BERTA
Has written her greetings in Polish.
CESIA
Has written her greetings in Polish.
EVA
Has written her greetings in French.
Added “Pany” beside her signature (could be her last name).
FELA
Has written her greetings in Polish.
GIZA
Has written her greetings in Polish.
GÛSIA or GUTA
Has written her greetings in Polish,
along with Tonia (see below).
HANKA (OR HALINKA)
Has written her greetings in Polish.
HANKA W.
Has written her greetings in Polish.
HÉLÈNE
Has written her greetings in French.
Added “Lena” below her signature.
IRENA
Has written her greetings in Polish.
Could be from Warsaw and a young woman: was worrying for her boyfriend.
MALA
Has written her greetings in Polish.
MANIA
Has written her greetings in Polish.
Added "Mira" or "Mina"
NZ or NM
Has written her greetings in Hebrew.
We know that one of them was a Palestinian who got arrested while travelling to France. It might be her. Could also be a Greek Jew.
RACHELA
Has written her greetings in Polish.
RUTH
Has written her greetings in German.
Was a German Jew.
TANIA or TONIA
Has written her greetings in Polish,
along with Guta or Gûsia.
The following ones have already been retraced:
Bronia Farber (nee Shiner)
Mina Goldberg
Zlatka Pitluk (nee Sznajderhaus)
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Those 19 girls were united in a work team at the Union Metalwerke factory, located near Auschwitz main camp (Auschwitz I). This factory became operational October 1st, 1943. It was supposed to be run by Krupp, but was finally given to Weichsel Union Metalwerke, a privately-owned German company. It produced detonators and ammunitions. Its workers were Auschwitz inmates who were rented by the SS to the factory. It "employed" roughly 1,000 women and an unknown number of men, working in a separate area.
Most female workers of "the Union" (as it came to be known among the camp) were first registered in Birkenau upon their arrival and selection for work. In some cases, they first worked in various kommandos and were later picked up to work at the Union. Others were selected right away after quarantine for the Union kommando.
From October 1st, 1943 to October 1st, 1944, they stayed officially registered with Birkenau camp, where they had to get back to sleep after their shift. This meant a few kilometers walk each day. For unkown reasons, the SS decided to transfer them to a new barrack that had been built nearer the factory. The transfer was official October 1st, 1944, when they were all registered anew, this time with Auschwitz I camp, and taken to those new barracks.
About the women we are looking for, we know that at some point, in December 1944, they were working together at quality control of the ammunitions produced in the factory. They spent their shift around a big table, in a team of approximately twenty women.
The particulars of the Union have scarcely been studied, except for one exceptional book by US historian Lore Shelley. Some of its workers became famous in relation with the Sonderkommandos uprising, in October 1944. Three girls from the factory had been smuggling gunpowder in support to that projected rebellion. As the uprising actors were captured, those girls' names were extorted and they ended up being hanged in December 1944 or January 1945, to the horror of their workmates.
On January 18th, 1945, the Union female workers were evacuated from Auschwitz with the Death March, along with mostly all valid prisoners. After a few days of walking, they were taken by train to Ravensbrück camp, where they were expected to fill up work posts in other war factories. They arrived in Ravensbrück at the end of January or the beginning of February, 1945.
In the confusion of evacuation, far too much women were transferred to Ravensbrück from various other camps. The place got severely overcrowded. The inmates were submitted to Appels, which means that there is a sad possibility that some of the ones we are looking for were gassed upon their arrival, or shortly afterwards. Within the following weeks, most of the former Union female workers were transferred to Ravensbrück subcamps such as Malchöw or Neustadt-Glewe. Many of them were still detained in those subcamps when they were liberated in April, 1945.
In the 1990s, a legal suit was filed against Germany by a Union former workers committee, led by Mrs. Lidia Vago (who has provided unvaluable help to our researches). It achieved in securing a small indemnity for its members.
Those 19 girls were united in a work team at the Union Metalwerke factory, located near Auschwitz main camp (Auschwitz I). This factory became operational October 1st, 1943. It was supposed to be run by Krupp, but was finally given to Weichsel Union Metalwerke, a privately-owned German company. It produced detonators and ammunitions. Its workers were Auschwitz inmates who were rented by the SS to the factory. It "employed" roughly 1,000 women and an unknown number of men, working in a separate area.
Most female workers of "the Union" (as it came to be known among the camp) were first registered in Birkenau upon their arrival and selection for work. In some cases, they first worked in various kommandos and were later picked up to work at the Union. Others were selected right away after quarantine for the Union kommando.
From October 1st, 1943 to October 1st, 1944, they stayed officially registered with Birkenau camp, where they had to get back to sleep after their shift. This meant a few kilometers walk each day. For unkown reasons, the SS decided to transfer them to a new barrack that had been built nearer the factory. The transfer was official October 1st, 1944, when they were all registered anew, this time with Auschwitz I camp, and taken to those new barracks.
About the women we are looking for, we know that at some point, in December 1944, they were working together at quality control of the ammunitions produced in the factory. They spent their shift around a big table, in a team of approximately twenty women.
The particulars of the Union have scarcely been studied, except for one exceptional book by US historian Lore Shelley. Some of its workers became famous in relation with the Sonderkommandos uprising, in October 1944. Three girls from the factory had been smuggling gunpowder in support to that projected rebellion. As the uprising actors were captured, those girls' names were extorted and they ended up being hanged in December 1944 or January 1945, to the horror of their workmates.
On January 18th, 1945, the Union female workers were evacuated from Auschwitz with the Death March, along with mostly all valid prisoners. After a few days of walking, they were taken by train to Ravensbrück camp, where they were expected to fill up work posts in other war factories. They arrived in Ravensbrück at the end of January or the beginning of February, 1945.
In the confusion of evacuation, far too much women were transferred to Ravensbrück from various other camps. The place got severely overcrowded. The inmates were submitted to Appels, which means that there is a sad possibility that some of the ones we are looking for were gassed upon their arrival, or shortly afterwards. Within the following weeks, most of the former Union female workers were transferred to Ravensbrück subcamps such as Malchöw or Neustadt-Glewe. Many of them were still detained in those subcamps when they were liberated in April, 1945.
In the 1990s, a legal suit was filed against Germany by a Union former workers committee, led by Mrs. Lidia Vago (who has provided unvaluable help to our researches). It achieved in securing a small indemnity for its members.
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