tell him the truth. He would understand.
By now Peter had seen the entire operation of the KZ. Max told Koch he liked him, so they remained together as a team. Maybe Max paid him to keep the pairing. Peter thought it was because he did not take his cut and whenever he discovered contraband he gave it to Max, who called him his "good boy."
The engineer tooted his whistle as he entered the valley and they heard the trains' arrival ten minutes before they pulled up to the ramp. He was permanently assigned to the Rampe Gespann along with nearly all the SS guards. The quartet began before the train stopped. Mozart, Brahms, Beethoven. The music absurdly and obscenely out of place. Peter knew he would never listen to the classics again.
The Judenrampe and Blocks visible from it were comfortably designed and neatly maintained. Even in winter they held an innocent illusion.
They could off-load three cars at a time, depending on their size. The Alsatian patrols worked the length of the train making certain no one tried to escape. Once the cars were emptied and searched the train moved up three more cars.
Inmate clerks of the Political Section efficiently prepared a card for each arrival, classifying them by crime or status, even those who were gassed within the next hours. The card was used in the case of Reichsdeutschers – German nationals -- to notify next of kin of their death, invariably by heart failure. All very orderly and proper. Peter preferred his assignment on the Rampe Gespann to manning the lines of naked people waiting to take their shower, though on occasion he did that as well.
The routine at the Judenrampe was simple and repetitious. It was surprising how much alike people are in those circumstances. He went through his motions and did his duty.
The condition of the arrivals depended on how long the train had been en route. Up to a week or more caused them to arrive largely dead, the rest crazed. Parents slew their children, slit their own wrists. Even a few days was enough in some cases to cause derangement.
Regardless of the length of the trip they always arrived dazed, exhausted, thirsty and hungry, but especially thirsty, even in winter. Water was promised, after their shower. They fled into the Disrobing Block with cups in hand. Max said keeping them thirsty made them easier to handle.
When the guards pulled the three doors aside simultaneously the first twenty or more tumbled onto the ramp like bales of hay. They shouted at them and hit them with their truncheons to keep them moving. They had been so crammed inside most were initially grateful to come out. There were always a few bodies once the cars were emptied. As winter progressed there were more than a few. The bodies were of the very old and of the small children. The children would become separated from their mothers and in the long days of the trip would slip down and be trampled.
Once a Canada trustee lingered overly long inside a car after it had been emptied. SS-Oberschutze Kitzel found the trustee nursing an arrival who had given birth during the trip. The infant was swaddled in a shawl. “Why are you wasting time with that filth?” Kitzel shouted, striking the trustee. The guard immediately recognized the situation, as it was not uncommon. He kicked the infant like a football as hard as possible and sent the bundle out the open door onto the ramp, where it was shortly dead. He pulled his pistol and shot the mother. “Now clear the car!” After the off-loading that day he watched Kitzel beat the trustee to death.
Once the material was on the Judenrampe women, sometimes men, but usually the mothers, would shout for their missing children. They had been so crowded before there had been no chance to find them. Now they could see the bodies and wail. They were told once to stop. Hysteria spread very easily among desperate people and the guards were heavily outnumbered. Peter had tried to stop the wailing in his early weeks on the
By now Peter had seen the entire operation of the KZ. Max told Koch he liked him, so they remained together as a team. Maybe Max paid him to keep the pairing. Peter thought it was because he did not take his cut and whenever he discovered contraband he gave it to Max, who called him his "good boy."
The engineer tooted his whistle as he entered the valley and they heard the trains' arrival ten minutes before they pulled up to the ramp. He was permanently assigned to the Rampe Gespann along with nearly all the SS guards. The quartet began before the train stopped. Mozart, Brahms, Beethoven. The music absurdly and obscenely out of place. Peter knew he would never listen to the classics again.
The Judenrampe and Blocks visible from it were comfortably designed and neatly maintained. Even in winter they held an innocent illusion.
They could off-load three cars at a time, depending on their size. The Alsatian patrols worked the length of the train making certain no one tried to escape. Once the cars were emptied and searched the train moved up three more cars.
Inmate clerks of the Political Section efficiently prepared a card for each arrival, classifying them by crime or status, even those who were gassed within the next hours. The card was used in the case of Reichsdeutschers – German nationals -- to notify next of kin of their death, invariably by heart failure. All very orderly and proper. Peter preferred his assignment on the Rampe Gespann to manning the lines of naked people waiting to take their shower, though on occasion he did that as well.
The routine at the Judenrampe was simple and repetitious. It was surprising how much alike people are in those circumstances. He went through his motions and did his duty.
The condition of the arrivals depended on how long the train had been en route. Up to a week or more caused them to arrive largely dead, the rest crazed. Parents slew their children, slit their own wrists. Even a few days was enough in some cases to cause derangement.
Regardless of the length of the trip they always arrived dazed, exhausted, thirsty and hungry, but especially thirsty, even in winter. Water was promised, after their shower. They fled into the Disrobing Block with cups in hand. Max said keeping them thirsty made them easier to handle.
When the guards pulled the three doors aside simultaneously the first twenty or more tumbled onto the ramp like bales of hay. They shouted at them and hit them with their truncheons to keep them moving. They had been so crammed inside most were initially grateful to come out. There were always a few bodies once the cars were emptied. As winter progressed there were more than a few. The bodies were of the very old and of the small children. The children would become separated from their mothers and in the long days of the trip would slip down and be trampled.
Once a Canada trustee lingered overly long inside a car after it had been emptied. SS-Oberschutze Kitzel found the trustee nursing an arrival who had given birth during the trip. The infant was swaddled in a shawl. “Why are you wasting time with that filth?” Kitzel shouted, striking the trustee. The guard immediately recognized the situation, as it was not uncommon. He kicked the infant like a football as hard as possible and sent the bundle out the open door onto the ramp, where it was shortly dead. He pulled his pistol and shot the mother. “Now clear the car!” After the off-loading that day he watched Kitzel beat the trustee to death.
Once the material was on the Judenrampe women, sometimes men, but usually the mothers, would shout for their missing children. They had been so crowded before there had been no chance to find them. Now they could see the bodies and wail. They were told once to stop. Hysteria spread very easily among desperate people and the guards were heavily outnumbered. Peter had tried to stop the wailing in his early weeks on the
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