Memory Office: D. Rozenbergienė
Dobrė Rozenbergienė, a member of the Kaunas Jewish Community, remembers how she miraculously survived the Kaunas massacre („Great action“) in Democrats‘ Square by getting to the good side. She tells about a cruel life in camps, constant fear, cold and hunger.
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“The action was held in November 1941: at 6pm we were lined up. Our line, where my aunt, my grandmother and I were standing, was checked only after dark. At the time, I was ill, covered in boils, and for that reason I looked very tired, and my grandmother as well. Only my aunt was able to work. A Jew officer came to us, he was a friend of my father, which is why he let us go to the „good side” and we were not condemned to die. Everyone was amazed; it was a gift from God to us.”
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"The authorities ordered us to pack our belongings. As we were living in a ghetto, many of our relatives were killed, that is how we collected some clothes. We packed our bags and in October 1943, a carriage arrived in the ghetto territory. We thought we would be taken to the Ninth Fort, however, as we drove past it we understood that we would live. We arrived at a square and saw trains. We were lined up again, men, women, elders and children were separated. We were forced into wagons and the train took off in an unknown direction. How many days it took, I cannot tell. It was a horrible trip; I was constantly hearing cries and groans."
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"We were taken to the lager camp. We suffered there from starvation and cold. We did not stay in one lager; we were constantly moved to different places. That is how we got into a „nice” lager – our wardens were especially friendly women. One of them even gave me a warm vest. They let us wash ourselves and there was warm water. We did not work for the first few days after our arrival, however, after that we were forced to work. The work was hard, we had to change the track rails. The weaker would have to pour the stones, the stronger – change the parts of the track rails. Polish supervisors watching our work were constantly baffled: „God, is this a job suitable for women? “. Our hands were covered in corns and wounds. Luckily, nurses gave fabric straps to swathe the bleeding wounds."
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"We were starving in the lager. A Hungarian woman once suggested to go and steal some carrots, although it was “sleeping time “and we were forbidden to walk; I agreed. We put our coats on, took a few buckets and pretended to be going to get some water. We got into a bunker and filled our buckets and pockets with carrots. I was going last, so a warden noticed me. He raised the alarm and asked in which barrack I am living. Luckily, I lied. I told I was living in the thirteenth; however, I was living in the seventh. He grabbed me and took me to the barrack. Everyone was preparing to sleep, therefore everyone remained silent when the guard shouted: „does anybody know this thief? “ He brought a stool and ordered me to get naked. I crouched in a corner, however, I could not avoid the wardens’ hits; he hit me three times before I fell down. When our great nurses heard that I was caught, they ran to me and said they will take care of me. Next day my whole body, and especially my face, was covered in bruises. Women in the barrack were nursing me all night."
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"One night we were lined up again and forced to walk, though we did now know where. It turned out, we were walking to the barn where we had to settle. When we walked in, we saw many „aliving corpses“, people dying from an unbearable starvation. When I woke up in the morning, I saw that I was lying on a dead body."
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"In the morning, we had to go outside and hold on to each other. We were wondering whether we will stay alive. However, at about 11am, two Polish women, carrying bread, came up and told us: „you are free. “ We thought they were provoking us and that they will shoot us if we go. Starving people rushed to get some bread. After some time we heard that we truly are free. It was our bread of freedom."
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DOBRĖ MOSTAITĖ ROZENBERGIENĖ
Dobrė was born in 1928 in the small city of Jurbarkas. She was living there with her parents Motelius Mostas, Broche Fidleryte Mostiene and her brother Izraelis until the Second World War. Broche Fidleryte Mostienes cousin’s family were also living in the same house. Dobrė‘s father was educated, had a big property and traded crops. On July 3rd, 1941, he and his son, together with 300 men were shot dead in a graveyard during „Men action“. In August of the same year, Dobrės mother was taken by hiwi‘s and Dobrė herself was taken to the Kaunas Ghetto, where she met her relatives who survived – her grandmother and aunt. Even when she was ill, Dobrė was working in the children brigade at Marvelė and at the Aleksotas aerodrome. She was one of the “angels” who helped out people that could no longer work. After life in the Kaunas Ghetto, she was taken away to a lager camp in the forests of Estonia, where her grandmother died. After that, Dobrė and her aunt got into Stutthof concentration camp and Rusashin work camp. In 1945 she went on the “death march“, which was to get further away from the front. After the war was over, together with other women, she returned back home to Jurbarkas.
Date of the interview: 22/11/2017