Inside Westerbork the Jews themselves were responsible for the organization. Jews from Germany and Austria had the best jobs because they spoke German fluently and often had been in Westerbork for a long time. They were derisively called the “nobility of Westerbork.” Kurt Schlesinger was their chief and was contemptuously called the “mayor of Westerbork.” Dutch military police guarded Westerbork and there were 20 – 30 German SS men, and camp commander Gemmeker, who lived in a villa.