2. Deportation of the Jews from Southern Bucovina

During the deportation of the Jews from Basarabia, North-Bucovina and Hertza, the Antonescu authorities took on October 9, 1941, the decision to start also the deportation of the Jews from Southern Bucovina (the former districts Suceava, Câmpulung and Radauti).

It has to be mentioned that the population from these districts had never been under Russian or Soviet occupation.

The deportation began in Suceava. In the dispositions of the mayor of the Suceava, it is shown that the Jewish population from the communes Itcani and Burdujeni, as well as from the city Suceava (from the first group) "has to be present on the 9th of October 1941 at 16 o'clock, at the military platform of Burdujeni railway station. Every Jewish inhabitant could take with him warm clothes and footwear, as well as food for as many as possible days, but not more than each one can carry."

In the disposition it is also shown, that each head of family has to draw up an inventory with the goods left in the city Suceava.

The key of the dwelling and the inventory had to be introduced in an envelope and handed over to a committee at the railway station Burdujeni.

As Dr. Meier Teich, president of the Jewish community from Suceava says, the deportees were put in unclean and very crowded cattle wagons.

According to the order of colonel Zamfirescu, the old and sick people, incapable to be moved, covered with bed sheets, without any luggage, were also transported to the station.

Dr. Bona, senior doctor, threw out from the hospital all sick Jews, even those in grave condition. For instance, Isac Mayer with an amputated leg, died one hour after the train departed, and Dr. Bernard Wagner (Dr. Bona's colleague), 70 years old, very ill, died when he arrived in Moghilev.

On the 10th of October, a second convoy left from Suceava and Gura Humorului, and the deportation continued until the 13th of October, when the last trains with deportees from the districts Radauti and Câmpulung were directed to Transnistria.

After several days of traveling, each train with deportees arrived in the locality Atachi, on the bank of the river Dnestr, where chaos and desperation reigned.

Here most of the Jews were plundered and deprived of their last belongings by those who were charged to pass them over the Dnestr.

The witness, engineer Friedrich Antschel, actually living in Bucharest, describes his and his family's deportation from Suceava.

"On the 9th of October 1941, by beating the drums, the Jewish population from Suceava was informed about the order of evacuation and deportation.

I was deported on the 11th of October 1941 together with my family-father, mother and sister, respectively, with the third transport. We were put into dirty cattle wagons, crowded at maximum.

Among the deportees was also brought Isac Tenenhaus, who was ill, having typhoid fever and he died immediately after arriving in Moghilev.

We arrived at Atachi on the 13th of October, where thousands of persons were starving and without shelter. On the same day a convoy passed, coming from Edinet (Basarabia), with people barefoot, starved and beaten. After a scrupulous search done by the gendarmes, all the valuables were robbed, and our group well escorted and well guarded, crossed the Dnestr by rafts."

In order to relate the situation as correct as possible, we reproduce here an extract from Mr. Isidor Pressner's letter, president of the Jewish community from Radauti, written the 22nd of October 1941, to Dr. Filderman, president of the Federation of Jewish Communities from Romania:

"You are probably aware of the fact that we all have been evacuated and brought here, to be passed over the Dnestr, and sent somewhere into the Ukraine, without any aim and destination.

Most of those who cross the Dnestr remain without shelter; sleep in the open air, in rain, mud and cold. A small part is still here in Atachi. Already, hundreds of persons died here, many are dying and others committed suicide.

Only one thing is sure. If we are not saved immediately, none of these unfortunates will survive. According to our opinion, about 25.000 souls are in question, from which one part is on their way to the Ukraine, one part is still here in Atachi."

From the existing statistical data, it results that from the Southern Bucovina about 23.800 Jews were deported. Only 179 Jews, considered as indispensable for the region's economy remained. ¹)

 

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¹⁾ See, Table No. 5, p. 23