Murder Story of Alchin Jews at a Clay Pit in the Alchin Area

Please tell us what the Germans did to the Jews of your village? - They shot them. Six people. - Five. My grandfather said that. - I think it was six. There was a boy who studied with me… - Do you remember his name? - No, I forgot. I forgot a lot. A little girl – 6 or 7 years old - lived with her grandmother in this house. They didn’t leave. The whole family of the boy who studied with me were killed: his parents, his sister, and he himself. Six people altogether. - Yes, with the little one it was six people. Do you remember it, the day when they shot these people? - Of course. - Do you remember if it happened in the morning, during the daytime, or at night? - They took them away during the day. - When was it, what year? - I don’t remember. The year when other people left. Maybe 1942. - What was the weather like? What time of the year? - Maybe summer. It was warm. - But could it have been in the fall perhaps? - Maybe. I don’t remember. - What were the people wearing? - Whatever they had on… - Coats? - No. - Short sleeves? - I don’t remember. - What happened exactly? - I was 15 years old so I was taken to [dig] trenches, German trenches. So I know how people were shot there. They were coming from the RPO [English initials]… - Just what was the RPC? - The Regional Procurement Office. - Yes and its entrance was next to the gas station. - So you were taken there to dig trenches? - Yes. - On that day? - No. On that day people from the city were brought to be shot. We had to bury them. They [the Germans] were shouting and throwing earth at us [presumably to make us work faster], and we were only four people… Were you in this village? - Yes. - We want to know how the [local non-Jewish] people behaved here. - Well… everyone was afraid and did not speak up. Of course, we pitied the people [Jews], but they didn’t even let us get close to the pit. - Who didn’t let you? - The Germans. - Were there also local collaborators? - No. - How were they [the victims] taken to their execution? Were they rounded up first? What do you remember? - I saw them. - Where were you standing? - I saw our neighbors taken out. - Where did you live? - Here. - Was there a printed order? - They [the Germans] said how many people [should be taken away] … they knew everything: who had left and who had stayed. - Did you see how they took the people away? - Of course. - Did they walk along this street? - Yes, I think so. They were marched toward the pit. We were all afraid to go outside. They warned us with submachine-gun fire to stay inside. We just tried to get a glimpse [of what was going on]. - How many people were taking them? - I don’t remember. I know that six people were shot. - Did they know where they were being taken? - Yes. One woman, the boy’s mother, had a heart attack when she was standing next to the pit. Someone told me this. - But you didn’t see the shooting yourself… - No. - Did you hear it? - Of course. - Who was doing the shooting? - The Germans.... Do you remember it, the day when they shot these people? - Of course. - Do you remember if it happened in the morning, during the daytime, or at night? - They took them away during the day. - When was it, what year? - I don’t remember. The year when other people left. Maybe 1942. - What was the weather like? What time of the year? - Maybe summer. It was warm. - But could it have been in the fall perhaps? - Maybe. I don’t remember. - What were the people wearing? - Whatever they had on… - Coats? - No. - Short sleeves? - I don’t remember. - What happened exactly? - I was 15 years old so I was taken to [dig] trenches, German trenches. So I know how people were shot there. They were coming from the RPO [English initials]… - Just what was the RPC? - The Regional Procurement Office. - Yes and its entrance was next to the gas station. - So you were taken there to dig trenches? - Yes. - On that day? - No. On that day people from the city were brought to be shot. We had to bury them. They [the Germans] were shouting and throwing earth at us [presumably to make us work faster], and we were only four people… Were you in this village? - Yes. - We want to know how the [local non-Jewish] people behaved here. - Well… everyone was afraid and did not speak up. Of course, we pitied the people [Jews], but they didn’t even let us get close to the pit. - Who didn’t let you? - The Germans. - Were there also local collaborators? - No. - How were they [the victims] taken to their execution? Were they rounded up first? What do you remember? - I saw them. - Where were you standing? - I saw our neighbors taken out. - Where did you live? - Here. - Was there a printed order? - They [the Germans] said how many people [should be taken away] … they knew everything: who had left and who had stayed. - Did you see how they took the people away? - Of course. - Did they walk along this street? - Yes, I think so. They were marched toward the pit. We were all afraid to go outside. They warned us with submachine-gun fire to stay inside. We just tried to get a glimpse [of what was going on]. - How many people were taking them? - I don’t remember. I know that six people were shot. - Did they know where they were being taken? - Yes. One woman, the boy’s mother, had a heart attack when she was standing next to the pit. Someone told me this. - But you didn’t see the shooting yourself… - No. - Did you hear it? - Of course. - Who was doing the shooting? - The Germans.