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From: "Nancy Fredenberg" <>
Subject: [DVHH] Russian Labor Camps
Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:33:31 -0400
References: <BAY105-W29ECC7DDDF233DADFC996880F90@phx.gbl>


Dear Hans, Alex & Katherine,

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us, which I'm sure is a mixed
bag of pain and healing.

These chilling stories are disturbing and provoking, as they should be and
they must continue to be told.

Nancy


----- Original Message -----
From: "Hans Kopp" <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 9:01 AM
Subject: Re: [DVHH] DONAUSCHWABEN-VILLAGES Digest, Vol 2, Issue 284



Time heals.

Us survivor of the post war Genocide are making the best of our lives and we
can not be angry all the time it would make us miserable. However, we should
not
Forget we must let our children know that we were dealt the worst hand in
the deck of
cards of WWII.

It was not our doing and we can not be blamed. However, we should
not forgive either, at least I will not forgive, for what inhumae treatment
many of
our people had to suffer through and thousands of them had to die. I am a
witness
I have seen many sufferings and many die a cruel death. I have been there I
did survive
and I am compelled to tell the story for you to know.

It is nice to hear other stories

Best regards
Hans Kopp
From: :
DONAUSCHWABEN-VILLAGES Digest, Vol 2, Issue 284To:
: Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:04:17 -0600
--Forwarded Message Attachment--From: :
: Mon, 16 Jul 2007
11:32:24 -0400Subject: [DVHH] 1945 Schlepping to RussiaFor those of you who
have not read documentation of the herding of the Donauschwaben to Russia in
1945, please go to the semlak site at: www.dvhh.org/semlak where the journal
of a young man tells the story of his being taken in cattle cars to Russia
to work in the coal mines; there is also another document of the
remembrances of another fellow who survived the ordeal. Three of my cousins
who still live and are in their 80s lived through the five years of slave
labor. What is remarkable is that they are not filled with hatred or
anger--rather, they are sweet old women who enjoy the life they now have. On
the site there are also some pictures of women in the their coveralls worn
in the camps. Rose Mary
--Forwarded Message Attachment--From: :
: Mon, 16 Jul 2007
12:13:23 -0400Subject: Re: [DVHH] DONAUSCHWABEN-VILLAGES Digest, Vol 2,
Issue 283 Thanks for your responce and contribution. For the first time,
Archive documents were released on 28, March 1994,It was the first time for
Vojvodina, 22 labor camps were released, with 96,769 persons involved.
Included were 24,403, children, 19,953 persons over the age of 65, and
52,413, working persons. The Belgrade Newspaper "Politika" reported the
Russians deported 3,121, persons, mainly women, to Siberia, in late 1944.
The deportation began on 25, 1944, and lasted until the beginning of 1945.
Deported were the men between the ages of 17 and 45, the women from 18 and
40. Partisans Commandos did the operations. I am not certain where the Serbs
did get their information, I have no time to check it out now for
verification, however in Genocide Pages 163-166 of the English edition
published in Munich ISBN 3-926276-17-9 or Genocide published in the USA (you
might be able to purchase in Mansfield) as well as in my Book you will find
all the statistics.We do know it was at least 70,000 of our men and women
deported to Russia. We also know that the total casualties of all
Donauschwaben in Yugoslavia are listed as 85,399. These are only the persons
which could be documented. There was more which could not be documented. The
"Politika" talks about 22 working camps but does not mention the death
camps, we can compare with such camps as Auschwitz, Mauthausen or Dachau.
Seven of such camps did exist and I am a survivor of one of them. Hope to
see you in Mansfield and discuss some of our intrests Gruss Hans KoppFrom:
: DONAUSCHWABEN-VILLAGES
Digest, Vol 2, Issue 283To: : Mon, 16
Jul 2007 01:03:38 -0600--Forwarded Message Attachment--From:
: : Sun, 15 Jul
2007 16:11:01 -0600Subject: [DVHH] Siberia. Hello Hans, Yes, you are
correct, some of our people were forced to go the Siberia. Since I'm not
from the formerly Yugoslavia, - some of you probable Know already some of
the information. Friends who experienced the ordeal gave some of the
information to me. 'Franz Kumher,"(form. Yugoslavia) in one of his article
describes the Donauschwaben suffering in 1945. For the first time, Archive
documents were released on 28, March 1994, It was the first time for
Wojwodina, 22 labour camps were released, with 96,769 persons involved.
Included were 24,403, children, 19,953 persons over the age of 65, and
52,413, working persons. The Belgrade Newspaper "Politika" reported, the
