ABSTRACT
Meanwhile in the Erkennungsdienst, the work that was inestimable to the cause of justice went on each day, as Antonio García continued to make his sixth print of the photos he selected. Some changes in personnel had taken place. Hans, the Austrian socialist Kapo, had won his release in the winter of 1942-3, presumably by volunteering for the Wehrmacht. He was replaced by another Hans, this one a German Green who told García he had killed his wife. He was not a photographer, and the replacement of a Red by a Green was at variance with the current trend of replacing Greens by Reds, but the new Hans did nothing to upset the situation in the photo lab. When the German Hans also volunteered to serve (in the Waffen-SS), Gralinski was selected to replace him as Kapo. Another Spaniard, Jose Cereceda, also came in towards the end as an assistant. All those working in the little team were very much aware of the great privileges they enjoyed: they shared the toilet that Ricken used, which being inside the darkroom required a certain co-operation, and at 6.30 p.m., at the end of each working day, they were entitled to take a shower in the disinfection centre next door. They also had a direct view of the execution site in the alley outside; only the joiners' workshop (Schreinerei) and perhaps the locksmiths' workshop (Schlosserei) to the north were closer. But diese Kommandos returned to the fortress for lunch (and the time-consuming roll-call), while the Erkennungsdienst Kommando had their lunch inside the photo lab. It was at that time, between noon and 2 p.m., that the executions were carried out, and towards the end they took place daily. A few minutes before each session began, an SS officer would arrive to give the order Verdunkeln. The black-out blinds used for air-raid alerts were then lowered, but they contained small holes through which the prisoners could observe the scene, and the Kapo voiced no objection. García rarely even peeked, but Boix watched regularly, and each time gave vent to a gallows humour. On 20 April 1944, the SS celebrated Hitler's 55th birthday by executing 48 men and four women. As always, the men were shot naked and the women dressed. Since each prisoner was shot individually, the killing went on until 5 p.m. Ricken, who had returned from lunch, was therefore present, but did not order the prisoners to move away from the curtain. He was, in fact, lost in his own inner torment. Covering his face in his hands, groaning 'O weh!', he lowered his head as low as he could, then sprang up, snatched his cap, and shot out of the Erkennungsdienst like an arrow, not to return until the following day. But if Ricken could not bear the sound and sight of it, Boix exulted in it. When the other prisoners remonstrated, Boix shouted that he was in no mood to weep. 'Besides,' he added, 'no doubt they're all a bunch of bandits.' At the end of the day everybody in the camp knew that the victims were all Yugoslav partisans. When García told this to Boix, Boix shot back with 'Go to hell!' 1
