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| This story is about "Sara" Szejwac one of the young women who survived the Holocaust but died in Stockholm and was buried at the North Jewish Cemetery in 1947. Swedish Holocaust Memorial Association found her grave and cleaned it. |
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| This story is about "Sara" Szejwac one of the young women who survived the Holocaust but died in Stockholm and was buried at the North Jewish Cemetery in 1947. In 2018 the Swedish Holocaust Memorial Association found her grave and cleaned it. "Sara" was first imprisoned in the Warsaw (Warsaw Ghetto) and during the Warsaw Ghetto uprise deported in May 1943 to Majdanek concentration camp and thereafter to Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. She was actually born 1930 or 1931 but to survive the selection she stated that she was born 1925. Information that she was a student for 2 years in the gymnasium was supposed to confirm it. It is likely that "Sara" as the name was added by Nazis at the Majdanek or Auschwitz concentration camp and followed her thereafter during the Holocaust. |
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| It is likely that "Sara" as the name was added by Nazis at the Majdanek concentration camp and followed her thereafter during the Holocaust. |
Info from the Auschwitz archives that Szejwac Sara was punished for the "crime" - of picking apples during work. Punishment, five nights in a standing cell (Straffe: 5 Tage Stehzelle) were documented well. Here signed by Mandel and Kramer. Kramer's last post, after Auschwitz was as Commandant in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Josef Kramer was the Commandant of Auschwitz-Birkenau (from 8 May 1944 to 25 November 1944) and of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp (from December 1944 to its liberation, April 15, 1945). Kramer and Mandel were German Nazi war criminals, directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. Both were convicted of war crimes and hanged on the gallows.
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A-47295 "Sara’s" Marysia´s story
This story is about "Sara" Miriam Marysia Szejwac* one of the young women who survived the Holocaust but died in Stockholm and was buried at the North Jewish Cemetery in 1947. As I earlier pointed out "Sara" was the name that was added by Nazis at the Majdanek concentration camp and followed her thereafter during the Holocaust and this name should be removed from her grave. Of course, it is up to the Jewish congregation in Stockholm if they want to continue with the Nazis compulsory names! I would prefer the use of her proper name, Marysia or Miriam (or both) before her imprisonment in the Majdanek concentration camp (K.L. Lublin) in May 1943.
The information gathered about her, including identification of her proper name and her origins was a part of the unique research performed by the Swedish Holocaust Association (SHMA) about the fate of the women who were buried at the Northern Jewish cemetery in Stockholm. At least one-third of the cases of these women, liberated from Bergen-Belsen, were already described and identified by SHMA. Bergen-Belsen was "Sara’s" last camp before liberation.
In 2018 "Saras" grave was identified with the incorrect date of birth and the wrong first name. The name on the grave was written as "Marjan Sara Szejwak” from Poland. It turned out she was from Warsaw and that she was punished in Auschwitz with five nights in a standing cell for picking apples during work. Such a cell measured less than one square meter with no windows, and air coming only through a small hole. The entrance was at the floor level as if for dogs. Four prisoners were locked in such a cell for the night and were released for work in the morning**. All such punishments were documented by the Schutzhaftlagerführer Müller***. "Sara’s" number in Auschwitz was A-47295. The members of the Szejwac family likely perished in Majdanek (her mother), Auschwitz, and Treblinka*.
* Marysia-Miriam`s (Sara’s) brother, Adam Szejwac survived the Holocaust and built a family in Israel. Swedish Holocaust Memorial Association established close contact with the ancestors of Szejwac family and forwarded to them the information about the last 24 months of the life of Marysia ("Sara") Szejwac in Sweden.
** The punishment of a standing cell (Stehbunker) was introduced at the beginning of 1942 year after the SS-Hauptsturmführer took over as deputy camp commandant Hans Aumeier. During his time at Auschwitz Aumeier made a name for himself, responsible for many draconian methods, including torture, beatings, and executions. Cells for standing, being at the same time as prisoners, were created in Barack 3, cell 22, dividing it into four rooms each by partition walls. Two of the rooms had an area of less than one square meter. As punishment, four prisoners were sent there. The period of standing in the standing cell varied, from a few to several nights. To enter the standing cell, the prisoners had to crawl through small openings above the floor closed with a grate and board doors. The standing position was only part of the punishment. Another was the lack of air. The only source of air supply to each cell was a small, 5 x 5 cm hole that was covered from the outside by a metal cover pierced like a sieve. The death by suffocation was close as the cells were only two meters high. Standing cells were also located in the camp
On 19 March 1942, 144 women were shot at the execution wall in the courtyard of Blocks 10 and 11 on Aumeier’s orders. Aumeier was convicted and sentenced to death. He was executed in Poland in 1948.
*** Schutzhaftlagerführer Paul Müller, merchant by profession, joined the SS in October 1933 with a number 1796667. Next, he became a member of the Nazi party on May 1, 1937 (his number 4486232). At the beginning of the WWII, he worked at Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Paul Müller collaborated with SS-lagerführerin Maria Mandl who was known for her cruelty to the prisoners. She often stood by the Auschwitz gate waiting to see which of the women turned back and looked at her. The unfortunates were picked up and disappeared never to be seen again. In Auschwitz Mandl was known as “Beast” and she was responsible for the so-called “selections” for two years. She signed off on the lists of prisoners to be killed and probably sent about half a million women and children to the gas chambers in Auschwitz. Mandl also established the Auschwitz Women's Orchestra which accompanied the roll-calls executions, selections, and transports of prisoners.