Russians deported 3,121, persons, mainly women, to Siberia, in late 1944.
The deportation began on 25, 1944, and lasted until the beginning of 1945.
Deported were the men between the ages of 17 and 45, the women from 18 and
40. Partisans Commandos did the operations. The transport trains in the
Batschka, originated in Sombor; Apatin; Kula; Hodschag; and Neusatz. In the
Serbian-Banat, in Gross-Kikinda; Grossbetschkerek and Werschetz. They were
transported by freight trains, Between 35-40, persons per freight car. Up to
50, freight trains, with Donauschwaben left the Batschka and Banat, under
the supervision of the Russian Army. Their route was, travelled through
Belgrade, (form. Yugoslavia), up North to Romania, through Temeswar, then to
Iasi, Account, the rail track in the Soviet Union, are wider than some
countries in Europe, the Donauschwabens people had to transfer to the
Russian trains. While doing the transferring, they were stoned by standard.
(Note: - some Romanian Donauschwaben, were standing on the platform at
railroad station in Temeswar, waiting for their train to take them to their
villages. While waiting for their train to arrive, - a foreign train pulled
into the Temeswar station, in the front of the engine, a sign read,
'RUSSIA." As the train pulled into the station in Temeswar, some women with
their head through the windows and said. In a dialect "Pass uf, ir kommt aa
tron," (Look out, your turn is coming). - 'Sii hole uns uf Siberien," (They
are taking us to Siberia) In Romanian Banat, that was our first notice,
what to expect in the future. On January 14, 1945, it did happen.) There
were 208 labours camps throughout Russia and Siberia. The main labour camp
in Siberia was at Cerepovece. One in the Volga; in the 'Ural," there 8;
Kaukasus 2; 198, in the Ukraine. Some of the work performed was; -
construction, factory, farming, most of the coal mines were in the Ukraine.
Between 16 and 20 percent of the Donauschwaben died in Russia, from
starvation, illness, etc.. In 1946, a train full with very sick people were
transported through Romania. They were held at the Romanian, Hungarian and
Yugoslavia, for over six weeks, because Yugoslavia did not let them re enter
Yugoslavia, (too ill), Finally, Hungary, took them and transported them
direct to Austria. Of course, some of you might have different information
or different stories. The previous pictures shown, might've been of
Donauschwaben women in Siberia. On the other hand, we have to remember,
German people also from Southern German, Alsace-Lorraine, Pfalz, etc.
settled in Russia, in the early 1800th, most of them became farmers in the
Ukraine area. After Hitler declared War on Russia, some of the German
people living in the Ukraine, were transported to the Siberia, Kasastan, and
other places in Russia. People like Mr. Adam Mueller's family. who were
transported from places to places. Those pictures are shown in the
German-Russia, history. Yes you may use the pictures.. In the picture
below, is an oil painting sketch, by Juliana Rausch; "Verschleppten
Volksdeutdschen Frauen aus Banat, Rumänien, reinigen Tunellen in Russland,
Lager Makeieka, 1945-1950. (Deported Donauschwaben women from Banat,
Romania, cleaning a tunnel in Russia 1945-1950) (my mother was only 5'11" on
her toes, she worked in the coal mine doing the same job.)
http://www.rootsweb.com/~romban/coalmine.jpg Alex.www.dvhh.org/
www.knees-im-banat.de --Forwarded Message Attachment--From:
: : Sun, 15
Jul 2007 19:21:42 -0400Subject: Re: [DVHH] Siberia - Deportation to the
USSRThanks, Alex, for a comprehensive review of this sad chapter. I
translated a personalized report on the deportation from the
(Romanian)Banat, including the repatriation, and extracts from a series of
letters. I will forward it all to Jody (and the editorial committee) as soon
as sheis able to publish again. Best regards,Nick -----Original
Message-----From:
[mailto:]
On Behalf Of ajleebSent: 15-Jul-07 6:11 PMTo: DVHH-LSubject: [DVHH] Siberia.
Hello Hans, Yes, you are correct, some of our people were forced to go the
Siberia. Since I'm not from the formerly Yugoslavia, - some of you probable
Know already some of the information. Friends who experienced the ordealgave
some of the information to me. 'Franz Kumher,"(form. Yugoslavia) in one of
his article describes theDonauschwaben suffering in 1945. For the first
time, Archive documents were released on 28, March 1994, It was the first
time for Wojwodina, 22 labour camps were released, with 96,769 persons
involved. Included were 24,403, children, 19,953 persons overthe age of 65,
and 52,413, working persons. The Belgrade Newspaper"Politika" reported, the
Russians deported 3,121, persons, mainly women, toSiberia, in late 1944.
The deportation began on 25, 1944, and lasted until the beginning of
