survivors, eyewitness accounts, deportation
Object nametestimonies
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 210.00 mm
height: 300.00 mm
Language
- Polish Testimony 12
Accepted in the Refugee House in Oradea Mare on 9 Zarda Street on the 15th of July 1945. With the aim of giving evidence presents himself STERN JOZEF born in 1913 in Wolka MAZOWIECKA county RAWA RUSKA, and states the following:
On the day 29/VII/1942 that is on the day of deportation was found on the railway line between Rawa Ruska and Belzec a postcard addressed to me with the following content.
My Dearest!
I am going with your most dearest daughter as a sacrifice for God. Pray for us!
The postcard was written with the hand of my wife Nachal from home (maiden name) Majzeles. It was brought to the Judenrat and the following day I picked it up and I hold it as a dear memento.
On the day of the deportation I was at work in a camp for French prisoners in STALAK near RAWA RUSKA where I worked as a labourer. About the action in the city I found out during the day and I wanted to go to my home but no one was permitted to enter the city. It was only the next day in the afternoon that I came home but I did not find my wife and my small two year old child. I was at home for 2 days and I couldn’t find a place for myself (I was distressed). I couldn’t trust the Germans anymore. I went to a Ukrainian acquaintance in WOLON MAZOWIECKI where I hid for the entire time. I had to frequently change the hiding houses because they were searching for me. It was thanks to the many peasant friends that I was able to maintain myself and hide with them many of my possessions. I survived from these things, however many of my possessions were not returned to me especially many of the furs. The Ukrainian peasants were overall good to me; however there were some who did not want to put me up even for one day and these were the ones who robbed me of my belongings.
In one place I stayed 1 to 2 months and sometimes even more months. One of the peasants put me up only because I promised him that I would change to his religion immediately after the war and I had to live with his religious rites: cross myself before eating, pray and observe the religious holidays. They taught me all this. This became useful to me later because when I had to change my abode I said that I wasn’t Jewish and my proof was my knowledge of their religious beliefs.
In this manner I hid for 2 years. Three months prior to the arrival of the Red Army no one wanted to keep me because the BANDAROWCY were aware of me and the peasants who looked after me after I left them themselves handed me in, that is saying that I am located in their vicinity. I lived in constant fear. My brother, Efraim also hid with a peasant who after a while threw him out and the poor thing on the 27th day of May 1944 was captured and tortured so as to betray where the hiding places are of my sister, my mother and mine. His eyes were burnt out and he was being cut up whilst alive, and suffered until he breathed his last breath. My sister, Chaya was also quickly found near the forest. One of the peasants who came across her wanted to take her with him. She intended to jump into the water so as to commit suicide. He spoke to her in Yiddish so that she would not be afraid, he placated her, but after he handed her over to the BANDAROWCY. She was tortured also for a very long time so that she would tell them my and my mother’s hiding place. She was beaten on the back, they inflicted terrible tortures, her fingers were totally broken and she lost her ability to speak. They could not obtain any information from her, and after further tortures she was shot dead.
My mother, upon hearing about the suffering of her children and being despondent and in addition having nowhere to shelter decided herself to go to BELZEC to die. She walked 30 kilometres on her own to Belzec. She met some peasants who recognised her as being a Jewess and taking from her her last jewellery that is two watches and they sent her to a place where she could work. She did indeed get work and she stayed there…..until.... the Red Army did not come. German officers saw her there but she was tolerated….(part of this sentence was illegible).
During the last 12 weeks I had to be very careful. I hid where I was least expected either in the attic or in a stable covered by hay belonging to peasant owners who themselves would have killed me but who were not aware of my presence in their vicinity. At night I looked for food. I was frequently changing my hiding place because I was afraid to stay more than 6 days in one hiding place. Finally I was rescued by the Red Army. When I became free I lost strength in my legs because of great overall weakness and for 4 weeks I had to lay down until I got my strength back. Naturally I did not stay in the village but went to RAWA RUSKA..
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Mrs Jadwiga Sapera