Wir packen, wir auspacken ...: tragična sudbina Jevreja izbeglica u Šapcu 1941.

Abstract

Grupa od 1.300 jevrejskih emigranata stigla je do grada Šapca u septembru 1940. godine. Oni su zapravo emigranti iz Austrije, Nemačke i Čehoslovačke koji su pokušali da dođu do Palestine korišćenjem plovnog puta Dunava. Oktobra 1939. godine transport je zaustavljen u Kladovu, jer su neke poteškoće morale da se premoste u pronalaženju broda koji će ih odvesti u Palestinu. Štaviše, bugarske vlasti nisu bile voljne da izdaju tranzitne vize. Grupa je, dakle, morala da provede zimske mesece u Kladovu na brodovima. Međutim, kada su ovi brodovi morali da napuste Kladovo kako bi nastavili svoj uobičajeni komercijalni rad, grupa je dobila utočište na baržama. Negde u ljeto te su barže vučene uzvodno do Šapca. U Šapcu su emigranti bili smešteni u starom mlinu i magacinu koji su nekako bili upotrebljivi u tu svrhu. Do dolaska Nemaca, emigranti su se mogli slobodno kretati gradom. Neki od njih, kao lekari i stolari, na primer, dobili su priliku da rade. Neki drugi, poprilično njih, učinili su se korisnim svojim aktivnim sudelovanjem u društvenom i kulturnom životu. U Oficirskom klubu koji je imao ugostiteljske prostorije u hotelu „Pariz“, dečaci i devojke iz grupe emigranata zabavljali su građane Šapca nastupom. Jedna od pesama tokom nastupa bila je naslovljena "Wir packen, Wir auspacken ..." Krajem juna sve te jevrejske emigrante, njih 1.107, Nemci su prevezli u logor u blizini reke Save. 2. avgusta 1941. godine šabački Jevreji, kojih je bilo 63, bili su pripadnici ovog logora. U to su vreme tragedije koje su se redalew jedna za drugom ragediju pogađale su i Jevreje i sve ostale građane Šapca. Prvo što su Nemci uradili bilo je neselektivno ubijanje pojedinaca i prisiljavanje Jevreja da sakupe leševe i da obese već mrtva tela na ulične stupove. 24. septembra Nemci su naterali 5.000 građana Šapca i 1.100 Jevreja da beže do Klenka gde su dva dana i dve noći ostali bez hrane. 26. septembra žrtve su bile prisiljene da pregaze još 23 kilometra, do naselja Jarak. Oni koji su pali tokom ove trke jednostavno su ubijeni. 30. septembra grupa je vraćena u Šabac u koncentracioni logor. 12. i 13. oktobra svi jevrejski emigranti, kao i svi šabački Jevreji i Cigani odvedeni su u Zasavicu da budu pogubljeni, i, kako je izjavio jedan očevidac, niko nije ostao živ. U šabačkom logoru nakon ovih egzekucija ostale su samo žene i deca. 26. januara 1942. godine, bio je to jedan od najhladnijih zimskih dana, Nemci su primorali te žene i decu da hodaju do Klenka, odakle su ih vozom prevezli u Rumu. Od Rume do Zemuna ponovo su morali da hodaju, ostavljajući na putu sve one koji nisu mogli da podnesu hladnoću i koji su se smrzli. Oni koji su stigli do logora Sajmište su umoreni, tako da do maja 1942. godine niko od njih više nije bio živ.

A group of 1,300 Jewish emigres has reached the City of Sabac in September 1940. They were actually emigres from Austria, Germany, and Czechoslovakia trying to reach Palestine by making use of the Danube waterway. In October 1939 the transport was stopped at Kladovo as some difficulties had to be bridged in finding a ship that would take them to Palestine. Moreover, the Bulgarian authorities were unwilling to grant transit visas. The group had, therefore, to spend the winter months in Kladovo onboard the ships. However, when these ships had to leave Kladovo to resume their normal commercial operation the group was given shelter on barges. Sometime in the Summer, these barges were towed upstream as far as Sabac. In Sabac the emigres were housed in an old mill and a warehouse which was somehow made usable for the purpose. Until the arrival of Germans, the emigres could move freely in the city. Some of them, as physicians and carpenters, for instance, was given a chance to work. Some others, quite a few of them, made themselves useful by their active participation in social and cultural life, in the Officers' Club which had its catering premises in the “Paris” Hotel, the boys and girls belonging to the group of emigres entertained the citizens of Sabac by giving a show. One of the songs of the show was titled “Wir packen, wir auspacken ...” At the end of June all these Jewish emigres, numbering 1,107 were transported by the Germans to the camp near the river Sava. On August 2, 1941, the Sabac Jews, numbering 63, were also taken to this camp. This was the time when tragedies followed tragedies affecting both the Jews and all the other citizens of Sabac. The first what the Germans have done was to kill individuals indiscriminately and to force the Jews afterward to collect the corps and to hang the already dead bodies on the street poles. On September 24, the Germans made 5,000 citizens of Sabac and 1,100 Jews run as far as Klenka where they all were left without any food for two days and two nights. On September 26, the victims were forced to run another 23 kilometers, as far as the township of Jarak. Those who fell during this run were simply killed. On September 30, the group was taken back to Sabac to be put in concentration camp again. On October 12th and 13th all the Jewish emigres, as well as all the Sabac Jews and the Gipsies were taken to Zasavica to be executed, as one eyewitness stated, with no one left alive. Only the women and children remained in the Sabac camp after these executions. On January 26,1942, which was one of the coldest winter days, the Germans forced these women and children to walk as far as Klenk wherefrom transported them to Ruma by train. From Ruma to Zemun they had to walk again leaving behind on the roadside all those who could not stand the cold and got frozen. Those who reached the Sajmiste camp were put to death there and so by May 1942, no one of them was any more alive.