[. . .] to possibly understand with the ward [. . .] pleaded with the prison authorities that they themselves could clean their cells. But after some time, the Jewesses once again had to clean up all female cells and other nooks and crannies.
As I have already mentioned, the cleaning was not so much about tidiness, but rather was an opportunity to bully us. The Germans, for example, jumped up to pipes or windows three metres above the floor and checked them for cleanliness with their fingers. When they found dust on their hands, they would wipe them on our noses. We were told to clean up hidden nooks with one [. . .] [8] [. . .] human, and this was done [. . .] to torment. For alleged careless [. . .] even bread and water. Demanded [. . .] but we were not given whitewash or [. . .] every couple of days Germans would come and say that we would be executed in a few days. Cleanliness checks sometimes took the form of night alerts. For example this is what happened one time:
Several arrested Jewish women were taken for a few days to clean up after [. . .]. Usually, they returned after lights out, when it was dark in the cells, so they had to eat their food in the dark. This is why they once forgot to clean coffee mugs and crumbs from the table. It was then that the prison commander decided to come for a check at 2 a.m.; when he saw mugs and crumbs on the table, he started [9] to shout, [. . .] not on the floor, [. . .] told everyone to jump from [. . .] for cleaning the cell, but penal. [. . .] wiped as our oppressors saw fit or thrown it in our faces or on our heads.
They also ordered penal gymnastics, but not as often. However, we frequently saw the gymnastics they made Jewish men do, ordering them to crawl in mud and snow.
The cellmates were not, of course, selected by design, but it was a real hodgepodge: from educated women to prostitutes, and even some mad ones, as there were two inmates whose mental disorder had a sexual aetiology. One of them pointed to us, or rather hit [. . .] with her finger once to the right, once to the left side.
[10] [. . .] but [. . .] happy creatures the Germans devised [. . .] no sensuality saying: [. . .] Kind haben"679
[. . .] arrested Jewish women for being on the Aryan side, but a lot of them were there also for Rassenschande, one of whom even suffered from syphilis.
