Warsaw, but we haven’t been fighting for Poland. The war will not end until
we have captured the English and French colonies. We Germans must rule,
because we are the greatest and strongest people in Europe.”
Levy
Radomsko did not have a chance to catch its breath. Persecutions fell on us
like hail and a word was resurrected for a new use: “levy.” The gmina received
notification that within 48 hours the Jews had to pay a levy of 50,000 zlotys.
The Judenrat quickly summoned the rich [33] and wealthy of the town. The Jews
gave money willingly because they understood the purpose, but in the end not
even half of the amount had been collected.
A delegation went to the commandant, but he would listen to nothing.
No compromise was possible. He agreed only to one thing: He made a few
Germans available to arrest those Jews whom the Judenrat thought had to
give money.
And thus it was. All the wealthy men who did not pay the full amount
required of them were arrested, and by the fourth day the sum of 50,000 zlotys
had been collected.
Women’s work
The Germans had got used to men working, and so had the Jews. Something
new was needed. There was nothing left to impose on us men; we performed
the worst tasks with a smile. The Volksdeutsche made a list of women, pretty
girls: One was selected because she used to eat oranges before the war; another
because she wore make-up; a third simply because she was pretty. And so, at
first every Saturday and later in the middle of the week too, they seized around
40 women for work and persecuted them in a terrible, sadistic fashion. [34]
In the course of a day, they were forced to wash dozens of floors, clean toilets
with their hands, and so on. Those who did not carry out the work were flung
into prison for 48 hours.
Avner Gurfinkel
One of Avner Gurfinkel’s neighbours was a Volksdeutscher [from] Warsaw.
They became close friends, so close that they discussed politics. Mr Gurfinkel
hid various things with the Volksdeutsche, including a file containing bills of
exchange worth several thousand zlotys.
