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The Death March to Volary

(Yad Vashem) On January 20, 1945, 1,000 female Jewish prisoners were evacuated from the Schlesiersee (today Slawa) camp in Upper Silesia, western Poland. They were forced on a death march in a southwesterly direction. On the way, the prisoners passed through other camps, and more women were added to the march. On May 5, 1945, after over 800 km., the march ended in the town of Volary in Czechoslovakia. 106 days of rigorous marching through snow. 106 days of gnawing hunger and sickness, humiliation and murder. The exhibition is based on testimonies of survivors and U.S. Army veterans, and documentation from the trial of death march commander Alois Dorr. Liberating U.S. serviceman and Jewish medical officer Maj. Aaron S. Cahan testified: "My first glance at these individuals was one of extreme shock, not ever believing that a human being can be degraded, can be starved, can be so skinny and even live under such circumstances.... When I entered the room I thought that we had a group of old men lying...at that time judged their ages ranged between 50 and 60 years. I was surprised and shocked when I asked one of these girls how old she was and she said 17, when to me she appeared to be no less than 50."
2019-03-08 00:00:00
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