Statement

Written with Mr. Jan Bondy, Prague I., Karlova 10, born in 1900, former prisoner of the Theresienstadt. - ghetto conc.. camp , Czech nationality, profession painter and sculptor

A Small Incident in the Theresienstadt Ghetto

On April 10th of this year, I was leaving the ceramics workshop in the Bauhof in Theresienstadt late at 12:30 in the afternoon. At the time, the courtyard was deserted. Then, I suddenly saw Rahm, Heindl 1Note 1: Haindl, and another German in uniform, probably Buchholz, approaching from a distance. I walked past them with a very uneasy feeling. Heindl 1Note 1: Haindl then turned to me and said: Halo, kommens mal mit. I was very surprised that they wanted me to come with them. They were going to a section of Theresienstadt where only Germans lived. By the gate to this section they called out to the dog breeder, Busch. When he appeared, they ordered him to sic a german shepherd on me. Mr. Busch’s wife was secretly watching from behind the door and I, seeing her scared face, thought that the best case scenario would be that I would momentarily be taken to the hospital.

Busch, who put a training jacket on me, told me to always extend my arm out towards the dog and that he would bite it. The jacket weighed at least 15 kg. With it on, I had to run in all directions, over various obstacles, and they would sic the dog on me. I always managed to get the dog to bite the sleeve of my jacket, but I was starting to get tired. Thoroughly worn out, I told them I could no longer run. Rahm, standing on higher ground, shouted: lauf. I had to run again. I was angry, not out of fear, but about the powerless situation I was in. They called the dog over and conferred with Mr. Busch. Busch came to me and told me to take off the jacket. My only reply was what do they want to do to me and surrendered myself to my fate. It went through my mind that if the dog got my arm, I’d be finished as a sculptor and painter. I was ordered to climb up on a wooden gate, about 2 m high. As I was climbing up, the rabid dog was nipping at my heels. I balanced on top as well as I could and tried to not fall or else the dog could bite my face. Then, the dog clamped down on my calf and I fell, but luckily on the other side of the gate. Out of breath and exhausted, I climbed up and over and into the courtyard. Since nobody was paying attention to me, I slowly walked away. Heindl 3Note 3: Haindl called me over and asked me to show them my leg. I showed it to them. Blood was running down my calf. Let them put some iodine on it and ask them to give me another set of clothes, said Heindl 3Note 3: Haindl. I walked away happy, since it could have been a lot worse. As I was crossing the large courtyard, I heard Rahm talking to the dog again and I saw him sic the dog on me again. Where to now? I looked around and didn’t see anything that would protect me, but a truck was parked there and so I ran, hoping to climb up onto the hood. The dog ran after me. I extended my foot toward the dog, kicked and barked at it, and then it dawned on me that the animal also has to do whatever the Germans tell it to do. Like we all do. The dog was called back and I was out of danger.

Signature: Jan Bondy

Statement accepted by: B. Gerzonová

Signature of witnesses:

Marta Fischerová

Dita Saxlová

Accepted on behalf of the Documentation Campaign Scheck

Accepted on behalf of the archive: Tressler