Rumours were spreading that the resettlement was postponed until
spring. The Jews calmed down a little. The Poles and many Polish Germans
earned a lot transporting money and goods for the Jews. Almost every Jew
had ‘his goy,’ with whom he was doing more or less good business. Those
who had the courage carried a lot of goods to Warsaw. We were afraid to take
chances. We did sell in secret, however, seeing that following the orders of
the Germans led to ruin.
In mid-January 1940, I went to Warsaw. At the Fabryczna station,
there were crowds such as I had never seen before the war. Masses of
Poles and Jews. Gendarmes were pounding everyone with clubs. We were
searched, albeit not very thoroughly. Women were examined by a female
doctor; apparently she was supposed to do a strip search, however [10] she
was satisfied with only checking the contents of handbags. On the platform,
gendarmes, having met the Poles with food, beat them with a baton.
Many [. . .] large luggage. The greater number was going to Warsaw. [. . .] to
Koluszki, the company was very mixed. Jews [. . .] smugglers, peasants,
prisoners of war, and so on. The main subject of conversation was the war.
Some poor women from a small town were cursing peasants, calling them
leeches, profiteers who drink human blood. Smugglers boasted about
their exploits.
We arrived in Koluszki early. We had to change trains. The train station
was overcrowded. We waited for the train from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. In the
meantime, the express train came, and everyone tried to squeeze in, but
German train inspectors were pushing the newcomers out, Poles and Jews
alike. Finally, about 5 p.m., the right train came. The crowd was unbearable.
We were sitting on top of one another. The carriage was completely dark
and unheated. When we entered, a German civilian began to curse the Jews,
saying that they were pushy. He said something not very polite in German
to my cousin. The latter asked him why he was speaking German if he
could speak Polish. In response, the German began yelling that in Germany,
[11] everyone has to speak German. He addressed my cousin as “you” instead
of “Mr,” in a tone as usual toward Jews.²⁰² A little later, he asked for a cigarette,
[. . .] offered it to him as if nothing had happened. The German thanked [. . .]
202 There is a distinction between polite usage (Mr) when addressing a person who is not a close acquaintance and referring to them as “you.”
