. Oliver Lustig's Text Presentation of Historic Holocaust Photograps from The Auschwitz Album: The Story of a Transport Publisher: Yad Vashem, Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum from Amazon.com .. .

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Editor's Notes:   <> By clicking on a particular photo (or the corresponding magnifying icon), an enlarged version will appear. <> The English text below is a translation from the original Romanian text received and posted <> Additional translations are being sought ... We have posted so far: a Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse] a Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling] a French translation [traduction française] a German translation [Deutsche übersetzung]    a Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás] an Italian translation [traduzione italiano] a Polish translation [wersja polska] a Russian translation []

IV. Disembarkation From Train (Coborarea din Vagoane)

[IV-1] The train stopped. The locked doors of the cars are being opened. Each time, with no exception, in front of each opened door, you would hear over and over again the same two commands:    The First One: Alle heraus! (Everybody out!) The words pleased us. We could now breathe with ease.    The Second One: Alles dort lassen!    (Leave everything there!) (All luggage stays in the car.) That 2nd command stunned us: How come EVERYTHING ... all luggage? ... and the worm winter clothes? ... and the bed linen? ... and the baby diapers? ... and the leftover food? ... and the family pictures and the books? ... and the last water bottle? ... and the pouch with medicine? ...  But no time existed for such questions much less for answers. The disembarkation had began. (The Original Text in Romanian) Trenul s-a oprit. Usile ferecate ale vagoanelor au fost date in laturi. De fiecare data, fara exceptie, in fata fiecarei usi s-au strigat, mereu si mereu, aceleasi doua comenzi: Prima: Alle heraus! (Toti afara!). Cuvintele ne-au bucurat. Am rasuflat cu totii usurati. A doua: Alles dort lassen! (Lasati totul pe loc!) (Toate bagajele raman in vagon). Aceasta a doua comanda ne-a naucit: Cum adica TOTUL, toate bagajele...? ... si hainele calduroase pentru iarna, si lenjeria de pat si scutecele pentru copii si ramasitele de alimente si pozele de familie si cartile si ultima sticla cu apa si trusa de medicamente... Dar nu era timp pentru intrebari si, cu atat mai putin, pentru raspunsuri. Incepuse coborarea.

For the Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse], please click in on the icon at left. For the Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling], please click in on the icon at left. For the French translation [traduction française], please click in on the icon at left. For the German translation [Deutsche übersetzung], please click in on the icon at left. For the Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás], please click in on the icon at left. For the Italian translation [traduzione italiano], please click in on the icon at left. For the Polish translation [wersja polska], please click in on the icon at left. For the Russian translation [], click on the icon at left. .

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[IV-2] Right away it can be seen that the great majority of those here are mothers with their children. Explanation: From 1941, the Jewish men between 21 and 45 (and even older) were congregated into forced labor detachments that were "assigned," almost exclusively, to Ukraine for de-mining the fields behind the battlefront lines. Because of this, the entire responsibility in running a family in ghetto and during deportation all away to the gas chamber were left on the shoulders of our "kind and holy" mothers. (The Original Text in Romanian) Dintr-o singura privire se poate constata ca marea majoritate a celor ce coboara din vagoane o reprezinta mamele si copiii. Explicatia: incepand cu anul 1941 adultii si barbatii evrei intre 21 si 45 de ani (chiar si mai in varsta) au fost concentrati in detasamente de munca fortata "trimise," aproape in totalitate, in Ucraina sa demineze cimpurile de lupta din spatele liniilor de front. Asa se face ca intreaga grija si responsabilitate pentru viata fiecarei familii in ghetou si pe timpul deportarii, pana la intrarea in camera de gazare, a cazut pe umerii "blandelor si sfintelor" noastre mame.

For the Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse], please click in on the icon at left. For the Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling], please click in on the icon at left. For the French translation [traduction française], please click in on the icon at left. For the German translation [Deutsche übersetzung], please click in on the icon at left. For the Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás], please click in on the icon at left. For the Italian translation [traduzione italiano], please click in on the icon at left. For the Polish translation [wersja polska], please click in on the icon at left. For the Russian translation [], click on the icon at left. .

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[IV-3] In spite of the fact that innumerable times the order "Alles dort lassen" (everything stays in the cars) has been given, some, as we can see, have disembarked carrying small pieces of luggage or bags. The SS-men made believe that they were not seeing. The important thing for them was that everything to go as smoothly and, especially, as rapidly as possible so to prevent any panic, yelling, and crying, any altercation or violent confrontation. (The Original Text in Romanian) Desi s-a repetat de zeci de ori comanda "Alles dort lassen", totul ramane in vagoane, cativa, dupa cum se vede, au coborat cu cate un geamantanus ori sacosa.SS-istii se faceau ca nu observa. Important pentru ei era ca totul sa se desfasoare cat mai rapid si, mai ales, sa previna, sa evite cu orice pret panica, tipetele si plansetele, orice altercatie sau confruntare violenta.

