1. What are the gallows? 16
ONE WEEK LATER, as we returned from work, there, in the middle of the
camp, in the Appelplatz, stood a black gallows.
We learned that soup would be distributed only after roll call, which lasted
longer than usual. The orders were given more harshly than on other days,
and there were strange vibrations in the air.
“Caps off!" the Lagerälteste suddenly shouted.
Ten thousand caps came off at once.
“Cover your heads!"
Ten thousand caps were back on our heads, at lightning
speed.
The camp gate opened. An SS unit appeared and encircled us: one SS every
three paces. The machine guns on the watchtowers were pointed toward the
Appelplatz.
“They're expecting trouble," whispered Juliek.
Two SS were headed toward the solitary confinement cell. They came
back, the condemned man between them. He was a young boy from Warsaw.
An inmate with three years in concentration camps behind him. He was tall
and strong, a giant compared to me.
His back was to the gallows, his face turned toward his judge, the head of
the camp. He was pale but seemed more solemn than frightened. His
manacled hands did not tremble. His eyes were coolly assessing the hundreds
of SS guards, the thousands of prisoners surrounding him.
The Lagerälteste began to read the verdict, emphasizing every word:
"In the name of Reichführer Himmler.. prisoner number.. stole during the
2. Why is the boy being han
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3. What was the author's pu
in including the statemen