Arbeit Macht Frei

November 30, 1944

"Dark red suits you." Hans' wife, Lea, smiled as she admired the freshly added patch to Hans' uniform.  Hans smiled lovingly down at his wife.

"I'll get the kids; let them see you off." She smiled widely and turned to walk quickly up the stairs. He watched her petite figure disappear around the bend.

Hans turned to look at himself in the hallway mirror. His black uniform fit his full torso well. He stood at six feet two inches, strong jaw, Aryan. He was the image of the German dream.

The red and yellow patch stood out on his arm. He felt the power fill him. He had spent his entire career working for this moment. He had finally made it to Reichsleiter. It was the highest position he could hope to ever achieve in the German militia.

"Papa!"

Hans swelled with pride at the sound of his family descending down the stairs.

His family reflected him in every way. Aryan to the core. Pale skin; blue, proud, German eyes; blonde hair. There was nothing more important to him than his family.

His wife was forty two years old, two years younger than he. She stood at five feet six inches and weighed no more than one hundred ten pounds. His eldest daughter, Sabine, was seventeen years old. She was one inch shorter than her mother, and around the same weight. After Sabine, he had two boys. Jonas and Wolfgang. Jonas stood at five feet nine inches, and one hundred twenty five pounds. Lean for his height. Wolfgang, stood at five feet five inches, and weighed about the same as his mother.

"Papa, do you really get to meet him?" Sabine gushed, her eyes wide with excitement.

"I really do. I'm practically second in command."

"Sabine, close your mouth." Jonas laughed.

"What's the name of where you're working now?" Wolfgang stared up at his father.

"Auschwitz."

Lea stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his large torso. Wrapping his arms easily around her, he kissed her hard.

"I'm so proud of you." She whispered. "But you're going to be late."

He glanced at the clock. As always, she was right.

He pulled away. "Wish me luck!"

He walked out the door as his family called their goodbyes.

He closed the door and began his walk to his new place of work. He turned to look at his new home.

It was small for what he could afford. It was two storied. Green and white vertical stripes hid behind the high grown ferns. Three points of the house's roof hit both ends and the center. It stretched up to 150 feet long. Brightly colored flowers surrounded the walkway, and wrapped around the side of the house.

In his mind, the image was heaven. Heaven was found in the town of Oswiecim, Poland, just a short walk from his new job.

With a pleased grin on his face, he turned and began his march to Auschwitz.

The first thing Hans saw of Auschwitz was the gate. The metal was shaped to read the words "Arbeit macht frei". Work makes you free.

Hans thought nothing of it. It was a work camp, after all. It was an appropriate message to send to the prisoners.

The second thing Hans saw of Auschwitz was a dead body.

It lay naked and twisted along the floor of the gate. The skin was gray and pulled tight due to swelling. It had begun to decompose. Each bone stuck out, despite the swelling. Each rib was visible. The wrists and ankles were no larger than one of the gate poles.