Auschwitz 14 June 1944
'Arbeit macht frei' the huge five metre sign "Work sets you free" hung over the main entrance to Auschwitz 1. The drive to Auschwitz had been tedious and tiring. Fortunately for Paul Dickmann, the monotonous journey had been ameliorated when he picked-up a ten year-old Romany girl who, he was disgusted to discover, he found exceedingly attractive. She was not only exceedingly attractive but was also extremely obliging and all for just a loaf of bread and a box of chocolates. He now felt unclean and loathed all the untermenchen.
The sky was grey and overcast and black clouds hung ominously over the camps but he could still detect a column of smoke belching from the chimney of the crematorium. When he eventually entered the camp he found it aesthetically displeasing; there was something about it which was inharmonious to a sensitive soul who weeps at Goethe.
He reported to the gatehouse of Auschwitz 1, which was the administration centre for the whole complex. He, as the newly promoted Chief Inspector for Allnazi Insurance, was going to inspect the three main camps of Auschwitz 1, Auschwitz ll - Birkenau (torture and extermination) and Auschwitz lll - Monowitz (forced labour). He would make random checks of some of the 45 satellite camps as well.
"Heil Hitler!" He showed his documents to the guards and was escorted to the office of Sturmbannfurher Richard Baer's secretary. She apologised to Dickmann saying that he would have to wait for awhile as her boss was in a conference meeting with Obersturmbannfuhrer Rudolf Hoss. She gave him coffee and he lit up a cigarette. He put his feet up on the coffee table and admired his Huge Bosch boots, which he had shined to perfection that morning, as he blew a plume of blue smoke into the air. He was feeling particularly smart today as he was wearing his SS uniform, which he was entirely allowed to do thanks to his services to, and connections with, the Nazi Party - a privilage that his elder brother, Adolf, resented as he considered that only serving soldiers should be allowed to wear the SS uniform.
After a short wait the door to Baer's office opened and several people emerged. Dickmann recognized Hoss amongst them as they exited the building. Baer looked over to Dickmann and indicated by a nod of his head for him to enter his office. As he went in Dickmann noted that this office was more fuctional than the usual ones that he visited - quite Spartan, in fact. They exchanged the usual greeting and Baer said very politely, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Paul, but the Obersturmbannfuhrer has returned here to help supervise the shipment of 475,000 Jews from Hungary. Adolf Eichmann is organizing the transportation from his office in Budapest. I received your paperwork and all the essential documentation for Allnazi Insurance has been completed so all that we have to do now is to perform your tour of inspection. I'm afraid that we're extremely busy at the present as we're processing 20,000 Jews everyday, from initial reception to final resolution, so please forgive me if the tour seems a little hectic.
"I'll take you around personally, Paul, as I appreciate Allnazi's excellent association with our Party. I met Kurt Schmidt, the general director of your company, when he was the Fuhrer's Economic Minister, at a Party rally in 1933. I also know your boss, Eduard Hilgard. I believe that our organizations have an excellent symbiotic relationship - we gas your Jews and you pay their Life Insurance policies to the Party - an excellent arrangement," Baer emitted a sinister chuckle before adding, "... and a gesture fully appreciated by the Fuhrer.".
"We have 7,000 guards here, of which 750 are women. Our prison population consists mainly of Jews, approximately 90%, then we have the Polish politicals, Soviet and Polish POWs, Romanies, homosexuals, the disabled and malformed and the so-called "prisoners of conscience" like the Jehova Witnesses. I cannot promise to introduce you to Jehova but you shall certainly "witness" a gassing as all the chambers are in constant use. Please follow me."
YOU ARE READING
And the MEEK Shall Inherit the Earth. Book One
Mystery / ThrillerON HOLD Don't read this book if you think that History is irrelevant. However, if you believe, like my old professor, that a nation without knowledge of its history is like a man suffering from amnesia, then please read on as many of the events ac...
