Babette Rich Testimony
Object numberM2015/028:015
TitleBabette Rich Testimony
DescriptionVideo testimony for Babette Rich recorded in the year 2000.
Babette Rich (Strausmann) was born in Czechoslovakia. In 1944, Jews from Czechoslovakia were all housed in the ghetto. After 8 weeks, an announcement came: anyone prepared to work should come forward. Babette and her mother advanced thinking it would be better than remaining in the ghetto. They were loaded on trains, travelling for 3 days and 3 nights. People were dying, children were screaming, there was no air, water, or toilets. They arrived at Auschwitz. They were lined up and at the head was an officer waving his hand left or right. The officer was Dr Mengele, whose finger was death or life. When it was Babette’s turn her mother was sent to the left and she to the right. She started screaming but was punched to the ground. She never saw her mother again.
Babette, her sister Magda and other women were ordered to undress. They were inspected so the SS could check that they hadn’t hidden any valuables anywhere. They were then completely shaved from head to toe and marched into a huge cell. They were all terrified; sitting naked and cramped. Suddenly water came pouring down on them. They were drinking and washing as best they could without soap. They were given a bundle with clothes and wooden clogs. Babette saw SS women officers who were often more cruel than the men. Once an SS officer found out that Magda was Babette’s sister. The SS would do whatever they could to break your spirit like separating families. They dragged Babette away and put her on a transport train.
Babette was taken to work in a red brick building, which was a crematorium. She had to take the dead bodies off the train, put them into an iron casket, which was then put through the crematorium. One day Babette just lost control. She started screaming and screaming and couldn’t stop. One woman in charge pulled her away saying “you dirty bitch, you dirty whore, you will spoil the work, I will teach you a lesson.” She opened a gate and pushed her out saying, “Babette, I saved your life.” It was a woman from her hometown. She was now outside with others who marching to another camp. She met 4 other girls who became like a family to her.
Eventually they were taken back to Auschwitz. Once again the selection with Dr Mengele. 600 out of 1,000 were chosen to work. Again they were loaded onto a wagon, arriving in Leipzig, which was under heavy bomb attack. They were locked into a room until locals released them and then taken to Dachau, where theyworked for 12 hours a day.
Later that year, they were forced onto a death march to Ravensbruck and then to Buchenwald, but were turned away from both as they were full. Only 25% of the 600 girls survived. If an inmate sat down from exhaustion, they were shot. After six weeks on the road, they arrived back at Dachau. While walking in the forest, they were liberated by the Americans. They were taken back to Buchenwald, from which they were eventually released. They stated out for Czechoslovakia. Babette ended up with Prague. Eventually, Babette found out that two of her sisters and one of her brothers had survived. She found her brother and together they mad the long journey home. She travelled around for a long time and eventually settled in Prague where she remained until the communists took over. They all decided to flee and ended up in different countries.
Babette married in France and immigrated to Australia where she was reunited with her sister. She found happiness in a new land. Babette tells her story so that everyone will know what and learn from it so it can never happen again.
Babette Rich (Strausmann) was born in Czechoslovakia. In 1944, Jews from Czechoslovakia were all housed in the ghetto. After 8 weeks, an announcement came: anyone prepared to work should come forward. Babette and her mother advanced thinking it would be better than remaining in the ghetto. They were loaded on trains, travelling for 3 days and 3 nights. People were dying, children were screaming, there was no air, water, or toilets. They arrived at Auschwitz. They were lined up and at the head was an officer waving his hand left or right. The officer was Dr Mengele, whose finger was death or life. When it was Babette’s turn her mother was sent to the left and she to the right. She started screaming but was punched to the ground. She never saw her mother again.
Babette, her sister Magda and other women were ordered to undress. They were inspected so the SS could check that they hadn’t hidden any valuables anywhere. They were then completely shaved from head to toe and marched into a huge cell. They were all terrified; sitting naked and cramped. Suddenly water came pouring down on them. They were drinking and washing as best they could without soap. They were given a bundle with clothes and wooden clogs. Babette saw SS women officers who were often more cruel than the men. Once an SS officer found out that Magda was Babette’s sister. The SS would do whatever they could to break your spirit like separating families. They dragged Babette away and put her on a transport train.
Babette was taken to work in a red brick building, which was a crematorium. She had to take the dead bodies off the train, put them into an iron casket, which was then put through the crematorium. One day Babette just lost control. She started screaming and screaming and couldn’t stop. One woman in charge pulled her away saying “you dirty bitch, you dirty whore, you will spoil the work, I will teach you a lesson.” She opened a gate and pushed her out saying, “Babette, I saved your life.” It was a woman from her hometown. She was now outside with others who marching to another camp. She met 4 other girls who became like a family to her.
Eventually they were taken back to Auschwitz. Once again the selection with Dr Mengele. 600 out of 1,000 were chosen to work. Again they were loaded onto a wagon, arriving in Leipzig, which was under heavy bomb attack. They were locked into a room until locals released them and then taken to Dachau, where theyworked for 12 hours a day.
Later that year, they were forced onto a death march to Ravensbruck and then to Buchenwald, but were turned away from both as they were full. Only 25% of the 600 girls survived. If an inmate sat down from exhaustion, they were shot. After six weeks on the road, they arrived back at Dachau. While walking in the forest, they were liberated by the Americans. They were taken back to Buchenwald, from which they were eventually released. They stated out for Czechoslovakia. Babette ended up with Prague. Eventually, Babette found out that two of her sisters and one of her brothers had survived. She found her brother and together they mad the long journey home. She travelled around for a long time and eventually settled in Prague where she remained until the communists took over. They all decided to flee and ended up in different countries.
Babette married in France and immigrated to Australia where she was reunited with her sister. She found happiness in a new land. Babette tells her story so that everyone will know what and learn from it so it can never happen again.
Production date 2000 - 2000
Subjectsurvivors
Object nametestimonies
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Babette Rich