- Title: Survivor recalls his time in former German Nazi death camp, Auschwitz
- Date: 26th January 2018
- Summary: PHOTOGRAPH OF PRISONERS AT CAMP
- Embargoed: 9th February 2018 11:07
- Keywords: Holocaust Memorial Day Auschwitz survivor former Nazi death camp
- Location: OSWIECIM, POLAND
- City: OSWIECIM, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA0027ZR046X
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Waclaw Dlugoborski was sent to the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Birkenau on August 28, 1943 from Warsaw. Days before the Holocaust Memorial Day on Saturday (January 27) he recalled the horrors of his time in the camp.
Dlugoborski worked at a joinery so when he heard he would be deported to the death camp he and his friends planned an escape, hiding carpentry tools in their trousers before they left.
In their train wagon, there were 30 other prisoners who did not realise they were going to certain death, they thought they were going to work in Germany's Third Reich and were opposed to the escape attempt.
The attempt was not successful and over 800 exhausted prisoners arrived at the death camp later that night. Dlugoborski showed Reuters the tattoo he was given upon arrival at the camp, the number 138871 which remains on his arm to this day.
Dlugoborski first worked constructing a road, carrying heavy stones for four kilometres. He then worked cleaning the canals. He said recalled that many people were dying of hunger.
When the 18-year-old Dlugoborski later started receiving parcels with food (only 1.5 kg per month) from his parents, they enabled him to survive but more importantly they enabled him to keep the bond with his family.
Finally, Dlugoborski began worked in the camp hospital as a paramedic. Work there was physically easier for him but he often say people die because of lack of medication, most sick patients were taken to the gas chambers.
A few prisoners and children who survived were transferred to the hospital in Birkenau from Auschwitz Camp where there was a special branch headed by Dr. Mengele called the "angel of death" carried out inhumane medical experiments.
Dlugoborski along with other colleagues managed to escape from the camp. They were sheltered by Polish two teenage girls in their basement. After two days the Nazi camp was liberated by the Red Army. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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