1944 April 4 - 7
The day following Naftali's arrest he was deported on Transport XXIV from Kaserne Dossin (Malines-Mechelen),Camp,Belgium to Auschwitz Birkenau,Extermination Camp,Poland.
Naftali is prisoner number 330.
Note for reference later that his date of birth is given accurately as 15th July 1900.
The document on the right is a carbon double of the original list of the transport from the SS-Sammellager Mechelin (Dossin barracks) to Auschwitz-Birkenau, Buchenwald, Ravensbrück, Vittel and Bergen-Belsen.
1942 Courtyard of Kazerne Dossin. People waiting for deportation. Photo from wikimedia
In total there were 28 deportation convoys of Jews from Belgium . Wikipedia |
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1944 Apri 7 Arrival at Auschwitz:
The 24th RHSA (The Reich Main Security Office / Reichssicherheitshauptamt) transport was brought from Malines camp in Belgium with 626 Jews.
Upon arrival a selection took place.
206 men and 146 women were selected for labour and were tattooed with the serial numbers 179710-179915 and 76601-76746, respectively.
The other deportees including children were murdered in the gas chambers upon arrival.
Source: Yad Vashem
Naftali's arm was tattooed with the number 179852
(Document Right)
Copy of 1.1.2.1 / 519283 - ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives
Registry of numbers for CC Auschwitz prisoners without names (postwar collection) |
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1944 April 8 Auschwitz X Ray book cover
Copy of 1.1.2.1 / 510298 - ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives |
Book of X-ray results of the prisoners' infirmary of CC
Naftali Rosenblum - Prisoner number 179852 |
1944 July 1 Auschwitz
Lists of laboratory examinations of the "SS-Hygiene-Institut Auschwitz"
KL AU 1 Auschwitz 1 (Main Camp)
Anbei stuhl, urin und sputum zur untersuchung von häftlingen die in Kommando Haftlingschneiderei eingesetzt sind
Stool, urine and sputum to investigate detainees deployed in Prisoner Tailoring (?) Command
An die Hyg. bakt. Unters -Stelle de Waffen SS Südost:
To the .... Waffen SS Southeast
Naftali No. 214 on the list
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Copy of 1.1.2.1 / 554000 ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives
Lists of laboratory examinations of the "SS-Hygiene-Institut Auschwitz
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1944 October 19 Auschwitz
Lfd.Nr. 137
Laufende Nummer: -Cumulative number
(literally: “running number”)
Rosenbaum N - Error in spelling
Prisoner number 179852 receives a bonus of 2 RM (Reich Marks)
A small commando of Schneiderei (Tailors) worked in block 27 in the Auschwitz I camp.
Prisoners there repaired worn-out striped clothing. Bonus vouchers were to be issued to prisoners with particularly high labor productivity, they were most often amounts in the range of 0.5 to 2 German marks per prisoner for two weeks, professionals received a little more, vorarbeiters 3 - 4 marks, capos - 4-8 marks.
It was a kind of "incentive system" which did not bring any results, because the prisoners could not buy anything with these coupons, except for pickled snails, mineral water, etc. in the camp canteen.
Source: Auschwitz Museum Research Centre
This was the last record on file of Naftali's time at Auschwitz.
At some point between this date and February 1945 Naftali is moved to the Gross Rosen Camp and then onto Buchenwald, during the time of the Death Marches.
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Copy of 1.1.2.1 / 511498 in conformity with ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives
Lists of bonus payments of CC Auschwitz |
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DEATH MARCHES
This was the forced evacuations on foot of concentration and slave labor camps in the winter of 1944–45. With the onset of winter and Allied armies closing in on the Nazi concentration camps – the Soviets from the East and the British and Americans from the West – desperate SS officials attempted to evacuate the camps to remove the eyewitnesses and to conceal the crimes . Prisoners were moved westward in the dead of winter, forced to march toward the heartland of Germany, where their presence would be less incriminating.
On January 18, 1945, just days before the Red Army arrived at Auschwitz, 66,000 prisoners were marched to Wodzislaw, where they were put on freight trains to the Gross-Rosen, *Buchenwald , *Dachau , and *Mauthausen concentration camps. Almost one in four died en route.
Source: Encyclopedia Judaica
The Gross-Rosen concentration camp (Rogo?nica in Polish) was situated approximately 60 kilometres south- west of Wroc?aw.
The Nazis began to close Gross-Rosen and its "subcamps“ at the end of January 1945. The prisoners in the male satellite camps on the eastern bank of the Odra were moved to the main camp, while the female prisoners were made to set out on death marches, mostly to camps deep inside the Reich. Many prisoners died or were killed on the marches, and the fate of several marches remains unknown.
The evacuation of the other branches and the main Gross-Rosen camp took place at the beginning of February 1945. Some Jews (especially women) were transported to Bergen-Belsen, others to Buchenwald, Dachau, Flossenbürg, Mauthausen and Mittelbau.
