Steven Springfield
In 1941, Steven and his brothers were sent to a small ghetto in Riga. In 1943, he was deported to Kaiserwald camp and sent to a nearby work camp. In 1944, he was transferred to Stutthof and in an interview he recounted the conditions there.
Springfield said he was devastated because he knew how horrible the conditions were in Stutthof. There was no food, a lot of brutality and killings, and no escape. He and his family spent several weeks there. People were dying from hunger. Things got worse when Germany started losing the war. The officers took their anger out on the Jews. Springfield, his father, and his brother all volunteered for an opportunity to get away from Stutthof and help build German ships. His father had a limp and the officer would not let their father go with them. Springfield and his brother left Stutthof, and their father, behind (Steven Springfield).
In 1941, Steven and his brothers were sent to a small ghetto in Riga. In 1943, he was deported to Kaiserwald camp and sent to a nearby work camp. In 1944, he was transferred to Stutthof and in an interview he recounted the conditions there.
Springfield said he was devastated because he knew how horrible the conditions were in Stutthof. There was no food, a lot of brutality and killings, and no escape. He and his family spent several weeks there. People were dying from hunger. Things got worse when Germany started losing the war. The officers took their anger out on the Jews. Springfield, his father, and his brother all volunteered for an opportunity to get away from Stutthof and help build German ships. His father had a limp and the officer would not let their father go with them. Springfield and his brother left Stutthof, and their father, behind (Steven Springfield).
Judith Meisel
After her father's death, Meisel moved to Kovno. Shortly after they were sent to a ghetto, then deported to Stutthof. Meisel remembered the piles of shoes and glasses. She kept asking questions, and her mother told her to stop. Meisel remembered roll call, and how officer told them they would not get out alive. She was searched for gold, and she recalled how they pulled one woman's teeth out. She was given a shot which she later found out stopped her from getting her period.
Her mother died in the camp, and Meisel and her sister escaped a death march. They posed as non-Jews and found farm work. Their brother survived being imprisoned in Dachau (Judith Meisel).
After her father's death, Meisel moved to Kovno. Shortly after they were sent to a ghetto, then deported to Stutthof. Meisel remembered the piles of shoes and glasses. She kept asking questions, and her mother told her to stop. Meisel remembered roll call, and how officer told them they would not get out alive. She was searched for gold, and she recalled how they pulled one woman's teeth out. She was given a shot which she later found out stopped her from getting her period.
Her mother died in the camp, and Meisel and her sister escaped a death march. They posed as non-Jews and found farm work. Their brother survived being imprisoned in Dachau (Judith Meisel).
Vladislovas Telksnys
98-year old Vladislovas is the only living survivor of Stutthof today. He was arrested on April 27th 1943 by Germany's secret police along with 15 other people he worked with. He spent a full year at the camp, and when he returned home as a 29 year old man he weighed 83 pounds. When he discovered that the Gestapo took interest in him again, he changed his name so he could live peacefully with his family. It wasn't until three decades later that the Soviet found out his true identity.He described this camp as being stared at straight in the eye by death. "I went through hell..." Telskyns described. (Bulota, Sarunas).
98-year old Vladislovas is the only living survivor of Stutthof today. He was arrested on April 27th 1943 by Germany's secret police along with 15 other people he worked with. He spent a full year at the camp, and when he returned home as a 29 year old man he weighed 83 pounds. When he discovered that the Gestapo took interest in him again, he changed his name so he could live peacefully with his family. It wasn't until three decades later that the Soviet found out his true identity.He described this camp as being stared at straight in the eye by death. "I went through hell..." Telskyns described. (Bulota, Sarunas).
Henny Fletcher Aronsen
Aronsen and her family were forced to move into the Kovno ghetto in August 1941. She married in the ghetto in November of 1943 and her dowry was a pound of sugar. Some of her friends and family were deported before her, and she was eventually deported to Sutthof in 1944 after the ghetto was liquidated.
