RE: [Cz-L] 70 Years from the Liberation of Transnistria Camps

Irene, Yosef...

Dennis Deletant is writing in his book "Hitler's Forgotten Ally - Ion Antonescu and His Regime, Romania, 1940-44"

http://ehpes.com/blog1/2014/03/05/hitlers-forgotten-ally-ion-antonescu-and-his-regime-romania-1940-1944/

on Vapniarka and Rabnita as follows (see p. 197):

"On 8 September 1942, the deportation began of almost all the Jews – 407 – among the Communists interned in Targu-Jiu to Vapniarka. They arrived on 16 September. [...] The callous disregard for the well-being of the detainees which typified the behaviour of most of the camp commandants in Transnistria soon became evident in Vapniarka. A month before the Jews’ arrival, one of the inmates showed signs of paralysis of the lower limbs. Within weeks, many of the other internees fell victim to the same condition. Jewish doctors among the inmates examined the invalids and concluded that the diet was to blame. They discovered that the commandant, Lt.-Col. Ion Murgescu, had sanctioned the feeding of the prisoners with of a type of pea used for feeding cattle, and that this had caused the paralysis in humans. They called for an immediate halt to its use. According to a report of the Ministry of the Interior at the time, 23 detainees died in the camp between 17 September 1942 and 15 December 1943. However, the doctors in Vapniarka submitted their own findings to the Romanian authorities in two memoranda, the first dated 20 January 1943, the second, 8 March. By the first date, 66 prisoners had paralysis of their lower limbs, and more than 400 showed ‘signs of advanced paralysis’. On receiving the first memorandum, the doctor responsible for the Vapniarka, Lt.-Col. Gheorghe Tataranu, gave orders that the peas should cease to be fed to the internees, but it was too late to to stop or reverse the progress of the paralysis in those already affected. By 1 March, the camp doctors counted 139 cases of paralysis.

For the Communist Jews in Vapniarka death by paralysis was not the only fate that awaited them. As the Red Army pushed westwards, about 70 Communists – those considered most dangerous – were transferred to a prison in Rabnita in October 1943. The other prisoners were sent to Grosulovo camp near Tiraspol. Many of the prisoners in Rabnita were murdered by retreating German forces on 18 March 1944."

Thank you both for your contributions!

Edgar Hauster
Lent - The Netherlands

----------------------------------------
> From: irenef_at_netvision.net.il
> To: Czernowitz-L_at_cornell.edu
> CC: mh2349_at_columbia.edu; ls2307_at_columbia.edu
> Subject: [Cz-L] 70 Years from the Liberation of Transnistria Camps
> Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 23:11:44 +0200
>
> Shalom to All ,
>
> Do you know who Mishu Wolf was ? Was he a Bukovinaer? See his story below.
>
> The following information comes from my friend Paula. Her mother, Sally
> Abramovici (nee Buium) donated the artifacts to Yad vaShem.
> Here is the story , published on the commemorative on-line exhibition at
> YadVashem :
>
> http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/he/exhibitions/bearing_witness/transnistria_misu_wolf.asp
>
> Translation ( with the help of Angelo Segal):
>
> The story of a box containing a pendant created by Mishu Wolf - a Rybnista
> prisoner, for Sally his girlfriend imprisoned in Vapniarka / Transnistria .
>
> With increasing anti-Jewish activity in Romania before World War II Sally
> Buium, born in 1918, joined the anti-fascist movement even though she
> understood the danger involved.
> In 1939, Sally at age 21, was arrested and imprisoned with a group of young
> Jews, accused of subversive anti-fascist activity punishable by one year in
> prison.
> After her release she was arrested again, this time she was send to Tirgu
> Jiu, and from there in September 1942, was deported with a large group of
> Jews accused of communist activities to Vapniarka camp.
> During her term in Vapniarka Sally met Mishu Wolf and the two fell in love
> and had hoped to start a family in a better future. However, Mishu and other
> prisoners were later sent to the Rybnista prison, and the two were
> separated.
>
> While in the Vapniarka camp, despite difficult conditions, the prisoners
> received some degree of leeway. But the Rybnista was conducted as a prison
> where the SS and Ukrainians were the jailers.
> In early 1944, news came that the Russian army is approaching. The echoes
> reached even the Rybnista prisoners. During this period Mishu Wolf carved a
> gift for his girlfriend - a pendant consisting of small wooden box engraved
> with the name Sally, and within it, two carved objects . One medallion
> shows a watch with the hands at five to twelve illustrating the nearing of
> liberation . But the hope expressed by Mishu turned out to be a false hope.
> On the night of the 19th to March 20, 1944, the German decided to retreat
> from Rybnista, and the prison guards killed all prisoners, including Mishu
> Wolf.
>
> With the evacuation of Vapniarka, Sally was moved to other camps and in
> August 1944, with the fall of the Antonescu regime she was released. .
> .Sally kept all her life these beloved little souvenirs.
> In1945 Sally married Sandu Abramovich .
>
> Captions for photos:
>
> 1.+3 .The Box containing a pendant created by Mishu Wolf in Revnitza a gift
> for Sally when she was detained in Vapniarka
> 2. Sally after beeing liberated from Vapniarka
> 4. Medallion "Rybnitza" March 8th, 1944 and watch "5 minutes to 12"
> 5. Back of carved pendant signed Mishu
> 6. Front side of pendant: portrait of a prisoner
> 7.Sally Buium and Sandu Abramovici
>
> Hebrew site -virtual exhibition - more artifacts from Transnistria:
>
> http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/he/exhibitions/bearing_witness/transnistria.asp
>
> English site -virtual exhibition of artifacts from Transnistria ( only one
> story):
>
> http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/bearing_witness/life_camps_frenkel.asp
>
> Regards,
>
> Irene
>
>

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Received on 2014-03-23 09:25:01