Source: holocaust.cz |
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1945 February 11 Transport from Gross Rosen to Buchenwald |
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Copy of 1.1.5.1 / 5286526 - ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives
Lists of transport from CC Gross-Rosen to CC Buchenwald I - II - arrivals (men) |
Politische Abteilung - Political Department
Neuzugänge - New arrivals - from 11th February 1945 from Gross Rosen
Politische Franzosen - Political French |
Naftali is listed under Political Belgian Jew List number 360.
New Prisoner number 128788 Rosenblum Naftali .
Date of birth: 15.7.06 Brussels
Occupation:
Schneider (Tailor)
Auschwitz number 179852 |
It is reasonable to assume that the new year of birth was first changed & recorded at some point on his arrival at Auschwitz.
Why ?
Some inmates from the Kanada Kommando who were on the ramp to collect the abandoned possessions of the new arrivals managed to pass some advice to help people survive initial selection. Act strong and healthy, claim to be between sixteen and forty years old, hand young children to elderly relatives. Some survived selection and ultimately the camps because of this simple advice.
Source: Quora - but as yet not confirmed elsewhere.
1945 February 13 Gross Rosen was liberated by the Russian Army. |
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Buchenwald |
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Copy of 1.1.5.1 / 5271428 - ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives
Internment book (numbers) of Concentration Camp Buchenwald (men).
Naftali, right hand page second line. |
Häftlings-Personal-Karte, or prisoner “personal” cards issued to prisoners upon arrival |
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Halftl. Pers. Karte |
Envelope created by the ITS (International Tracing Service) archive after 1962 for collecting individual documents – such as cards and forms – that were issued for a single person in the concentration camps.
Halftl. Pers. Karte - 2
Häftlingspersonalkarte - prisoner registration card
Schreibst. Kart - 1
Registry Office Card. Prisoner registration card from a concentration camp’s registry office or an annex camp’s administration office)
Revierkarte- 1
Prisoner Clinic Card
Arbeitskarte - 1
Work card, labor record
Nummernkarte - 1
Number card used to cross reference prisoner number to name and other details of a prisoner
Todesmeldung - 1
Death Report
Documents - 7
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Transferred to Buchenwald: 10th February 1945
Date of birth: False year given (probably initiated at Auschwitz) as a means of improving chances of not being selected for the gas chambers. But he kept the correct day and month.
Address: Gauchin 73 (?) The closest to this spelling is their address from before the war at Gaucheret 73
Kirta ?: Naftali's wife was given the name Kurtla at birth and this is the name on the marriage certificate. Although born in Warsaw the birth certificate says Chmielnik, the town where her parents were born.
Possible causes of errors in the details:
Often the cards were written by someone of a different nationality and therefore spelling and other errors wold accumulate. The other reason would be the prisoner giving sufficient mis-information so that any attempt to trace their family would be severely hindered.
Date of Death: 16th March 1945
Note from the Arlosen Archive Inquiry Team on the cause of death
It is noted - cause of death "heart failure in bronchitis and influenza " We would like to note that the actual cause of death was often concealed and a "neutral“"cause of death was registered.
One reason for this was that the surviving relatives and the population were unable to draw any direct conclusions about the conditions in the concentration camps (inadequate food, hygiene,heavy labour, etc. ) and about the systematic killing of prisoners |
Arbeitskarte -- Work card, labor record
Erlernter Beruf - trained profession or occupation
Schneider - Tailor |
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Arbeitseinsatzkarten - Labour Assignment Card
| Created in Buchenwald concentration camp. They were used to manage the labor details to which prisoners were assigned and/or in which sub-camps they were forced to work. |
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Schreibst. Kart - Registry Office Card
Prisoner description: Political, Belgium & Jewish.
Tailor
Departed Gross Rosen 11th February 1945
Died 17th March 1945 |
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Revierkarte - Prisoner Clinic Card
Revieraufnahme - admittance to clinic
Einlieferungsbuch -register of incoming prisoners - March 2nd
Besondere Vorkommnisse - special occurrences or events
March 16 at 14.30
Herzschwäche & Bronchitis - Heart Weakness & Bronchitis
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Nummernkarte
Number card for male prisoners of CC Buchenwald |
Totenmeldung - Death Report
Room 61 in Block 57
On the 16th March 1945 at 14:30 Naftali Rosenblum died.
Admitted into Kr. building (?) on March 2nd 1945.
Diagnosis: Weak heart, bronchitis, flu.
