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

(79) DEPOSITION OF DORA SILBERBERG (Pole, aged 25)

2. I recognise No. 3 on photograph 19 as an S.S. woman at Auschwitz. I knew her by the name of Bormann. I have now been told that her full name is Juana Bormann. On 15th June, 1944, whilst at Auschwitz, I was working with a working party outside the camp. Working with me was a good friend of mine named Rachella Silberstein, aged 21 years, from Łódź, Poland. On this day she felt very sick and could not walk on her own to the working site. We had to assist her and on arriving at the working site she sat down because she was so weak and suffered from very severe pains. Bormann, who was supervising the party, ordered my friend to go to work immediately. Because my friend could hardly speak through pain I intervened and told Bormann that Silberstein was too ill to work. Bormann hit me in the face with her fist, knocking out two of my teeth, and told me to go back to work. As I moved away she hit me all over the body with a thick stick which she carried. She then ordered a big dog, which always accompanied her, to attack Silberstein, who was sitting the ground. The dog grasped her leg with its teeth and dragged her round and round until she finally collapsed. Bormann then ordered the dog to let go of my friend. After about ten minutes Silberstein recovered consciousness, but lay all day on the ground. I could see no open wounds, but the leg which had been gripped by the dog became very swollen and blue-black in colour. I had the impression that it was blood-poisoning. When we marched back to the camp four girls had to carry Silberstein, and on her arrival they took her to the hospital. On the following day I went to visit her ad she was very weak. She could neither speak nor eat. When I went to see her on 17th June, 1944, the warden told me that she had died. He said that the dead body was in the yard and I went there and saw a corpse covered with blankets. I lifted the blankets and recognised my dead friend.