For the Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse], please click in on the icon at left. For the Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling], please click in on the icon at left. For the French translation [traduction française], please click in on the icon at left. For the German translation [Deutsche übersetzung], please click in on the icon at left. For the Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás], please click in on the icon at left. For the Italian translation [traduzione italiano], please click in on the icon at left. For the Polish translation [wersja polska], please click in on the icon at left. For the Russian translation [], click on the icon at left. .

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[IV-4] General view of the "Death Ramp" when the evacuation of an entire train was complete. At the horizon, further back in the picture, we can see two buildings (on the left and on the right of the railroad tracks), each having a tall chimney. Those were the crematoria II and III. (The Original Text in Romanian) Vedere generala a "Rampei Mortii" in momentul cand coborarea din vagoane a unui intreg transport este pe terminate. La orizont se vad doua cladiri (in dreapta si stanga liniilor ferate) cu cate un cos inalt. Sunt crematoriile II si III.

For the Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse], please click in on the icon at left. For the Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling], please click in on the icon at left. For the French translation [traduction française], please click in on the icon at left. For the German translation [Deutsche übersetzung], please click in on the icon at left. For the Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás], please click in on the icon at left. For the Italian translation [traduzione italiano], please click in on the icon at left. For the Polish translation [wersja polska], please click in on the icon at left. For the Russian translation [], click on the icon at left. .

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[IV-5] On June 9, 1944, in front of an emptied railroad car, exactly as the one seen here, I was there with my family. Squashed one into another, nervously, we were eager to know: Where we are? What they intend to do with us? What fate awaits us? .With tremendous apprehension, we were listening to the first words addressed to us since our arrest and forced entry into the ghetto. The monologue that was being addressed to the newcomers sounded like this: Gentlemen and Ladies, We know that you are very tired, that you had a very long and exhausting journey. Neither food nor water was plentiful. We are sorry, but this is not our fault. Now, that is behind you. We will put you into a Camp. Those who are able will work. All will live in normal conditions. We are sorry that we have to give you some bad news. To the Camp, where you would live and work, are some 3 km and so happen that just today we do not have transportation. Thus, we are asking now that: All females, mothers with their children no older than 14, all men sick or disabled to go to the left. The rest that are able to work, and thus able to walk to the Camp, to stay put on the right of the ramp. After the inhuman crowding in the train, after the hunger and the thirst that tormented us during the journey from the Ghetto to the Birkenau , after the fear and desperation that overwhelmed all of us and in particular our mothers, the surprising "monologue" of "understanding and kindness" gave us some hope. This is how it happened in less than one hour, in tens of minutes, families were separated forever one from another. (The Original Text in Romanian) In ziua de 9 iunie 1944, in fata unuia dintre vagoanele golite axact ca cele din fotografie ma aflam si eu impreuna cu familia mea. Ingramaditi unii in altii, agitati si nerabdatori sa aflam unde suntem?, ce vor sa faca cu noi? Ce soarta ne asteapta? Am incremenit de incordarea cu care ascultam primele cuvintele normale, firesti care ni se adresau prima oara din momentul arestarii noastre pentru a fi ghetoizati. Monologul ce se adresa noilor veniti suna asa: Domnilor si Doamnelor, Stim ca sunteti foarte obositi, ca ati avut o calatorie lunga si chinuitoare. Nici hrana nici apa n-au fost indestulatoare. Ne pare rau, nu este insa vina noastra. Acum insa s-a terminat. Veti fi introdusi intr-un lagar. Cei apti de munca vor lucra. Cu totii veti trai in conditii normale. Ne pare rau insa ca suntem nevoiti sa va dam si o veste proasta. Pana la lagarul in care veti trai si munci mai sunt vreo 3 km si tocmai astazi n-avem suficiente mijloace de transport. Asa ca va rugam: Toate femeile, toate mamele impreuna cu copiii pana la 14 ani, toti batranii, bolanvii si invalizii sa treaca in stanga. Toti cei care sunt apti de munca, deci se pot deplasa pe jos, sa ramana pe loc, in dreapta rampei. Dupa inghesuiala inumana din vagoane , dupa foamea ai setea ce ne-au chinuit pe drumul din ghetou si pana la Birkenau, dupa spaima si disperarea ce ne cuprinsese pe toti si mai ales pe mamele noastre, "monologul" neasteptat de "intelegator si binevoitor" ne-a redat un pic de speranta. Asa se face ca prima si teribila ruptura a familiilor, despartirea pe veci a unora de ceilalti s-a facut in mai putin de o ora, in cateva zeci de minute.

For the Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse], please click in on the icon at left. For the Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling], please click in on the icon at left. For the French translation [traduction française], please click in on the icon at left. For the German translation [Deutsche übersetzung], please click in on the icon at left. For the Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás], please click in on the icon at left. For the Italian translation [traduzione italiano], please click in on the icon at left. For the Polish translation [wersja polska], please click in on the icon at left. For the Russian translation [], click on the icon at left. .

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