She recalled how when she got off the train, they were separated by sex. They were told they would meet up with the men later. Aronsen was with her sister-in-law and mother. They were piled in to open trucks and brought into Stutthof. Upon arrival, her belongings were immediately taken away. She and the other women were told to take off their clothes and stand in front of a table of German soldiers. "They are creatures from some other planet" (Henny Fletcher Aronsen). She said the men stared at them for a while, then they were told to shower and get their uniforms on.
Aronsen was placed in a forced-labor group. When the Soviets advanced, Aronsen was forced on a death march. She was liberated in 1945. She reconnected with her husband and moved to the United States (Henny Fletcher Aronsen).
Aronsen and her family were forced to move into the Kovno ghetto in August 1941. She married in the ghetto in November of 1943 and her dowry was a pound of sugar. Some of her friends and family were deported before her, and she was eventually deported to Sutthof in 1944 after the ghetto was liquidated.
She recalled how when she got off the train, they were separated by sex. They were told they would meet up with the men later. Aronsen was with her sister-in-law and mother. They were piled in to open trucks and brought into Stutthof. Upon arrival, her belongings were immediately taken away. She and the other women were told to take off their clothes and stand in front of a table of German soldiers. "They are creatures from some other planet" (Henny Fletcher Aronsen). She said the men stared at them for a while, then they were told to shower and get their uniforms on.
Aronsen was placed in a forced-labor group. When the Soviets advanced, Aronsen was forced on a death march. She was liberated in 1945. She reconnected with her husband and moved to the United States (Henny Fletcher Aronsen).
Dorotka (Dora) Goldstein Roth
Dora's family moved to Vilna, Lithuania after Germany invaded Poland in 1939. The German's then invaded Vilna, and her father was shot. She and her family were then confined to the Vilna Ghetto. Dora, her mother and sister were then deported to Kaiserwald camp, and then transferred to Stutthof.
While in Stutthof, all the women were punished when three women who escaped from camp. She didn't know how they escaped the electric wires around the camp which were always turned on. The rest of the women in the camp were forced to stand outside naked for 12 hours. They would pick four or five women and rape them with sticks in front of the rest. Her mother and sister died in the camp. Dora herself was shot right before the liberation, but she survived (Dora Goldstein Roth).
Dora's family moved to Vilna, Lithuania after Germany invaded Poland in 1939. The German's then invaded Vilna, and her father was shot. She and her family were then confined to the Vilna Ghetto. Dora, her mother and sister were then deported to Kaiserwald camp, and then transferred to Stutthof.
While in Stutthof, all the women were punished when three women who escaped from camp. She didn't know how they escaped the electric wires around the camp which were always turned on. The rest of the women in the camp were forced to stand outside naked for 12 hours. They would pick four or five women and rape them with sticks in front of the rest. Her mother and sister died in the camp. Dora herself was shot right before the liberation, but she survived (Dora Goldstein Roth).
Nesse Galperin Godin
Godin lived in Lithuania and when the Germans established a ghetto in Siauliai, she and her family were sent there. She lived in the ghetto until 1943 when she became old enough to work. In 1944, she, her mother, and one of her brothers were sent to Stutthof.
She worked in several subcamps until January of 1945, when she was put on a death march. She was liberated by the Soviets in March, and she described her liberation. She said she was 69 lbs when the Soviets finally came. Her face was swollen because she had been beaten up and she had frost bite from the march. She was wearing a dress and a blanket. Godin, her mother and two brothers all survived the war. She moved to the United States in 1950 (Nesse Galperin Godin).
Godin lived in Lithuania and when the Germans established a ghetto in Siauliai, she and her family were sent there. She lived in the ghetto until 1943 when she became old enough to work. In 1944, she, her mother, and one of her brothers were sent to Stutthof.
She worked in several subcamps until January of 1945, when she was put on a death march. She was liberated by the Soviets in March, and she described her liberation. She said she was 69 lbs when the Soviets finally came. Her face was swollen because she had been beaten up and she had frost bite from the march. She was wearing a dress and a blanket. Godin, her mother and two brothers all survived the war. She moved to the United States in 1950 (Nesse Galperin Godin).