On 19 June 1942, we arrived at the SS labour camp Mielice (district Krakow). The labour camp was designated for Jews only, and was situated in the grounds of the Heinkel aeroplane factory. At the time of my arrival, the number of Jews working there was approximately 100. About 5,000 Poles and 500 Germans worked in the factory proper. Every day after work, the…
Sport in camps unsettles both contemporary witnesses and students of history. It seems impossible that human beings would perform anything like sport within the harsh camp reality of repression, hunger, violence, and possibly even murder. Yet, sport in penal and internment camps is a historical reality and studying this history allows for new insights into the reality of i…