Shmuel’s Story

Liberation

At dawn on May sixth we entered a town. As we were lying on the floor, we saw Czechoslovak flags fluttering on roofs. We understood that the situation has changed. Suddenly, the German soldier disappeared. Did he run away? Was he caught by anybody? Perhaps someone killed him? We had no idea. There was no documentation on those trains, and it was impossible to trace him.

We entered the Terezin railway station, which was already liberated and under Czech rule. As our train was not the first one to arrive, those who received us were well aware of the sights they would be exposed to upon entering the wagons.

In our wagon there were all together six survivors. I have no idea how many people of the other wagons survived, but from all I read I could assume that there were even fewer.

The six of us were carried on stretchers into a huge hall, and laid on mattresses next to each other. On our first night, Red Cross staff handed out parcels of food with chocolate and biscuits. I could hardly open the parcel, and ate almost nothing. I only hid the chocolate bar beneath my shirt; after all, my experience taught me that someone might steal it from me.

By daybreak the medical staff began the treatment. Despite their care and devotion in the following day, we were all in the process of dying. Later I learned that three men of our group, who were capable of eating the parcels contents, had died within a few days thereafter. I had no idea on the fate of the other two; maybe I was the one and only survivor of the whole wagon.