Michael Silberg

Title: My Story
Author: Michael Silberg
Publisher: Self Published
Place of publication: Melbourne
Year of Publication: 1992
Location of Book: Makor Jewish Community Library, Melbourne
Cities/town/camps: Poland: Wieliczka, Skarzysko, Stalowa-Wola, Prokocim
Note: those cities/towns/camps underlined are those which are most central to the narrative

Michel Silberg presents a brief account (32 pages) of his wartime experiences. Silberg wrote his account in his 60’s, as a message to future generations to be vigilant of anti-Semitism. He published the book himself in 1992.

Michael (Mietek) Silberg was born in Wieliczka, Poland, in 1924. His family was middle-class, and while his mother was observant of Jewish law, his father was not. In their town of 15,000 people, of which a quarter were Jewish, Michael claims that, “antisemitism was part of our daily lives.” When the Germans entered Wieliczka, all the prominent Jews were murdered, their corpses left on the street outside the synagogue. Horrified and shocked, Michael wondered why God could let such a thing happen. Jews were soon forced to wear a yellow star and many went into hiding. A Judenrat was set up and Michael’s father, owing to his fluent German and position as manager of the town tannery, became an influential figure in helping Jews. Frequent bribes of the town mayor ensured conditions for Jews were far more bearable than in other towns. Michael became a messenger boy for the community, passing on work assignments to the Jews, as well as delivering gifts to policeman. As refugees flooded into town, rumours spread as to the Germans’ true intention for the Jews.

In August 1942 posters appeared calling all Jews to assemble in the market square or be shot. Michael witnessed all the elderly residents being herded into cattle cars to be executed on the outskirts of town. Thousands more were put on trains bound for Majdanek. Michael and his father were selected for slave labour while his mother and sisters were taken away to be killed. Michael and his father were taken to Stalowa-Wola concentration camp where they worked in a steel foundry. More than the excruciating work, Michael could not stand the harassment and beatings that Jewish prisoners endured from their fellow countrymen, the Polish workers. On Yom Kippur the Commandant executed the Rabbi of the town in view of all the inmates. Michael knew then that he had to escape. Michael managed to flee the camp, and, with the help of a friendly Polish woman, board a train to Prokocim. In Prokocim, Michael discovered he could not stay with his relatives as he had hoped. Life on the street was fraught with danger, so Michael’s only choice, ironically, was to smuggle himself inside a German camp. Michael remained in the Prokocim camp for a year working on railroad construction. He was subsequently transferred to Plaszuw and Skarzysko. Upon arrival to the camp Michael saw that the inmates were dying and that their skin was yellow, due to the poisonous munitions that they handled. To avoid this yellow death, Michael lied and claimed that he was a mechanic. As a mechanic, Michael’s working conditions were relatively good. He even received clandestine food packages from a Polish worker.

As the Russians advanced in mid 1944, Michael’s factory was relocated to Czestochowa. In January 1945, the inmates awoke to find that their captors had fled and that the Russians now controlled the town. Despite the exodus of the Nazi occupiers, anti-Semitism remained. Prisoners lining up in a bread queue were told by a Polish policeman, “There is no bread for the Jews.” Michael returned to his home town, much to the ‘disappointment’ of its non-Jewish residents. Michael was, however, able to earn a living selling leather from the tannery on the black market. The continuing anti-Semitism made it clear to Michael that he could not remain in Poland. In 1947 he moved to France, where he met his wife, before emigrating to Australia in 1951.

Succinct and clear, Silberg’s story illustrates that individuals can, even in the most tumultuous of circumstances, choose to be murderers or choose to be altruistic. Silberg calls for vigilance, lest humanity continue to fail in its duty of safeguarding the Jews.