. Oliver Lustig's Text Presentation of Historic Holocaust Photograps from The Auschwitz Album: The Story of a Transport Publisher: Yad Vashem, Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum from Amazon.com .. .

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Editor's Notes:   <> By clicking on a particular photo (or the corresponding magnifying icon), an enlarged version will appear. <> The English text below is a translation from the original Romanian text received and posted <> Additional translations are being sought ... We have posted so far: a Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse] a Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling] a French translation [traduction française] a German translation [Deutsche übersetzung]    a Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás] an Italian translation [traduzione italiano] a Polish translation [wersja polska] a Russian translation []

IX. The Last Halt (Ultimul Popas)

[IX-0] What follows are four images that seem to show, finally, the return of a sense of some normalcy. The mothers appear to be calm and more tranquil looking at their children without signs of fear. And yet ... the images that follow reveal a shocking gruesome picture that represents the most dramatic moment of their entire ordeal. The mothers that you see in the pictures below were told that they do not have much to go but, because they appeared to be tired and saw a nearby greenery they decided to take a short break. Seeing the trees all around and some water fountains, the children began running towards them. Finally, they could drink as much water as they wanted. Others found some leftover food in the their pockets and began gobbling their find. The mothers regained their smiles by watching their children. No one could foresee the cruel truth. The bunch of trees around them, whose shade was so much appreciated, was planted there on purpose to camouflage the building behind where the gas chambers and the crematoria were located. To there, was no more than 100 feet. The explanation for this unscheduled break is as follows: notwithstanding the Prussic precision, this time, the extermination process suffered a small snag. The previous lot was not yet completely transformed into smoke and ashes. Or perhaps that was complete, but the disrobing chamber or the gas chamber were not yet enough ventilated. In any event, the new arrival had to wait a few more minutes or even tens of minutes. After that, they will proceed walking their last 90-100 feet to their death. (The Original Text in Romanian) Urmeaza patru imagini care, in sfarsit, iradiaza parca un inceput de revenire la normal. Mamele par mai linistite, isi privesc copiii fara ca ochii lor sa exprime spaima. Si totusi... Imaginile ce urmeaza redau o secventa cutremuratoare, reprezinta momentul cel mai dramatic din intregul calvar. Celor pe care-i priviti li s-a spus ca nu mai au mult de mers, totusi, deoarece par obositi, tinand seama ca tocmai au ajuns intr-o poienita vor face un mic popas. Vazand copacii din jur, descoperind cateva stropitori in jur, copiii s-au repezit sa bea, in sfarsit, apa pe saturate. Unii gasind resturi de paine prin buzunare s-au grabit sa si le infunde in gura. Mamele privesc destinse la cei mici iar unora chiar le-au inmugurit din nou zambetul pe buze. Nici una din ele nu banuieste crudul adevar. Perdeaua de copaci, de a carei umbra se bucura, a fost plantata special pentru a camufla cladirea ce adaposteste camerele de gazare si cuptoarele crematoriului. Pana acolo nu sunt mai mult de 100 de pasi. Explicatia de o cruzime salbatica este urmatoarea: cu toata precizia prusaca, de data aceasta, procesul de exterminare a suferit o mica desincronizare. Lotul anterior inca n-a fost transformat in intregime in fum si cenusa. Sau poate ca s-a terminat, dar n-au apucat inca sa aeriseasca incaperea pentru dezbracare si nici camera de gazare. Oricum noii sositi vor trebui sa mai astepte cateva minute, poate chiar zeci de minute. Apoi vor face 90-100 de metri si vor pasi in moarte.

For the Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse], please click in on the icon at left. For the Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling], please click in on the icon at left. For the French translation [traduction française], please click in on the icon at left. For the German translation [Deutsche übersetzung], please click in on the icon at left. For the Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás], please click in on the icon at left. For the Italian translation [traduzione italiano], please click in on the icon at left. For the Polish translation [wersja polska], please click in on the icon at left. For the Russian translation [], click on the icon at left. .

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[IX-1] The human beings that you are seeing in this picture --the children, and especially the children (as if they were some angels descended on earth), their loving mothers adoring their darlings, the elderly with God's fear in them-- were guilty of one thing, and that was that they were born as Jews. Because of it, they were humiliated and lied upon as never before. They have been humiliated and lied upon with an unimaginable cynicism, a cynicism that is greater than any barbaric or bestial act. These human beings, innocent and pure, were told by their captors, portraying themselves as superior beings ("übermensch"), to rest a little bit in the nearby greenery before continuing with their walk towards the promised family camp. In reality, for each and everyone of this picture, that was to be "the last stay of their lives." Tens of feet apart, after the bushes of trees, the well-ventilated crematoria were awaiting them with an open door of the disrobing room and, with the gas chamber ready to go with a capacity for 2000 people. The 15 ovens built above the gas chamber were on so of not wasting any unnecessary time with restarting them. (The Original Text in Romanian) Fiintele umane pe care le vedeti in imagine --copii, mai ales copiii, pusi ca niste ingeri pamanteni, mame ce-si iubesc odraslele ca ochii din cap, batrani cu frica lui Dumnezeu-- imputandu-li-se o singura vina, aceea ca s-au nascut evrei, au fost umiliti si mintiti cum n-a fost nimeni pana la ei. Au fost umiliti si mintiti cu cinism inimaginabil, cu un cinism ce depaseste orice barbarie, orice salbaticie. Acestor fiinte umane pure si nevinovate, niste fiinte pretinse "übermensch" (oameni superiori) le-a spus sa se odihneasca putin in aceasta poienita, inainte de a ajunge in lagarul familial promis. In realitate pentru toti cei pe care-i vedeti in imagine, acesta era "ultimul popas in viata." La cateva zeci de metri dincolo de perdeaua de copaci, crematoriul ii astepta cu usa incaperii pentru dezbracare deschisa, camera de gazare cu o capacitate de 2.000 de persoane --aerisita, iar focul din cele 15 cuptoare zidite la etaj deasupra camerei de gazare, n-a fost stins, pentru a nu pierde timpul cu reaprinderea lor.

