European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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It was very difficult, very hard. We got lots of beatings.
It was very difficult, very hard. We got lots of beatings.
Era molto difficile, molto duro… Ci picchiavano. -
In the beginning we thought we shouldn’t take that, but we soon saw that there was no way out, as life there was so terrible.
In the beginning we thought we shouldn’t take that, but we soon saw that there was no way out, as life there was so terrible.
All'inizio non volevamo accettare di prenderle, ma poi ci siamo subito resi conto che non c'era alternativa, perché la vita là era semplicemente terribile. -
It was difficult to form a group.
It was difficult to form a group.
Era molto difficile organizzarci tra di noi -
Those of us that had been arrested as French resistance fighters were scattered.
Those of us that had been arrested as French resistance fighters were scattered.
perché il gruppo di francesi, cioè tutti quelli che erano stati arrestati come partigiani comunisti e militanti politici, era stato disperso. -
They knew exactly who we were.
They knew exactly who we were.
Quando arrivavamo, ovviamente sapevano chi eravamo. -
It was very different from the camp in Compiègne. There we were still active, we resisted, discussed, talked.
It was very different from the camp in Compiègne. There we were still active, we resisted, discussed, talked.
Non aveva niente in comune con il campo di Compiègne: là eravamo attivi, combattevamo, discutevamo. -
But here we were seperated and with all the block leaders, the Vorarbeiter, the team chiefs, the Kapos
But here we were seperated and with all the block leaders, the Vorarbeiter, the team chiefs, the Kapos
Ma a Birkenau non si parlava, eravamo più divisi… E poi con i capi dei blocchi, i capigruppo, i Kapo… -
it was extremely difficult, as they were very loose with their batons.
it was extremely difficult, as they were very loose with their batons.
Era molto dura con loro che avevano la vita facile. -
We were not necessarily amongst French people at all. Sometimes there were 2 or 3 French people in a group of 150 or 200 men.
We were not necessarily amongst French people at all. Sometimes there were 2 or 3 French people in a group of 150 or 200 men.
Non eravamo per forza con francesi, anzi, ci trovavamo anche a essere 2 o 3 francesi in gruppi di 150-200 persone. -
Most of them were Poles. They did not like us very much.
Most of them were Poles. They did not like us very much.
La maggior parte erano polacchi, non molto benevoli nei nostri confronti. -
There were Germans as well, so-called Reichsdeutsche. They had mostly been arrested for political reasons.
There were Germans as well, so-called Reichsdeutsche. They had mostly been arrested for political reasons.
C'erano anche tedeschi, li chiamavamo i "Reichsdeutsche", tedeschi che per lo più erano stati arrestati per ragioni politiche. -
Deportation to Compiègne and Auschwitz-Birkenau
Deportation to Compiègne and Auschwitz-Birkenau
Deportazione a Compiègne e Auschwitz-Birkenau -
I had been under observation by the police for some time.
I had been under observation by the police for some time.
Era da un po' che la polizia mi seguiva. -
When the Communist Party and leftist organizations were banned and had to go underground,
When the Communist Party and leftist organizations were banned and had to go underground,
Fin dal momento in cui il Partito Comunista ha dovuto iniziare a operare nella clandestinità, -
I was known to the police and was being watched.
I was known to the police and was being watched.
mi conoscevano e mi osservavano. -
On October 21st, 1941, they knocked on my door at four o’clock in the morning and I was arrested bay French and German police.
On October 21st, 1941, they knocked on my door at four o’clock in the morning and I was arrested bay French and German police.
Il 21 ottobre 1941 hanno bussato da me, alle 4 del mattino. Sono stato arrestato così dalla polizia francese e tedesca. -
I was taken to Rouen, along with another 100 resistance fighters from the who had been arrested the same night.
I was taken to Rouen, along with another 100 resistance fighters from the who had been arrested the same night.
Sono stato portato a Rouen, dove ho trovato un centinaio di resistenti noti, tutti della regione di Rouen. -
We were interrogated, but not too harshly. We were not obliged to talk about things we didn’t want to.
We were interrogated, but not too harshly. We were not obliged to talk about things we didn’t want to.
Poi siamo stati interrogati, senza grandi problemi né difficoltà. Non ci hanno obbligati a dire cose che non volevamo dire. -
Then we were taken to the camp of Compiègne and from there to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Then we were taken to the camp of Compiègne and from there to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
In seguito siamo stati portati a Compiègne e da lì ci hanno portati a Auschwitz-Birkenau. -
In Compiègne we were treated as hostages.
In Compiègne we were treated as hostages.
A Compiègne ci trattavano come ostaggi,