sonderkommando

[Wise1]

Being a member of the Sonderkommando at an extermination camp brought privileges few other camp prisoners had.

You got to live apart from everyone else, you could organise lots of items, food being the main one.

However there was a price, being a member of the Sonderkommando meant your job was to dispose of the your fellow Jews once they had been to the Chamber. It was your job to cremate the bodies and keep the crematoriums at full working capacity for the thousands that would pass through each day.

I personally cant imagine what that would be like, I would think the members of the sonderkommando would harden to the job, but of course never come to terms with being forced into such a cruel manner of work (if you can call it that!)

Because of what they did none of these men were ever allowed to mix with other camp prisoners for fear of the Germans plans getting out.

Of course it did not take long for the prisoners around the camp to realise exactly what went on at those buildings.

[Kyt]

Unfortunately, there was another price and that the members of teh Sonderkommando were not immune to execution. I believe regular purges occurred, and there was a famous case at, I think Auschwitz, where the Sonderkommando rebelled and managed to destroyone or more of the ovens after they found out that they were to be killed.

[Wise1]

Correct, one who managed to survive the entire ordeal was a Filip Muller, he wrote a fantastic book on his time in there, went from regular camp prisoner to Sonderkommando just for stealing some cold tea, he lived through it all even having to cremate his own father who loved and died in the camp.

Eye Witness, 3 years in the gas chamber it was called.

[Erik]

From my understanding they were killed and replaced every 3 months?

[Wise1]

Not all of them, they needed old hands to train the new ones, only the lucky few managed that, however at the end when they were marched through to Austria from Aushwitz the majority of the Sonderkommando at that time were not executed prior.

[Kyt]

Have there been any reports or articles about what other survivors thought about members of the Sonderkommando? Though it was a position that was forced upon them, any recriminations, as there were with kapos?

[Wise1]

No not really, many were gald others were picked, it was however a fairly good job to have (albeit sick that sounds) as it kept you away from the daily sport by the Kapos.

[Kyt]

I'm sure that it was all relative but it was those perceived "privileges" that may have caused resentment post-war.