Die Frauen von Birkenau

In "The Women of Birkenau," Seweryna Szmaglewska recounts her disturbing experiences as a political prisoner in the women's camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Even in 1945, almost immediately after her escape in January, she feverishly wrote down her memories, which became an important testimony at the Nuremberg Trials. In a very special narrative perspective, without using "I," she captures not only the everyday life of the camp but also the touching individual fates of women from all over Europe. There is the actress from Vilna, who recites texts in the barrack, the girl from Thessaloniki with her sad songs, and the female musicians of the women's orchestra. Like a camera eye, Seweryna Szmaglewska depicts the desperate condition of the prisoners, the hard labor, and the cruelties of the SS, but she also evokes the intellectual exchange and cultural richness in the camp, through which the women encourage each other and manage to maintain their dignity. "The Women of Birkenau" is a harrowing book and a powerful plea for humanity.