Trains to Treblinka Read online

  Their breakaway plan to disarm and kill the guards was something they enjoyed thinking about—the death of the Doll, Kiewe, Miete, and Mentz. Unfortunately it could mean their own deaths as well. Zelo’s conviction that they should all escape in a grand revolt brought them a hope they had not held since their arrival. It must be possible.

  They had heard about prison uprisings before in their history classes. The key, they knew, was to catch their captors unawares. If any of the SS or the Ukrainians were to suspect their plans, or worse, catch any of them storing money or weapons, great reprisals would surely follow—perhaps even a mass execution like none that had previously been seen. While Zelo brought great hope to the men, his plans also brought increased risk. All these thoughts swirled around in their heads for hours after lights-out.

  Chapter 10

  Reveille, and early morning roll call on the appelplatz.

  Report to assigned positions.

  Hear a locomotive enter Treblinka station.

  Listen to the gunshots and screaming from the loading platform.

  See the men and women separated, then forced to undress and run down the tube.

  Handle the new clothing and valuables.

  Gather everything together into bundles to ship.

  The violent days at Treblinka all took on the same form. It was an endless barrage of chaos, carnage, and monotony. But there was something new happening in Camp 2 that was impacting everyone. The Czech contingent heard that Jewish workers in the upper camp were forced to build tremendous roasting pits to burn the bodies taken out of the shower chambers. Depending on the wind direction, a horrible stench would sometimes permeate every part of the main work camp. A few of the Jewish workers vomited as they ran doing their chores.

  Richard, Karel, Hans, and Zelo reported to the sorting work detail. The passengers to be processed that day came from Western Europe and were loaded with valuables, usually hidden in secret pockets or knapsacks. Myriads of supplies were formed into piles in the sorting yard:

  lighters in one pile,

  compacts in another,

  soaps,

  matches,

  silver pens in one pile and gold pens in another,

  silver watches,

  gold watches,

  and one platinum watch pocketed by a work Jew for a future bargain with a Ukrainian.

  Wallets here,

  belts there,

  flashlights in a pile of their own.

  Bottles are organized together by color.

  All currency was stuffed into different suitcases;

  zloty in one,

  marks in another,

  francs in a third,

  and guilders in a fourth.

  An additional suitcase was available for diamonds, which was guarded by an SS, who kept reminding the workers not to pocket anything or they would be shot in the neck by Mentz at the Lazarette.

  Despite being eyed suspiciously throughout the day by various guards, the Czechs were able to pocket quite a bit of currency and diamonds they found hidden in the clothing, and even in some loaves of bread. On Zelo’s orders, everyone was to bring as many valuables as possible each night to their meeting to be used for the future uprising.

  Zelo Bloch began to work not only with the other Czechs, but with camp elder Galewski. Zelo learned that Galewski was already devising a plan for a unified revolt, whereby both camps would participate in a coordinated attack, something Zelo had thought impossible since there was no communication between Camp 1 and Camp 2. Galewski told Zelo there was a specialized carpenter named Jankiel Wiernik who was tasked with construction projects at both camps. Jankiel would deliver messages back and forth from Galewski to those in Camp 2 who were committed to a revolt—with Jankiel being one of them.

  “I was told that no one who steps foot in Camp 2 is allowed to leave,” Zelo stated.

  “Jankiel is special,” said Galewski. “A master workman, and the Nazis need him too much…in both camps. To my knowledge, he is the only one with this privilege. Let us hope he continues to hold their favor, otherwise we are totally cut off from those in Camp 2.”

  The Czech men were encouraged with this information, and were happy that Zelo had earned the confidence of Galewski. Knowing that both camps were part of the escape plan seemed to make a revolt more real, and that so many more of them might escape. Galewski routinely told Zelo that they could not leave their Camp 2 brothers alone to die with the horrible retaliation sure to follow.

  In the meantime, Galewski helped to organize several escapes, some of which worked, and some of which did not. The gruesome reprisals were put on display for all to see, and take warning. Two men were found hiding underneath some tightly packed clothing bundles inside a train that was about to depart for Warsaw. The escapees were promptly whipped all the way to the courtyard where the other prisoners had been gathered as witnesses. The men were stripped, tied onto poles, and hung upside down, then whipped again and left on the poles until they perished.

  On another occasion, when the Czech men’s hopes were still high for escape, they were awakened earlier than normal for a special formation before sunrise. Seven blue-banded Jewish workers who helped on the platform had tried to make an escape. The previous night they stormed the guard at the camp gate nearest town in hopes of several making it past. But before they could overtake the guard he was able to call for help and several SS men came running. All seven prisoners were captured and put under guard for the rest of the night.

  Just after roll call the seven blue-banded workers were brought to the front of the formation and the Doll stepped forward to speak to the camp.

  “Today is the last day we will mete out a mild punishment,” he declared. “From now on, every kapo and foreman will be directly liable with their own lives if any of their people try to escape. Also, ten men will be shot for every one person who escapes, or tries to escape. Do you understand? For one, ten others! This is very clear for you.”

