“Today I am here with Yanek Gruener. He is a prisoner taken from Krakow, at age 13 his family was taken away, and he was forced to learn to survive on his own.”
“Tell me Yanek what was your first thought when the Natzis came to Krakow Ghetto?” “I was nervous. I didn’t know how to survive something like this, I was only twelve at the time, and I was so used to having everything we needed. Being completely honest, I didn’t think much would change around home, except going out for work details.” “This time is tough, how do you keep yourself going after the loss of your uncle Moshe and moving to your third concentration camp?” “I had ended up at a camp call Birkenau Concentration Camp. We were all crammed in a train for days. They SS officers, would torment us, and throw bread into the train to watch prisoners fight for it. I was so busy trying to keep my life, that I didn’t have time to pay attention to how miserable I was.” …show more content…
Tell me what was your first thought when you saw the crematorium?” “We had arrived at Birkenau, and all I felt was anger. It was like I had pushed myself so much just to die. As soon as I felt the water on my skin, I felt a rush of relief, but I was also upset that they were forcing me to live.” “How did you push through the camps, knowing you had no one left?” “It was honestly the hardest thing that anyone could imagine. I missed the feeling of being able to see my family. I just wanted to wrap my arms around them again. Fuhrer Hitler ruined our lives, and all I wanted was