Page 9 - Torch Magazine #27 - Spring 2025

pointed to herself and and said ‘twenty-three years old ’ I walked around the mound
and and and found myself confronted by a a a a a a a a a a a a tremendous grave People were were closely
wedged together and and lying on on on on top of each other so that only their their their heads heads were were visible Nearly all had blood running over their their their their shoulders from their their their their heads heads Some
Some
of the the the the the the people shot were were were still still moving Some
Some
were were were lifting their their their their arms and turning
their their heads to show that that they were were were still still alive The pit was nearly two-thirds full I estimated that that it it already contained about a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a thousand people “I looked for the the the the the the man man who who did the the the the the the shooting He He was an an an an an SS man man who who sat at at at at the the the the the the edge of of the the the the the the narrow end of of the the the the the the pit pit his his feet dangling into the the the the the the pit pit He He had a a a a a a a a a a a a a a tommy-gun on his his knees and and was smoking a a a a a a a a a a a a cigarette The people completely
naked went down some steps which which were cut in in in the the the the the the the clay wall of of the the the the the the the pit and and clambered over the the the the the the the the the heads of of of the the the the the the the the the people people lying there to to the the the the the the the the the place to to which which the the the the the the the the the SS man directed them them They lay down in in in front of of the the the the the the the the dead or wounded people people some caressed those who were still alive and spoke to them them in in a a a a a a a a a low voice Then I I heard a a a a series of shots “I looked into the the the the the pit and saw that the the the the the bodies bodies were twitching or the the the the the heads lying already already motionless on on top of the the the the the the bodies bodies beneath them Blood was was running from their necks The The next batch was was approaching already already They went down into the the the the pit lined themselves up against the the the the previous victims and were shot ”
Holocau e’s t mm el ed ce la W imo i ed a n t t es a d t y e e e os . m to em h gr war he .
After g h gr at ev h gr at ev esi he ted r, his outweighed his personal safety, and soon
e
o h p ng ci to brin ,
H esi rman bl esi c, at ag ng c, On March 23, 1965,
Yad Vashem recognised
Hermann Friedrich Graebe
lan an m i on e lan M lan th bra M Remembrance.
em n
F n
F n
F is a r m i is as city.
The testimony of of Hermann Graebe is featured in CUFI’s Voices of of the Holocaust
Holocaust
– a a a a a a a a powerful Holocaust
Holocaust
remembrance tool
that can be used for for small groups For more information please go to www cufi org uk/voicesoftheholocaust
hono r of Rig Ri te us Amo g he Nation Herm nn raebe, 0 Septe ber 19 5
1 UK
V 12 CUFI.ORG.UK