Transport 15 from Wien, Vienna, Austria to Riga, Ghetto, Latvia on 26/01/1942

Transport No. 15 left Vienna (Wien) on January 26, 1942 from Aspangbahnhof, arriving at Riga on January 31. From the assembly site, the Jews were taken to the train station. This transport consisted of 1,200 Jewish deportees. 508 people were older than 61, the average age on this transport was 56 years. Only 36 people survived. The Central Office for Jewish Emigration (Zentralstelle fuer juedische Auswanderung), headed by SS-Hauptsturmfuehrer Alois Brunner, was responsible for conducting the deportation of Jews from Vienna. The first step was to send out orders to potential deportees indicating when they were to report at the assembly point. At the same time the local Jewish community instructed the deportees that were allowed to take baggage and personal effects not in excess of 50 kilograms. Each deportee was allowed to take 100 Reichsmark on his/her person. The deportees were first requested to present themselves at the Jewish school on Kleine Sperlgasse 2, which served as the assembly point (Sammellager). In many cases the Jews were brought to the assembly point by SS men, or by groups of “wardens”; these were Jews, who were forced by the SS to assist in the deportation process. The very appearance of these Jewish wardens would strike terror in the community as it signaled imminent deportation. At the command of the SS, the Jewish wardens would block off streets - mostly at night – inhabited by Jews. They would then force their way into the homes of those Jews whose names were on the deportation list and ensure that that were ready to leave. Where necessary, the Jewish wardens would help the deportees pack their personal effects. In cases where potential deportees were not at home, the Jewish wardens were in serious danger of being included in the transport themselves, to replace them. On arrival at the school grounds, Jewish deportees had to hand over the keys to their homes....