into which the victims of the German murderers or diseases were thrown
are the only trace of those nameless martyrs. (When in the summer of 1941
a typhus epidemic broke out in the labour camp in Siedliszcze⁸⁵⁶ the Germans
did not hesitate to execute all the Jewish prisoners). The death centres such
as Mordy (nomen omen),⁸⁵⁷ Dzików, Pustków, or Tre blinka⁸⁵⁸ became a synonym
of Hitlerite cruelty.
But the labour camp prisoners were mostly craftsmen and qualified
labourers. If the German authorities wanted to purposefully make use of
the experience and professional qualifications of Jewish workers they would
have attempted to set up workshops, which would have brought them excellent
economic results.
Now, the organisation and running of labour camps for Jews (aside from
penal camps, such as Treblinka near Lublin,⁸⁵⁹ considered “reformatory” institutions)
have been practically discontinued. For what would be their purpose?
Judeneinsatz⁸⁶⁰ is used in a small number of local workshops, factories and
details, or the Jews are “eliminated” in a direct manner, by bullets, poisonous
gases or electric currents.
One cannot forget the ignoble role of Volksdeutsches in the anti-Jewish
campaign in Poland. As a result of the military victory of Germany the
Volksdeutsches, often without any knowledge of German, mostly peasants and
petty traders – owners of small farms or landless citizens, were made leaders
of the local administration. Thus people without [7] appropriate qualifications,
who could only boast of their membership in the Hitlerite party, received
substantial executive power. That abnormal phenomenon led to a spread of
boorishness and barbarity, predominantly towards Jews. Polish Volksdeutsches
have distinguished themselves forever as the shadiest characters and lackeys
of the Hitlerite thugs. It was the Volksdeutsches who guarded the infamous
856 The name of the camp was handwritten by Wasser only on the AAN copy. The labour
camp in Siedliszcze (Chełm County) was a water-management labour camp for Jews. See
J. Marszałek, Obozy pracy w Generalnym Gubernatorstwie, p. 152.
857 (From Lat.) the name is a sign. The town name can mean mugs, or murders.
858 “Tremblinka” throughout the text. Mordy (Siedlce County), Dzików Nowy, Dzików Stary
(Biłograj County), Pustków (Dębica County), Treblinka I (Sokołów Podlaski County).
859 Treblinka is not located near Lublin. Most likely a reference to Trawniki.
860 (Ger.) here: Jewish workforce
