Our commandant was a German SS officer,
and his aide-de-camp was also from
Germany. They were capable of ruthlessly
shooting people for no reason at all, and they
were real bloodhounds.
After we had spent several weeks in the
ghetto we were divided into several work
details. Some groups went working for the
Army, others for the SS. There were
opportunities to filch things, which we called
to ”organize”.
One could also barter with the non-Jewish
Latvian workers , exchanging bed and
clothing items, which we had ”requisitioned”
in the Latvian houses, for food, and to take it
to the ghetto.
All this was naturally prohibited and one had
to proceed under the fear of death. People
were caught daily at the checkpoints and were
shot or hung.
Prisoners of the Riga Ghetto on their way to
work detail
Living conditions and survival strategies