  The Doll had the seven men transported to the infirmary to be shot in the neck and burned. But he made sure the kapos and foremen were all there to witness the execution.

  When the job was done, Kurt Franz told the Jewish leaders, “It will not be worth it for you if it happens again. You will be done away with the same way. These are the new rules. Dismissed.”

  That same evening Galewski and Zelo conferred and decided that no more escapes should be attempted. They would focus their attention on the entire group departing after setting fire to the camp.

  Rudi Masarek dreamed of his wife Gisela. He could see her from a position nearby as she maneuvered through the large disrobing barracks and was ordered to take off her clothes. Now he was standing in the back of the building as Gisela was ushered into the room where she sat with her arms covering her breasts and screaming for Rudi to help her. He did not move; he could not speak.

  Gisela’s beautiful hair was quickly chopped four times by a work Jew with a red armband—once in the front, once in the back, and then a rough chop on each side. With no time to mourn for her hair, she was steered out the back door and into the tube with many other women.

  Rudi slowly followed, as if drifting behind in a cloud as a ghost, watching as guards herded Gisela down the long path toward the showers. There was a bend in the pathway to the right and then a brick building loomed before those waiting in line. She pleaded with him, crying; she was ordered to raise her arms high above her head by the Nazis on the berm with machine guns. One of the SS guards was using a whip to position the women closer and closer to the brick building.

  The heavy door of the building was opened; the women filed inside, shrieking. There was a Star of David just above their heads as they entered the building, but it was a mockery and offered them no protection. Gisela turned and gave one more glance at Rudi as she stepped into the brick building. Immediately, Rudi was in the low-ceilinged building with her, watching and still unable to speak. The women were shoved mercilessly into place until there was no
more room and they were pressed against each other, tighter than on the rail trip. The door was sealed shut. There was a pause, silence, and all the women looked up to see an array of metal showerheads protruding from the ceiling, evenly spaced throughout the large room.

  Gisela looked at Rudi and with her eyes pleaded with him to help, but his throat was dry, he could not speak, and his legs felt paralyzed. Moments of silent horror passed before a sound of a large diesel motor rumbled up to full capacity. The women watched the showerheads, but there was no water. Suddenly dark fumes and a pungent odor flooded the room. Choking, coughing, crying. Rudi could no longer see Gisela; there was simply a torrent of anguish and wailing while the gas worked its evil on the victims. One final rush of spewing anguish flooded the unconcerned structure before dissolving into an eerie silence.

  Rudi startled awake, heart racing and mind exploding. He wanted to run over to the brick building to see if he could save Gisela. But his head cleared and he remembered that she was not there. His beloved wife had perished weeks earlier. He controlled his breathing. He thought of her sad eyes. He could still hear the cries, like screaming vultures in his mind. Blood hammered through his temples. As Rudi turned on his side in the darkness, he noticed a terrible odor that reminded him of what was happening in Camp 2.

  PART 2

  The Doll

  Chapter 11

  Kurt Franz walked onto the sorting yard and began randomly shooting his pistol—aimed at head level—in a circle all around him. Crack! Crack! Crack! He finally emptied the revolver and began to reload it. Meanwhile, the Jewish workers fled in all directions to escape his wild entrance. Even the other SS and Ukrainian guards had to scramble out of the way. Typical of Franz, if not shooting when he arrived, he waved his whip and began hitting the first man he saw. It did not matter who the man happened to be, one sympathetic to the Nazis or to the Jewish workers. Franz wanted to punish people.

  Franz believed he alone possessed the will necessary to keep Treblinka going. He understood what Stangl relayed to the officers a few days earlier about keeping the current loyal workers, but discipline must be maintained. Besides, Globocnik and he were allies. In fact, he felt he worked for Globocnik more than he did for Stangl. Stangl sometimes appeared weak, and did not have a stomach for discipline. But Franz did, and he was bound to use it.

  He walked toward the railroad platform where hundreds of Jews were unloading. He took a Ukrainian guard’s rifle and told him, “You need to learn to use this thing.”

  Franz shot into one of the railroad cars as Jews were trying to step out. An older gentleman fell back into the car, dead amidst shrieks from those around him. Franz shot a little girl who had gotten separated from her mother. Then he aimed at one of the blue-banded Jewish workers and squeezed his trigger, watching the man fall forward into the crowd. Franz handed the rifle back to the guard.

  “Use it,” he said, while smiling.

  Kurt Franz walked over to the mess hall where his dog Bari was waiting for him. After breakfast he would take Bari up to the platform and let him attack someone in the crowd. Franz knew the only way the Nazis succeeded over the Jews with inferior numbers was to put panic and fear into them as they were unloaded and herded into the tube. Franz prided himself on being the best at it, then Miete, and then Kuttner. Suchomel and some of the others were too lenient and soft, taking the guidance of the kommandant, which was not what Treblinka needed.

  Franz ate in peace, reflecting on from where he had come just a few years before. At twenty-eight years of age he had seen a lot in his adult life. The son of a merchant, Franz was trained as a cook and then joined the SS and worked at the Buchenwald concentration camp. Because of his severity and competence there, he was recruited to help with euthanasia programs at several of the major centers where he alleviated a tremendous burden on society. Now he was at Treblinka, forced to deal with the continuous inpouring of Jews who were also destined to be purged from society.

