Interesting Auschwitz letter

Discussions on the Holocaust and 20th Century War Crimes. Note that Holocaust denial is not allowed. Hosted by David Thompson.
Post Reply
User avatar
Ebusitanus
Member
Posts: 535
Joined: 12 Mar 2002, 19:12

Interesting Auschwitz letter

#1

Post by Ebusitanus » 15 May 2003, 15:44

Found this browsing through Ebay.

Image

User avatar
Hans
Member
Posts: 651
Joined: 10 Mar 2002, 16:48
Location: Germany

#2

Post by Hans » 15 May 2003, 16:10

However, it should be noted that the prisoner mail was of course censored. Uncensored letters read like this:
The death is so a common thing for us, that surely nobody is much afraid of him. Executions are carried out daily infront of our eyes, without consideration for the day time. Not some or dozens, but thousands, literally - thousands are killed by the bullets. For instance, yesterday 318 Poles and 843 Jew were gassed in in the neighbouring camp Rajski [he refers apparently to the gas-chambers outside Birkenau].
Illegal letter of Janusz Pogonowski to his family of July 1942. Source: Franciszek Piper (ed.), Illegale Briefe aus Auschwitz von Janusz Pogonowski, page 17. My translation.
Last edited by Hans on 15 May 2003, 16:27, edited 1 time in total.


User avatar
Ebusitanus
Member
Posts: 535
Joined: 12 Mar 2002, 19:12

#3

Post by Ebusitanus » 15 May 2003, 17:41

Hans, you are way more knowledgeable about these issues, maybe you could translate what this letter says.
Could you please tell me how common it was for Camp inmates of such extermination camps like Auschwitz to write their loved ones? I mean, from what I understand from this pictured example is that this seems to be some type of standard letter modell given out to the Auschwitz Camp population for postal exchange. It says something about being allowed to send out and receive two letters a month and they have to be written in clear redable ink. This must have been to preferencial treatment for colaborateurs or alike, but then by a standart printed letter paper for the whole Camp.
Please tell me something, I find it very interesting.

User avatar
Ebusitanus
Member
Posts: 535
Joined: 12 Mar 2002, 19:12

#4

Post by Ebusitanus » 15 May 2003, 18:03

I found another one of 1941

Image

I found also this interesting piece. The description reads:
During the time prisoners were incarcerated by the Nazi’s, they were allowed to receive money from their families. In those cases, the money was sent by postal transfer to a bank which worked in co-operation with the Kozentrationslager or prison camp. A fee of 4% was generally charged by the bank for handling the money during the transfer. When the transfer was made at the Deutsches Post Osten or German post office of the east, a receipt was given to the person sending the money. Most often the receipt included the name of the prisoner, camp to receive the transfer, the prisoner’s inventory number, location code and often his birth date. Most transfers were in the amount of between 10 and 20 Reichsmarks. This particular slip was sent to a Konzentrationslager AUSCHWITZ prisoner named Wolski,Block 3. It was in the amount of 30 Reichsmarks.
Image

[/img]

User avatar
Ebusitanus
Member
Posts: 535
Joined: 12 Mar 2002, 19:12

#5

Post by Ebusitanus » 15 May 2003, 18:16

Here another letter of Ebay.
This one reads:
Letter from prisoner of Auschwitz concentration camp. Letter in good condition completed with postal stamp and censorship stamp. Letter written by pencil in German as per regulations. Written in March 1944. Slightly yellowish paper from the age. Second document it is a copy of the extract from Red Cross files providing all the information on the person who wrote the letter.I will provide additional scans if needed
Image

User avatar
RACPISA
Member
Posts: 836
Joined: 27 Apr 2003, 19:21
Location: Grand Rapids, MI

Letters

#6

Post by RACPISA » 15 May 2003, 21:36

Ebusitanus: What was the highest bid for the letters? I was just wondering what they were worth.

Also, I had a question. If the prisoners were required to write only in German, than what if their relatives only spoke Polish or some other language? I guess they'd have to find a friend who could translate it for them, right? I guess it doesn't really matter since many of those letters probably never reached the addressee anyway. :(

Post Reply

Return to “Holocaust & 20th Century War Crimes”