Quotes on the sub-chapter "violence and punishments"
Be aware: The following quotes contain descriptions of physical violence experienced
„[...] And there were about twelve of us squeezed into this 3-metre room, in complete darkness, with some kind of blanket on the floor, but you could neither stand nor lie or sit normally. You could only lie with your legs up against the opposite wall.“
Interview Jiří Vaniček, 11 December 1993
„In my opinion, the reasons for the abuse on the part of the accused were generally fabricated. Reasons included, for example, when orders were carried out incorrectly, because most of them were given in such a way that they could not be understood correctly, and I had the impression that this was pure sadism on the part of the accused, because he often beat people in the most terrible way without any justification or cause. There was certainly no justification, because the people always had to appear eager to work, as the work groups were guarded and observed by SS men [...] You couldn't stand still and do nothing.“
Witness statement Franz Cernoch at the Vienna People's Court, 15 December 1949
„It is possible that the defendant was hot-tempered, but I do not believe that he was hot-tempered every day, and from the cool, hateful looks he gave us, a certain cruel calm could be identified rather than an inner rage, as is the case with a hot-tempered person.“
Witness statement Herbert Neuhaus at the Vienna People's Court, 15 December 1949
„One time in December, we had to stand outside from 8 in the evening until 3 in the morning wearing just underwear for apparently speaking Czech, but I don't even understand Czech. The accused had ordered us to go inside the barrack and for nobody to speak a word. When we had undressed all the way to our underwear and vests, he came back in and shooed us out, and when we were outside he also took our vests.“
Witness statement Anton Weiss at the Vienna People's Court, 15 December 1949
„Rutar the carpenter told us in the barracks that Stuschka had taken him outside one night and tipped a bucket of water over him. It was winter, only 18 degrees [fahrenheit. Equivalent of -8 celsius] . He was made to stay outside for a while."
Witness statement Walter Kormis, 01 August 1947
„Then there was the Jewish guard Arndt, who had failed to report something. He was then, it was around midday, made to stand on a small hill by the accused, dressed only in a shirt and underwear, facing a tree, where he had to stand for 24 hours, always looking at the tree. At night he was taken to the accused's barrack, where he was beaten terribly with a chair because he had looked away from the tree once. [...]“
Witness statement Franz Cernoch at the Vienna People's Court, 15 December 1949
„I also remember the mistreatment of the ghetto guard Tichauer. A prisoner had stolen potatoes from the field during the day, whereupon he was slapped by SS man Broschek and punished by not receiving his lunch. Tichauer thought that was the end of the incident and did not report it to Stuschka. A few days later, Tichauer was called forward by Stuschka at evening roll call.“
Witness statement Franz Cernoch at the Vienna People's Court, 15 December 1949
„[...] The defendant then ripped the cap off his head, grabbed a wooden club and beat Tichauer with it for an hour. It had become dark in the meantime. We were still standing there and heard the thuds of the wooden club with which the accused beat the poor man, who had collapsed in the meantime. I can't say exactly how long it lasted, but the poor man was already whimpering like a sick animal.“
Witness statement Herbert Neuhaus at the Vienna People's Court, 15 December 1949
„The stove also had to be removed from the dilapidated rooms so as not to make it too comfortable for the sick.“
Statement Ludwig Breier, undated
„[...] And there were about twelve of us squeezed into this 3-metre room, in complete darkness, with some kind of blanket on the floor, but you could neither stand nor lie or sit normally. You could only lie with your legs up against the opposite wall.“
Interview Jiří Vaniček, 11 December 1993
„In my opinion, the reasons for the abuse on the part of the accused were generally fabricated. Reasons included, for example, when orders were carried out incorrectly, because most of them were given in such a way that they could not be understood correctly, and I had the impression that this was pure sadism on the part of the accused, because he often beat people in the most terrible way without any justification or cause. There was certainly no justification, because the people always had to appear eager to work, as the work groups were guarded and observed by SS men [...] You couldn't stand still and do nothing.“
Witness statement Franz Cernoch at the Vienna People's Court, 15 December 1949
„It is possible that the defendant was hot-tempered, but I do not believe that he was hot-tempered every day, and from the cool, hateful looks he gave us, a certain cruel calm could be identified rather than an inner rage, as is the case with a hot-tempered person.“
Witness statement Herbert Neuhaus at the Vienna People's Court, 15 December 1949
„One time in December, we had to stand outside from 8 in the evening until 3 in the morning wearing just underwear for apparently speaking Czech, but I don't even understand Czech. The accused had ordered us to go inside the barrack and for nobody to speak a word. When we had undressed all the way to our underwear and vests, he came back in and shooed us out, and when we were outside he also took our vests.“
Witness statement Anton Weiss at the Vienna People's Court, 15 December 1949
„Rutar the carpenter told us in the barracks that Stuschka had taken him outside one night and tipped a bucket of water over him. It was winter, only 18 degrees [fahrenheit. Equivalent of -8 celsius] . He was made to stay outside for a while."
Witness statement Walter Kormis, 01 August 1947
„Then there was the Jewish guard Arndt, who had failed to report something. He was then, it was around midday, made to stand on a small hill by the accused, dressed only in a shirt and underwear, facing a tree, where he had to stand for 24 hours, always looking at the tree. At night he was taken to the accused's barrack, where he was beaten terribly with a chair because he had looked away from the tree once. [...]“
Witness statement Franz Cernoch at the Vienna People's Court, 15 December 1949
„I also remember the mistreatment of the ghetto guard Tichauer. A prisoner had stolen potatoes from the field during the day, whereupon he was slapped by SS man Broschek and punished by not receiving his lunch. Tichauer thought that was the end of the incident and did not report it to Stuschka. A few days later, Tichauer was called forward by Stuschka at evening roll call.“
Witness statement Franz Cernoch at the Vienna People's Court, 15 December 1949
„[...] The defendant then ripped the cap off his head, grabbed a wooden club and beat Tichauer with it for an hour. It had become dark in the meantime. We were still standing there and heard the thuds of the wooden club with which the accused beat the poor man, who had collapsed in the meantime. I can't say exactly how long it lasted, but the poor man was already whimpering like a sick animal.“
Witness statement Herbert Neuhaus at the Vienna People's Court, 15 December 1949
„The stove also had to be removed from the dilapidated rooms so as not to make it too comfortable for the sick.“
Statement Ludwig Breier, undated
„[...] And there were about twelve of us squeezed into this 3-metre room, in complete darkness, with some kind of blanket on the floor, but you could neither stand nor lie or sit normally. You could only lie with your legs up against the opposite wall.“
Interview Jiří Vaniček, 11 December 1993