Naftali was placed in block 57 which was a quarantine block, which indicated that he had a contageous disease. Due to the long march from Auschwitz in the middle winter he was probably in a weakened state and contracted typhus. |
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Page 1
Copy of 1.1.5.1 / 5284536 - ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives11
Reports detailing changes concerning prisoners in Concentration Camp Buchenwald (men)
1945 February 24 Buchenwald
Nachtrag - supplement to a name list or other register
Veränderungsmeldung- change / status report (e.g. daily or other periodic concentration camp reports listing names and tallies for new prisoner arrivals, transfers, departures, releases, deaths, etc.)
Neuzug. (Neuzugang or Neuzugänge) new arrivals (e.g. in a concentration camp) from K.L Gross Rosen
Namentliche Aufstellung der - 3512- Neuzugänge vom 10.2 und der -833-Neuzugange vom 11.2 vom K.L Gross Rosen
Name list of - 3512- new entries from February 10th and -833-new entry from February 11th from K.L Gross Rosen
Die Neuzugänge sind im kleines Lager untergebracht
The new arrivals are housed in the small camp
Die freigegebenen Nummern werden nach klärung ereinzt (?)
The released numbers will be answered after clarification (?) |
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Page 2
Naftali is listed in the second column number 128788
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Copy of 1.1.5.1 / 5339659 - ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives
Lists and registers of admissions and releases in the prisoners' infirmary ward.
1945 March 2
Häftlingskrankenbau - prisoner hospital or clinic
Aufnamen - arrivals
Block 57
128788 Rosenblum Naftali
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Copy of 1.1.5.1 / 5339756 - ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives
Lists and registers of admissions and releases in the prisoners' infirmary ward
1945 March 18
Arbeitsstatistik - labor statistics
Tote - dead
Naftali's entry under the dead is in the right hand column under number 128788 |
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Copy of 1.1.5.1 / 5284717 - ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives15
Reports detailing changes concerning prisoners in Concentration Camp Buchenwald (men) |
Copy of 1.1.5.1 / 5284720 - TS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives16
Reports detailing changes concerning prisoners in Concentration Camp Buchenwald (men) |
1945 March 17 Buchenwald - Schreibstube registry office, records office
Veränderungsmeldung
change report, status report e.g. daily or other periodic concentration camp reports listing names and tallies for new prisoner
arrivals, transfers, departures, releases, deaths, etc.
Stärke strength (e.g. number of prisoners) for the evening of March 16th 1945
Abgang Departed . The + symbol recording of death (?) on March 16
Naftali Rosenblum listed under the section on page 2 under Political & Jewish, Number 128788 LII
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Copy of 1.1.5.1 / 5350227 - ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 30
Lists of deceased prisoners, Belgian and Yugoslav |
Copy of 1.1.5.1 / 5392608 - ITS Digital Archive, Arolsen Archives 29
Register of prisoner numbers of CC Buchenwald |
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Kleines Lager - Small Camp - Hut 57 where Naftali spent his final days |
1945 April 11 at 3:15 p.m Buchenwald was liberated.
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Questions and Answers from the Arlosen Archives Team
Why are there differences in the spelling and personal details on the documents for one and the same person?
In only very few cases the persecutees did record the information in the documents themselves. Almost all the documents that were drawn up during World War II in the concentration camps, from the German authorities, or the representatives of the occupation administrations are based on oral statements or hand-written copies of other documents. This is how, due to the specific language and writing abilities of any particular clerk, the immense variety in notation came about.
In some cases, however, the persecutees themselves provided differing versions of their names or birthdates. The reasons for this vary and depend on the place and time they were made. Thus an assumed identity or the date of birth could be decisive for survival.
How reliable is the information given in the documents, i.e. regarding the date of death and manner of death in the concentration camps?
Because most of the documents were created on the basis of oral statements and hand written copies, there may be, besides variations in spelling, other inaccurate details and information fixed in the documents. In some cases this is intended, in others this has happened as a result of incorrect data and templates. The documents from the concentration camps are a special case in this respect. The details provided on the time of death and the circumstances surrounding the death should generally be understood with some caution.
On the one hand the SS attempted to disguise their crimes by providing standardized types of death, often given hundreds and thousands of times, as though taken from a special guideline. The catastrophic living conditions in the concentration camps, often leading to death from starvation, illness, forced labor or the horrific hygienic conditions, were not to appear in the documents.
On the causes of death
In our documents of the Buchenwald concentration camp it is noted cause of death: „heart failure in bronchitis and influenza " We would like to note that the actual cause of death was often concealed and a „neutral“ cause of death was registered. One reason for this was that the surviving relatives and the population were unable to draw any directconclusions about the conditions in the concentration camps (inadequate food, hygiene,heavy labour, etc. ) and about the systematic killing of prisoners. |
Sources and References
Dossin Kasserin - Naftali
Yad Vashem: Naftali Rozenblum
Yad Vashem - Transport Route from Mechelin (Belgium) to Auschwitz
Association Française Buchenwald Dora et Kommandos
Arolsen-archives.org
Collections.arolsen-archives.org Database Search
Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Centre Glossary |