  Franz took his dog up to the unloading platform. Standing before one prestigious-looking Jewish man, Franz yelled, “Boy, sic the dog!”

  The mongrel dog, which looked somewhat like a St. Bernard, went straight for the Jewish man’s private area and tore into the defenseless soul with fury. Bari bit all around the man’s midsection and then his face after the man fell to the ground. Once the attack subsided, Franz walked over to the man and pulled out his pistol. “Here you go,” Franz said sarcastically while shooting the man in the neck. He then looked around for another vulnerable person for Bari to attack.

  “You Jews started the war,” Franz said mockingly. “You wanted the war. So now you have it.”

  Franz knew that what was most important was to command respect. He believed he held the most respect, not only among the workers but also the Ukrainian guards. Nobody wanted to interfere with him, and he relished that fact. The more daring he was while dealing with the Jewish workers unloading from the trains, the more people stood in awe of him, as if he possessed some kind of superhuman force. It was lost on him why the other SS and Ukrainian guards did not act the way he did.

  He had considered everything very carefully; these people on the trains were going to their eventual death in the gas chamber. The more violent he was with them on the unloading platform, the less they would have to suffer later. He was doing them a great favor. Plus, he was putting fear into the masses, forcing them to run when the Nazis told them to run. He cherished efficiency.

  Kurt Franz saw an elderly couple walking slowly and approached them.

  “Please,” he said to the couple nicely, “let me assist you. I can tell you would not do well running down to the showers. Let us lead you to the infirmary where you can get some rest after your long journey.”

  The surprised seniors glanced up at him with genuine warmth in their faces.

  “Thank you,” the grateful husband said.

  “Not a problem,” Franz replied. He then motioned with his hand and a blue band immediately ran over and stood before him at attention. “Take these two to the Lazarette. They have had a hard trip and need a break. Tell Corporal Mentz that I personally sent them to him.”

  As the couple walked off, the aging woman glanced back and smiled at Kurt Franz, but he didn’t see her. Franz was walking with Bari toward a Jewish baby who had been placed on the ground beside the train.

  Chapter 12

  During their nightly meetings, Hans lamented, “We have to do something about the Doll!” He sat perched on his wooden bunk next to Zelo, Richard, Karel, Robert, and Rudi. The Czech men had peppered the mattress with gold and other goods to store for the revolt. “This morning he killed eleven men, including one of the blue bands helping to unload the passengers. I also heard he threw a baby against the side of the train. He is out of his mind and getting worse. Can we please deal with him before the revolt?”

  The other men enjoyed thinking about eliminating Kurt Franz, but as everyone pondered it the startling reality was that they could not make any waves before the big day, the day they had been planning since Zelo arrived. It was Zelo who finally answered Hans.

  “I understand, friend, but we must wait.”

  “Say that to the workers the Doll has killed this week,” responded Hans emptily.

  “The possibility of the revolt being successful diminishes greatly if we start changing the variables we are up against,” said Robert, the theoretician of the group. “Taking out Stangl’s deputy could put us on lockdown—or worse, a mass killing of all of us workers. Who knows? They might send twelve SS guards to replace him. Like Zelo said, we must wait.”

  “Look, Hans, I want him dead as much as you,” said Richard, who was born in Prague and the son of a financial consultant. He was a student at the University of Prague until it shut down at the end of 1939 because of riots. “What I see each day eats me alive. Brothers of ours attacked by Bari or killed by Franz. He is a sadist, no doubt, but we must endure him until that one final moment. Then everything must be done at o
nce, including his death.”

  “That’s right,” continued Robert, “and until that day we make ourselves look like we are in perfect shape, with shined boots, a nice pair of clothes, and a clean-shaven face. I think I shaved my face on the run six times today. We do all these things just for the privilege of not being taken by Miete into the Lazarette to let Mentz shoot us in the neck.”

  Soon after that conversation, Hans was made a foreman like Zelo. They both worked for camp elder Galewski. At any one time there were usually a dozen kapos assigned to different operations within the camp. Two were in charge of the blue bands at the unloading platform. Two were in charge of the red bands in the undressing barracks, one was in charge of the kitchen and laundry, and several were stationed at the sorting yard where most of the Czech men worked.

  There was a young, well-built kapo named Benjamin Rakowski, a handsome man who owned a farm before the war. Rakowski was the number two man to Galewski. One morning, immediately after roll call, the SS guard Miete, the Angel of Death, shouted at the formation, “All kapos, camp elders, and foremen are to immediately report to me.”

  Hans, Zelo, Galewski, Rakowski, and several other men stepped out of the formation, ran over to Sergeant Miete, and stood at attention. Miete had his hat pulled tightly down his forehead, so one could barely see his beady eyes. Whenever there was a change of protocol there was terror in the air, thinking that this might be the day when all the kapos would be liquidated and a new set picked. The men had no idea what the SS knew about their revolt plan, or if there might be a traitor among them. However, their greatest fears were not realized that morning.