ABSTRACT
Inthemidstofsomuchsuffering,fewactsofbarbarismstoodout.Ifthey did,itwasbecausetheSSwerechangingtherules.Wehaveseenthat MauthausencontainedmanythousandsofSovietprisonersofwar,whose inclusiontheSSwouldjustifyintermsofrace.Agroupofthesearrived fromtheNebenlageratMelkon21September1944,alreadyfamishedto thebone.Beforetheywereallhanged,onthenightof25-6September, theywereimmortalizedinanSSphotographthatsurvivedandhasbeen widelypublished.Thephotoshowsagroupof30,standingatattention nakedinfreezingcold.Developingandprintingthefilmintheusualway, AntonioGardawasstartledtoseethatinthiscrowdofnamelessfaces,of mengoingtotheirdeathwithnooneanywheretorecordit,wasamanhe instantlyrecognized:hiscompatriot,LorenzoRodrigoBarroso,aveteran oftheSpanishCivilWarandhiscomradebothinhisCTEunitinFrance andinhisPOWcampinKaisersteinbruch.Hehadbeentransferredfrom theHauptlagertoMelk,andhadsimplyfoundhimselfinagroupmarked fordeathandstrippedevenoftheirDrillicheandtheirtrianglesofidentification.1
