David J. Holocaust testimony
Abstract
Videotape testimony of David J., who was born in Poland in 1927. Mr. J. recalls his childhood in Sieradz; his mother's death in 1938; German invasion; forced labor; his father's and brothers' arrest; his father's release; being beaten by a Jewish policeman (they subsequently met in Israel); substituting for his father for forced labor; transfer to Otoczna; escaping with a friend; recapture in Sieradz; return to Otoczna; a severe beating; escape and recapture; transfers to Poznan?, Go?ttenburg, then Kreising; receiving food from Polish prisoners; escape and recapture again; a reprieve from execution when the camp was evacuated to Auschwitz/Birkenau; finding his brothers; the Sonderkommando uprising; separation from his brothers; transfer to Stutthof and Danzig; death marches to Lauenberg and other camps; and liberation by Soviet troops. He describes joining the Red Army; revenge killings of Lauenberg staff; advancing to Ku?strin; joining his brother in Landsberg; living in Lossel; illegal emigration to Palestine; combat in the Israel-Arab War; marriage in 1954; and adopting two children. Mr. J. discusses sharing his experiences with his children; his feelings in concentration camps; health problems resulting from those years; visits to Germany; and educational activities with German students including visiting Auschwitz with them.
Extent and Medium
3 videocassettes
Conditions Governing Access
This testimony is open with permission.
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Copyright has been transferred to the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies. Use of this testimony requires permission of the Fortunoff Video Archive.
Rules and Conventions
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Process Info
compiled by Staff of the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies
People
- J., David, -- 1927-
Corporate Bodies
- Stutthof (Concentration camp)
- Landsberg am Lech (Displaced persons camp)
- Birkenau (Concentration camp)
- Auschwitz (Concentration camp)
Subjects
- Mass killings.
- Mutual aid.
- Aid by non-Jews.
- Concentration camps -- Revolts.
- Postwar experiences.
- Postwar effects.
- Survivor-child relations.
- Death marches.
- Forced labor.
- Revenge.
- Israel-Arab War, 1948-1949.
- Escapes.
- Concentration camps -- Psychological aspects.
- Child survivors.
- Refugee camps.
- Video tapes.
- Holocaust survivors.
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Personal narratives.
- Men.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Children.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, Jewish.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Atrocities.
- Brothers.
Places
- Poland.
- Sieradz (Poland)
- Küstrin (Germany)
- Lossel (Germany)
- Israel.
- Palestine -- Emigration and immigration.
- Danzig (Poland : Concentration camp)
- Lauenburg (Poland : Concentration camp)
- Kreising (Poland : Concentration camp)
- Göttenburg (Germany : Concentration camp)
- Otoczna (Poland : Concentration camp)
- Poznań (Poland : Concentration camp)
Genre
- Oral histories. -- aat