Extra ration taken away

Work camp Gleiwitz, Camp for forced labor
1943

And they always called us ‘fat and lazy pigs’, and we were not allowed to talk back, but this time I was furious.

The prisoners had no rights that protected them against the violence used by the SS in the camp. Rules and prohibitions determined the order in the camp. Heavy punishments were given for the slightest transgression. Because of their weakened condition, many of the prisoners did not survive these punishments. Executions were often carried out on at roll call, in the presence of the other prisoners. The way in which the prisoners with a position (mostly Germans) handled their job was very important for daily life. Some used the opportunities of their job to help their fellow prisoners as much as possible, while others thought only of their own self-interest and acted as an extension of the SS.