War Crimes Trials - Vol. II The Belsen Trial. 'The Trial of Josef Kramer and Forty Four Others'

(134) DEPOSITION OF DORA SZAFRAN (Pole, aged 22)

3. On 25th June, 1943, I went to Auschwitz and witnessed several selections for the gas chamber there. I estimate that while I was there about a million people were sent to the gas chamber. The S.S. people on this selection were as follows: -

Juana Bormann (photo. 19-3), Dr. Mengele, Elisabeth Volkenrath (photo. 22-6), S.S. Unterscharführer Tauber, S.S. Dr. König, and S.S. Dr. Schwartz.

4. I saw Juana Bormann beat several girls with a rubber stick, because they hung about talking, until they were unconscious.

5. I saw people being sent to the gas chamber. I lived in a block opposite the gas chamber and could see from my window people going into the building. There was a tall chimney and I could see flames coming out. I heard screams come from inside the building and never saw these people come out. I had a clear view, since the only thing that was in between my block and the gas chamber was an electric fence about 15 ft. away from my window.

6. At Auschwitz I and others had to stand naked in the square while Dr. Klein (photo. 9-5), Kramer and Tauber made the selection. The strongest of us were taken to do more work and the weaker ones were taken away and we never saw them again.

7. I came to Belsen about 18th January, 1945. On the day that the English [British] arrived, about three hours before the actual occupation, I saw Kramer, Nikolas Jenner (photo. 24-4) and Karl Flrazich [Francioh] (photo. 1-5) shoot with Schmaisser guns at a group of prisoners. They fired through the kitchen window for no reason, and I can say that they killed about 22 people.