Object numberM2010/001:026
DescriptionOne page testimony recorded in the 'Refugee House' in Oradea Mare on Zarda St 9, Bucharest, on 12 July 1945. The testimony was typed by the donor, Jadwiga Sapera, recording the experiences of Zygmunt Schliesser who was born in Vienna in 1919. He was witness to the atrocities in the Kloga (Klooga) concentration camp (Estonia). He describes that camp Kloga had around 3,500 Jews but around 80-90 remained alive. The murder of the remainder was carried out by 30 SS men. He describes the killing process: "The first batch of 30 were layed out on wooden blocks on the ground, layed out on the blocks with faces down to the ground. With a shot to the back of the skull the first 30 were killed. The next 30 layed down again on the blocks in a similar way so as to perish in the same way".
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, survivors, survivors, eyewitness accounts, murders
Object nametestimonies
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 205.00 mm
height: 295.00 mm
Language
- Polish PROTOCOL (Testimony 26)
This record of testimony was taken (accepted) in the “Refugee House” in ORADEA MARE on Zarda.st.9 on the day 12/VII/1945, with the aim of submitting this testimony presented himself SCHLIESSER ZYGMUNT born 21/3/1919
In VIENNA: profession: mechanic
In the year 1944 when the Germans retreated, I had the opportunity to observe the traits of atrocities in the KLOGA (KLOOGA) concentration camp (Estonia). This camp, so called “Totenlager” was built in the forest. Here Jews worked producing water mines, chopped trees and performed other hard work. It was established by a commission that in the camp were Jews, mainly foreigners and apparently also Germans.
In the vicinity there were around 8 camps segregated into a camp for children, a camp for Russian prisoners, working Jews and others. The camp KLOGA (TOTENLAGER) which I visited had around 3,500 Jews, but around 80 – 90 people only remained alive. The murder of the remainder was carried out by 30 SS men. The following was the killing process: Everyone was locked up in one barrack and 30 – 40 persons were taken out, mixing men with women. The first batch of 30 were layered out on wooden blocks on the ground, layered out on the blocks with faces down to the ground.
With a shot to the back of the skull the first 30 were killed. The next 30 layered down again on the blocks in a similar way so as to perish in the same way. In this way the pile grew to a large height and comprised of 1,000 corpses. There were three of these piles but one was smaller, apart of the individually executed (shot) persons on the field who tried to escape. The piles were set on fire using gasoline. However a small pile remained which was not totally burnt. From other piles there were remains of bodies that were not totally burnt. I saw for example a woman with her child in her hand with half burnt feet and hands.
Those who remained alive saved themselves through various ways. One example, a doctor survived this terrible time standing up to his neck in faeces in the toilet, others in a covered bed, a number in an attic, and some wounded ran away from under the piles of corpses. The victims were not undressed because the Red Army was already close by, lest the Germans were not able to amuse themselves in undressing the corpses.
In the KLOGA camp was a collection (grouping) of the flow of Jews from the region (“voivodship”) Wilenski and Lida as well as those from abroad. It was also said (recounted) that the most attractive girls were taken by the Germans for their own needs and later to be shot (executed).
After the end of the war I found out what had happened with my family. My father, mother and three sisters (the Germans first raped my sisters) were murdered in 1942. One brother was murdered in JANOWSK. From my family no one survived.
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Mrs Jadwiga Sapera