Anne Frank in Auschwitz-Birkenau
After arriving and registering in Auschwitz-Birkenau, Anne ended up in Frauenblock 29 with her mother, Margot and Auguste van Pels. From there, it is thought she and Margot stayed temporarily in the scabies barrack.
After arrival and selection, the remaining women from the transport were considered potential forced labourers who could be used in the German war industry. The women therefore ended up in the part of Auschwitz-Birkenau that was considered a Durchgangslager (transit camp) for forced labourers.[1] Anne ended up in Frauenblock 29 with her mother and sister Margot and Auguste van Pels.[2]
Bloeme Emden and Lenie de Jong-van Naarden formed a close-knit group in Auschwitz-Birkenau with ten or so other Dutch women. There they had contact with Anne, Margot and Edith. According to Bloeme, Anne, Margot and Edith Frank formed an 'inseparable trinity'.[3] In the barracks, Anne, Margot and Edith were said to have shared a bed together.[4]
Several witnesses recounted that Anne and Margot temporarily stayed in an infirmary barrack because of scabies. Lenie de Jong-van Naarden recalled that it was actually Margot who had to be admitted, but that Anne wanted to stay with her sister and therefore went with her.[5]
The conditions in the scabies barracks were appalling and many sick people were left to fend for themselves. To help Anne and Margot in the Krätzeblock, Edith Frank, together with Frieda Brommet's mother (who was also in the scabies barrack) and Lenie de Jong-van Naarden dug a hole somewhere on the side of the barrack to pass food in to the children.[6]
Moreover, Edith Frank and Frieda Brommet's mother were said to have been hiding in order to avoid being taken on a transport so as to be able to continue caring for their children. Frieda Brommet recalled:
'They dug a hole together. (...) and one day my mother came and she could also speak through that hole, and she said, she would shout: 'Frieda! Frieda!' [...] And said: 'Mrs Frank and I are the only ones here in the camp now. We have been hiding because the group has been put on a transport. But we hid because we wanted to stay with you. And we stole some bread and I'm giving it to you now through the hole and you have to share it between the four of you.' And the four of them was with Margot and Anne.'[7]
On 30 October 1944, there was a selection for a transport of about a thousand women who, although sick, were considered potentially suitable for working in the German war industry.[8] Rosa de Winter told how Anne and Margot were selected for this and that Edith and herself were left behind.[9] The transport left on 1 November and arrived in Bergen-Belsen on 3 November 1944.
Footnotes
- ^ Danuta Czech noemt BIIc als het deel van Auschwitz-Birkenau waar de vrouwen terecht komen: Danuta Czech, Kalendarium der Ereignisse im Konzentrationslager Auschwitz-Birkenau 1939–1945, Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt, 1989, pp. 921-922; Waclaw Dlugoborski, Franciscek Piper (eds.), Auschwitz 1940-1945. Central issues in the history of the camp, Oswiecim: Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, 2000, deel V, p. 220-221. Rosa de Winter noemt barak 29 in BIIb als het deel van het kamp waar ze terecht komen: Rosa de Winter-Levy, Aan de gaskamer ontsnapt! Het satanswerk van de S.S.: relaas van het lijden en de bevrijding uit het concentratiekamp "Birkenau" bij Auschwitz, Doetinchem: Misset, 1944, p. 23.
- ^ Dit is gebaseerd op de verklaringen van verschillende getuigen uit hetzelfde transport die zeggen in dezelfde barak als Edith, Anne en Margot te hebben verbleven: Willy Lindwer, De laatste zeven maanden. Vrouwen in het spoor van Anne Frank, Hilversum: Gooi & Sticht, 1988; Rosa de Winter-Levy, Aan de gaskamer ontsnapt!, p.23.
- ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Getuigenarchief: Interview Bloeme Evers-Emden, 11 maart 2010.
- ^ NIOD Nederlands Instituut voor Oorlogs-, Holocaust- en Genocidestudies, 250d, Kampen en gevangenissen, inv.nr. 583, I. Salomon. Ook andere vertelden hierover: Bloeme Evers-Emden, Ronnie Goldstein-van Cleef, Lenie de Jong-van Naarden, Frieda Menco-Brommet, Anita Mayer-Roos.
- ^ AFS, Getuigenarchief: Interview Lenie de Jong-van Naarden, 22 maart 2010.
- ^ Ook Frieda’s moeder Rebecca Brommet-Ritmeester overleefde de Holocaust. AFS, Getuigenarchief: Interview Frieda Menco-Brommet, 12 februari 2010.
- ^ AFS, Getuigenarchief. De getuigenissen hierover van Frieda Menco-Brommet, Ronnie Goldstein-van Cleef en Lenie de Jong-van Naarden hebben allemaal dezelfde strekking en wijken slechts in enkele kleine details van elkaar af.
- ^ L. Landsberger, A. de Haas, K. Selowsky (red.), Auschwitz. Deel VI: De afvoertransporten uit Auschwitz en omgeving naar het noorden en het westen, en de grote evacuatietransporten, 's-Gravenhage: Hoofdbesuur van de Vereniging Het Nederlandsche Roode Kruis, 1952, p. 15.
- ^ Rosa de Winter-Levy, Aan de gaskamer ontsnapt!, p. 27-29.