No Heroes: A Memoir of Coming Home

Irene Goes on a Death March

Everything was crashing for the Germans, so they gathered us together in Leipzig. Only Jewish women. A thousand of us. We started to walk on the road. They were shooting everyone who could not make it. We arranged it so three people walk in a row, and the one in the middle was sleeping. We were walking and dragging the middle one, then we exchange places. That’s how we sleep. Dragged.

We marched at least a week, day and night. They were throwing us some bread sometimes. Whoever could catch it, ate. I did. I was lucky. They were in a hurry because the Russians were already on the back of them. I had the feeling that we would be killed very soon. It was a long walk and no stopping at night. It was very cold.

The soldiers were talking and I understand German. They were marching us to the Elbe to drown the whole bunch of us. They didn’t want to leave signs of what’s happened in the camps. They wanted to drown every one of us.

We march in farm country. There was haystacks, lot of straw. I decided I’d rather let them shoot me than I should walk like this. Me and two others go in the hay. The dogs went all over the place sniffing, but they didn’t sniff us. The whole regiment passed by us and they left. It was so silent, the only time it is silent in the war.

First time in my life I decided to run away. The whole time I am in camp, people are pushing me. They said, you go this way, so I go this way. If they want to kill me, they kill me. I am offered, I am here. Do what you want.

We slept in the hay and when we wake we hear Russian soldiers. We came out, holding each other. They give us food, give us a place to sleep like human beings and some clothing. We walked to a train under their protection.

When I come out of the straw, I couldn’t believe it. It was something that you can’t explain. Can’t describe. I can stand up and nobody’s killing me. I am alive. It’s like the best song or the best music or the best art or the best anything. I am standing there and breathing the free air.