** The punishment of a standing cell (Stehbunker) was introduced at the beginning of 1942 year after the SS-Hauptsturmführer took over as deputy camp commandant Hans Aumeier. During his time at Auschwitz Aumeier made a name for himself, responsible for many draconian methods, including torture, beatings, and executions. Cells for standing, being at the same time as prisoners, were created in Barack 3, cell 22, dividing it into four rooms each by partition walls. Two of the rooms had an area of less than one square meter. As punishment, four prisoners were sent there. The period of standing in the standing cell varied, from a few to several nights. To enter the standing cell, the prisoners had to crawl through small openings above the floor closed with a grate and board doors. The standing position was only part of the punishment. Another was the lack of air. The only source of air supply to each cell was a small, 5 x 5 cm hole that was covered from the outside by a metal cover pierced like a sieve. The death by suffocation was close as the cells were only two meters high. Standing cells were also located in the camp
On 19 March 1942, 144 women were shot at the execution wall in the courtyard of Blocks 10 and 11 on Aumeier’s orders. Aumeier was convicted and sentenced to death. He was executed in Poland in 1948.
*** Schutzhaftlagerführer Paul Müller, merchant by profession, joined the SS in October 1933 with a number 1796667. Next, he became a member of the Nazi party on May 1, 1937 (his number 4486232). At the beginning of the WWII, he worked at Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Paul Müller collaborated with SS-lagerführerin Maria Mandl who was known for her cruelty to the prisoners. She often stood by the Auschwitz gate waiting to see which of the women turned back and looked at her. The unfortunates were picked up and disappeared never to be seen again. In Auschwitz Mandl was known as “Beast” and she was responsible for the so-called “selections” for two years. She signed off on the lists of prisoners to be killed and probably sent about half a million women and children to the gas chambers in Auschwitz. Mandl also established the Auschwitz Women's Orchestra which accompanied the roll-calls executions, selections, and transports of prisoners.
Additional information
Lusia’s story
Dr Wróblewski’s article made me remember something that happened 45 years ago.
In May 1975 my sister was getting married in Kibbutz Yotvata. Because of this wedding two ladies Bluma Szandor and Mrs Roizman met at a hairdressing salon in Ramat Aviv. It turned out that they both were invited to the same wedding. Mrs Roizman was invited by Ola Szejwac the bride and Bluma by the groom. Only at the hairdressers, Bluma realized that Szejwac is the name she knew from the Warsaw Ghetto, it was the surname of her friend.
About a month later, I went with my parents to visit Bluma. She told us the story of the Szejwac family, starting from the Warsaw Ghetto Marysia (this is what Miriam was called at home) and Bluma became friends working together in a Ghetto factory. Marysia’s mother Lea, the brother Srulik and Marysia during the Ghetto Uprising in April 1943 managed to get out of the burning Ghetto. The Nazis executed Srulik at the Ghetto wall but Marysia with her mother and Bluma were transported to KL Auschwitz, and from there to KL Bergen Belsen.
They were separated in Bergen Belsen. Lea was lost. Bluma met a young man and got married straight. After that they went to Eretz Israel. Was taken to Sweden by White Boats of UNRRA, where she died in1947. Her grave is at the Jewish Cemetery in Stockholm.
My father, Adam Szejwac, on the 1st of November 1939 left Warsaw leaving behind his parents and three of his siblings. He survived the war in Russia and in 1946 together with my Mother returned to Poland.
He never looked for traces of his family until the meeting with Bluma, who told us the story.
In 1976 he made a trip to Stockholm to see Marysia’s grave, his only sister.
Dr Wróblewski’s article made me remember something that happened 45 years ago.
In May 1975 my sister was getting married in Kibbutz Yotvata. Because of this wedding two ladies Bluma Szandor and Mrs Roizman met at a hairdressing salon in Ramat Aviv. It turned out that they both were invited to the same wedding. Mrs Roizman was invited by Ola Szejwac the bride and Bluma by the groom. Only at the hairdressers, Bluma realized that Szejwac is the name she knew from the Warsaw Ghetto, it was the surname of her friend.
About a month later, I went with my parents to visit Bluma. She told us the story of the Szejwac family, starting from the Warsaw Ghetto Marysia (this is what Miriam was called at home) and Bluma became friends working together in a Ghetto factory. Marysia’s mother Lea, the brother Srulik and Marysia during the Ghetto Uprising in April 1943 managed to get out of the burning Ghetto. The Nazis executed Srulik at the Ghetto wall but Marysia with her mother and Bluma were transported to KL Auschwitz, and from there to KL Bergen Belsen.
They were separated in Bergen Belsen. Lea was lost. Bluma met a young man and got married straight. After that they went to Eretz Israel. Was taken to Sweden by White Boats of UNRRA, where she died in1947. Her grave is at the Jewish Cemetery in Stockholm.
My father, Adam Szejwac, on the 1st of November 1939 left Warsaw leaving behind his parents and three of his siblings. He survived the war in Russia and in 1946 together with my Mother returned to Poland.
He never looked for traces of his family until the meeting with Bluma, who told us the story.
In 1976 he made a trip to Stockholm to see Marysia’s grave, his only sister.
