Overview of the Interview

• Interviewee: Muts
• Date: 11/07/1995
• Interviewer: Leah Zasuyer
• Location: Rochester, New York, USA
• Context: Discussing experiences during concentration camps, particularly regarding executions and survival.

Execution and Killings

• Couple Executed: Mr. and Mrs. Bitkove were found on opposite sides of the road; both shot in the head.

  • Reason: They went to complain to Schromberger about the dire conditions in the camp. Schromberger rejected their complaints and executed them.

• Child Execution: A five or six-year-old boy was also executed by Schromberger, reflecting the inhumanity prevalent in the camp.

• Common Practices: Executions were a daily occurrence, often witnessed by other prisoners; two known executioners were Schromberger and Zimmerman.

Life in the Camp

• Dispensary System: If a prisoner could not walk, they were carried to a dispensary.

  • Stay Time: Allowed to stay for two days; on the third day, they were taken out for execution. This system was ongoing and brutal, with prisoners carried off to their deaths.

• Father's Role: The interviewee's father worked in a tailor shop and often dug graves or covered them. He would share information on the number of executions.

• Tattooing: To reduce chances of escape, prisoners were tattooed.

  • Example Incident: A man was tattooed in front of the interviewee, suffering further humiliation with statements about his marital status.

• Torture Techniques: Schromberger often let his dog, Prince, attack prisoners and took pride in it. He performed several methods of torture to degrade and torment prisoners.

Experiences of Muts

• Age and Conditions: The interviewee was around 13 during many of these horrific experiences (in Yelets and later camps).

  • Constant State of Fear: There was constant movement and a struggle for survival. Life was filled with executions and torture.

• Family Involvement: Family connections played a role in survival, with the father’s tailor skills helping to avoid extermination.

• Typhus Incident: Muts contracted typhus but had no proper medical care. A jar of raspberry syrup from a customer helped improve his condition.

Movement Between Camps

• Exile and Transfers: The family was exiled multiple times, indicating the chaotic nature of their situation and the German strategy to shock and control prisoners.

  • Specific Movements: Exiled to various locations, including Radomischel, Mielitz, and later Velizka and Auschwitz. Each move emphasized the randomness and systemic brutality involved.

• Auschwitz Experience: Muts spent time in cattle cars outside Auschwitz, witnessing the horrors of death and suffering while waiting to be moved to different camps.

Flossenburg Camp Conditions

• Living Conditions: Horrific; multiple prisoners lived in cramped conditions with limited resources. Most were identified by numbers, not names, stripping them of individuality.

• Work and Punishments: Daily routines were grueling, with long hours, insufficient food, and severe punishments for minor infractions, such as falling or failing to follow orders.

• Dangers of Resistant Work: The conditions included extreme cold and intentional hazards set by guards, such as icy steps, to inflict punishment on prisoners for failing to navigate the treacherous environment.

Brotherhood and Death

• Reunion with Brother: Muts had a brief reunion with his brother in Flossenburg, who ultimately succumbed to the brutal environment.
  • Tragic Death: He witnessed his brother being taken for execution, illustrating the despair and hopelessness of the camp's conditions.

Reflections on Dehumanization and Survival

• Survival Depended on Skills: Those with practical skills (like tailoring) had a higher chance of survival, while educated individuals were often viewed as threats.

• End Result of Camp Life: Regardless of the duration of one’s survival in the camp, the overarching reality was dehumanization and extermination. This experience encapsulated the brutality of life in labor and death camps, reaffirming the holistic suffering endured by prisoners.