For the Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse], please click in on the icon at left. For the Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling], please click in on the icon at left. For the French translation [traduction française], please click in on the icon at left. For the German translation [Deutsche übersetzung], please click in on the icon at left. For the Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás], please click in on the icon at left. For the Italian translation [traduzione italiano], please click in on the icon at left. For the Polish translation [wersja polska], please click in on the icon at left. For the Russian translation [], click on the icon at left. .

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[IX-2] Those in the front row have noticed that they are being photographed and are looking calm and natural towards the photographer. Those in the back rows continue, in a rather relaxed manner, their conversation. Maybe they express the hope that the hardest part of their ordeal is behind them. The shocking reality is however this: all of them that you see in this picture, after a very short time, got up, passed the tree from the back, entered into the building, were pushed and shoveled into the gas chamber, and afterwards, their corpses were transformed into smoke and ashes. (The Original Text in Romanian) Cei din prim-plan au sesizat ca sunt fotografiati si privesc linistiti, firesc, spre fotograf. Cei din randurile din spate continua --pare-se destul de lejer-- discutiile. Poate isi marturisesc speranta ca, probabil, au trecut peste ce-a fost mai greu. Cutremuratorul adevar: toti cei la care va uitati, dupa foarte putin timp s-au ridicat, au trecut de copacii din spate, au intrat in cladire, au fost impinsi in camera de gazare apoi trupurile lor au fost transformate in fum si cenusa.

For the Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse], please click in on the icon at left. For the Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling], please click in on the icon at left. For the French translation [traduction française], please click in on the icon at left. For the German translation [Deutsche übersetzung], please click in on the icon at left. For the Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás], please click in on the icon at left. For the Italian translation [traduzione italiano], please click in on the icon at left. For the Polish translation [wersja polska], please click in on the icon at left. For the Russian translation [], click on the icon at left. .

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[IX-3] The children wait calmly. What were they waiting for? No one had an answer. In any event, now they could breathe fresh air, they could lie down, they could sit up, and, if they so wanted, could walk around. The mothers, as well, have regained their peace of mind. The two from the right, as if by magic, were even able to smile. For sure, for the last time! After a few tens of minutes, they will be disrobed naked, in the gas chamber they will elevate their children towards the ceiling for prolonging their lives for a few more seconds. (The Original Text in Romanian) Copiii asteapta linistiti. Nici ei nu stiu ce anume? In orice caz, acum pot respira un aer curat, se pot intinde, pot sta in picioare, daca vor, pot chiar sa se plimbe. Mamele si-au redobandit si ele calmul. Celor doua din dreapta, o adevarata minune, le-a aparut si zambetul pe buze. Cu siguranta pentru ultima data! Peste cateva zeci de minute, dezbracate in pielea goala, in camera de gazare, isi vor ridica copiii in sus, spre tavan, pentru a le prelungi viata cu cateva secunde.

For the Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse], please click in on the icon at left. For the Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling], please click in on the icon at left. For the French translation [traduction française], please click in on the icon at left. For the German translation [Deutsche übersetzung], please click in on the icon at left. For the Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás], please click in on the icon at left. For the Italian translation [traduzione italiano], please click in on the icon at left. For the Polish translation [wersja polska], please click in on the icon at left. For the Russian translation [], click on the icon at left. .

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[IX-4] Who can ascribe any blame to these children? Who dares to oppose preserving their memory? (The Original Text in Romanian) Cine? ce? le poate imputa acestor copii? Cine indrazneste sa se impotriveasca pastrarii memoriei lor?

For the Danish translation [Dansk oversættelse], please click in on the icon at left. For the Dutch translation [Nederlandse vertaling], please click in on the icon at left. For the French translation [traduction française], please click in on the icon at left. For the German translation [Deutsche übersetzung], please click in on the icon at left. For the Hungarian translation [Magyar fordítás], please click in on the icon at left. For the Italian translation [traduzione italiano], please click in on the icon at left. For the Polish translation [wersja polska], please click in on the icon at left. For the Russian translation [], click on the icon at left. .

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