1945.Deported were the men between the ages of 17 and 45, the women from 18
and40. Partisans Commandos did the operations. The transport trains in the
Batschka, originated in Sombor; Apatin; Kula; Hodschag; and Neusatz. In the
Serbian-Banat, in Gross-Kikinda; Grossbetschkerek and Werschetz. They were
transported by freight trains, Between 35-40, persons per freightcar. Up to
50, freight trains, with Donauschwaben left the Batschka andBanat, under the
supervision of the Russian Army. Their route was, travelledthrough Belgrade,
(form. Yugoslavia), up North to Romania, through Temeswar,then to Iasi,
Account, the rail track in the Soviet Union, are wider thansome countries in
Europe, the Donauschwabens people had to transfer to theRussian trains.
While doing the transferring, they were stoned by standard. (Note: - some
Romanian Donauschwaben, were standing on the platform atrailroad station in
Temeswar, waiting for their train to take them to theirvillages. While
waiting for their train to arrive, - a foreign train pulledinto the Temeswar
station, in the front of the engine, a sign read,'RUSSIA." As the train
pulled into the station in Temeswar, some women withtheir head through the
windows and said. In a dialect "Pass uf, ir kommt aatron," (Look out, your
turn is coming). - 'Sii hole uns uf Siberien," (Theyare taking us to
Siberia) In Romanian Banat, that was our first notice, what to expect in
the future. On January 14, 1945, it did happen.) There were 208 labours
camps throughout Russia and Siberia. The main labourcamp in Siberia was at
Cerepovece. One in the Volga; in the 'Ural," there 8;Kaukasus 2; 198, in
the Ukraine. Some of the work performed was; -construction, factory,
farming, most of the coal mines were in the Ukraine. Between 16 and 20
percent of the Donauschwaben died in Russia, fromstarvation, illness, etc..
In 1946, a train full with very sick people were transported throughRomania.
They were held at the Romanian, Hungarian and Yugoslavia, for oversix weeks,
because Yugoslavia did not let them re enter Yugoslavia, (tooill), Finally,
Hungary, took them and transported them direct to Austria. Of course, some
of you might have different information or differentstories. The previous
pictures shown, might've been of Donauschwaben women inSiberia. On the
other hand, we have to remember, German people also fromSouthern German,
Alsace-Lorraine, Pfalz, etc. settled in Russia, in theearly 1800th, most of
them became farmers in the Ukraine area. After Hitler declared War on
Russia, some of the German people living in theUkraine, were transported to
the Siberia, Kasastan, and other places inRussia. People like Mr. Adam
Mueller's family. who were transported fromplaces to places. Those pictures
are shown in the German-Russia, history. Yes you may use thepictures.. In
the picture below, is an oil painting sketch, by Juliana
Rausch;"Verschleppten Volksdeutdschen Frauen aus Banat, Rumänien, reinigen
Tunellenin Russland, Lager Makeieka, 1945-1950. (Deported Donauschwaben
women fromBanat, Romania, cleaning a tunnel in Russia 1945-1950) (my mother
was only5'11" on her toes, she worked in the coal mine doing the same job.)
http://www.rootsweb.com/~romban/coalmine.jpg Alex.www.dvhh.org/
www.knees-im-banat.de *****"Reply-All" to the DVHH list and give a thank
you to the one who providedinformation for you. The acknowledgement is
appreciated and offers hope toothers who are searching for clues to the
lives of their ancestors. -------------------------------To unsubscribe from
the list, please send an email
with the word 'unsubscribe'without the quotes in the subject and the body of
the message --Forwarded Message Attachment--From: :
: Sun, 15 Jul 2007
20:16:08 -0700Subject: [DVHH] Russian Labor CampsHi: In response to Alex
Leeb's account of Donauschwabian men and women being transported to Russian
Labor CAmps, I would like to add that in Gakowa, on December 28, 1945 over
100 men and women were taken to Sombor and from there transported to the
Ukraine via railroad cars. My seventeen year old cousin, Tobias Brandt,
was among them. He is still alive and often talks about his journey and the
work he did there. I am trying to keep a journal from his information so
that one day his grandchildren will know what happened to him. He told
us that it took three weeks to get to the Ukraine in a crowded train,
without any toilet facilities, heat or food. Luckily some of the people had
brought food and shared with him. There is a book called "Allein die
Hoffnung hielt uns am Leben" by Hedwig Stieber-Ackermann. It is in German
published by Farca Verlag ISBN 3-9803759-2-7. I have read it several times.
It is very good. Katherine Flotz, Author A Pebble in my Shoe
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*****
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