[Report on the departure from Auschwitz]

The file contains a report and report transcript regarding the closing of Auschwitz, the subsequent march to Sachsenhausen and the liberation in Schwerin. Rolf Pakuscher's narration starts at the 16th of January 1945, when the inmates of the Auschwitz concentration camp heard heavy ordnance. The atmosphere in the camp began to get better, as it might have been their chance to get free. Not as he said, because of their hard work, as it was written at the camp 'Arbeit macht frei' (work sets you free) but through the war. At the 18th of January the departure from Auschwitz started. All the inmates had to march in direction to Wrocław. Everyone who was too weak to walk any further got shot by the officers. On their march they rested in other camps, where the inmates were already 'evacuated', as the officers called this organized murder. Rolf Pakuscher discribed in his report very detailed through which city they had to march, what happend on their way and under which circumstances they had to continue walking. In Gliwice a coal train was waiting for the survivors of the march. On the train more people froze to death and no one new how long the 'journey' will take. After eight days, on the 29th of January the train arrived in Sachsenhausen. After eight hours of waiting in Sachsenhausen the new order of the officers was to get back on the train and the 'journey' continued to the 'Heinkellager', where everyone had to get off the train again. There they had to work again but, as Rolf Pakuscher explained, at least they had a roof above their heads and something to eat, eventhough it was not enough. After one week in 'Heinkellager' a new march started and every inmate who was still alive had to be 'evacuated'. On the 1st of Mai 1945 they arrived near to Schwerin, where they have been so close to the American lines, that the freedom of the last survivors was near.