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

(80) DEPOSITION OF JOSEPHINE SINGER (Slovak, aged 39)

1. I am 39 years of age. I am a Jewess of Czechoslovakian nationality. I was arrested on 24th April, 1942, and sent to Auschwitz Concentration Camp. I remained there until I was sent to Hindenburg and then to Belsen Camp on 2nd February, 1945. I was Block Leader of 198 Block. At first there were about 400 women in this block who, as they were those in the best health, worked in making equipment for the German Army. Later about 800 persons were housed in this block and gradually deaths increased. I estimate that some 300 persons died whilst I was Block Leader, from starvation and typhus. There was no beating of women in my block.

2. I name Elisabeth Volkenrath, S.S. woman, whose photograph has been shown to me, No. 22, and who I identify as No. 6 on such photograph, as being responsible personally for beating many women prisoners with her hands. In particular I recall that this woman threw down the steps of the workshops a Slovakian Jewess who came to these workshops to obtain work. The applicant was an old woman and she died immediately from her injuries.

3. I name also S.S. Unterscharführer Adolf Taube as being responsible for beating to death many internees at Auschwitz who tried to escape from Block 25, which was the block to which persons destined for the gas chamber were sent. Taube was in charge of this block. He had working under him one of the internees, Anna Stern. These internees were persons who were unable to work and they stayed only a few days in the block before going to the gas chamber. I helped Anna Stern as Block Leader. We were so employed for about a year, and during this time I calculate that over 25000 passed through the block to the gas chamber. In fact the block was used for four months out of the year for housing sick persons and not as a prison prior to the gas chamber. I managed to assist a certain number to escape and was myself detailed for the gas chamber owing to the discovery of these escapes, but persuaded Taube to get me let off.