The men, "fit for work" who were taken off the train in Cosel were generally in the age group of ± 15 to 50 years, in some individual cases slightly older. Those who remained on the train to be transported to Auschwitz were, broadly speaking, the older, weak or sickly men and the women and children. In general it can be stated that the latter groups were killed by gassing immediately upon arrival at Auschwitz.
On 23 October 1942, a transport with a total of 988 deportees left Westerbork, where 170 boys and men between the ages of 15 and 50 had to disembark in Cosel. Most of this transport followed the route (camps where they stayed successively): St. Annaberg, afterwards to several other camps including Niederkirch, Sakrau, Eichtal, Ottmuth, Klein Mangersdorf, Königshütte, and Johannsdorf) - Blechhammer or Ressort Gross Rosen and a few more forwarded to Bismarckhütte and Auschwitz.
Below are three overviews (concerning only the transport of 23 October 1942 from Westerbork), which successively include the data obtained from repatriates regarding their arrival in- and departure from respectively
1): Blechhammer;
2): the Gross Rosen district;
3): the Auschwitz district (I, II and III);
ARRIVAL IN BLECHHAMMER:
A): four representatives on 5 Dec 42 from Eichtal with 125 Dutch people. Of these four, two were liberated in Blechhammer; one went with the evacuation transport and one left for Bismarckhütte on 8- Nov 44.
B): One representative (x) from Johannsdorf (date and transport strength not specified).
C): One representative (x) in March 1944 from the "Börsigwerke" in Breslau-Hundsfeld (transport strength not stated).
D): One representative (x) ± May 1944 from Ottmuth (transport strength not specified).
(x) = accompanied the evacuation transport.
ARRIVAL IN THE GROSS ROSEN RESSORT:
A): 2 representatives on 22 Nov 42 from Sakrau in Tränke with 70 Dutch people. Further route: 14 Dec 43 to Wisau - Apr./May 44 to Bunzlau. On evacuation transport Gross Rosen-Buchenwald-Dora-Ellrich. Liberated in Bergen Belsen on 15 Apr 45.
B): 1 representative on unknown date from Sakrau in Klettendorf (transport strength not specified). Would via. Bunzlau and Breslau ended up in Auschwitz, which is unlikely.
C): 1 representative on 15 Jan 43 from Klein Mangersdorf in Neukirch (with 100 to 120 Dutch people). Further route: 15 Mar 43 to Edmannsdorf – 10 May 44 to Hirschberg – 20 Oct 44 to Warmbrunn – 10 Mar 45 to Dörnhau – 25 Apr 45 to Ellenburg.(?) – 1 May 45 back to Dörnhau where he was liberated 8 May 45.
D): 1 representative at the end of February 43 from Johannsdorf in Klettendorf with + 100 Dutch people. Further route: At the end of March 43 to Faulbrück, as the only Dutchman with 15 skilled workers to Graditz v.v.September/October 44 to Sportschule Reichenbach (with 20 to 30 Dutch people). Liberated there 8 May 45.
ARRIVAL IN THE AUSCHWITZ RESSORT:
A): 1 representative on an unknown date from Bunzlau via Breslau in Auschwitz (transport strength not stated). It is unlikely that the report is correct (see the corresponding note in Statement II on page 31).
B): 1 representative in October 43 from Liegnitz in Auschwitz, with 1 other Dutchman. Flee from Neukirch with other Dutch people in June 43, was arrested the next day in Bunzlau, and after 2 days was taken to Liegnitz. He was sent to Auschwitz via Breslau. Took part in the evacuation transport.
C): 1 representative on 8 Nov 43 from Blechhammer in Bismarckhütte (transport strength of the Dutch not stated). Took part in the evacuation transport via Gleiwitz.
D): 1 representant mid 1944 from Ludwigsdorf to Birkenau. (transport strength not specified). Came to Birkenau on a sick-transport, but survived the selection. Was transferred to Landsberg (Lager Kaufering, outer command of Dachau) at the beginning of October 44.
THE SEPARATE TRANSPORTS:
The entire contingent that disembarked in Cosel first went to St. Annaberg. From there a small part left on 1 November 1942 to Niederkirch and then at the beginning of December 1942 via Ottmuth and Eichtal to Blechhammer. Factory workers stayed behind in Ottmuth and only arrived much later (presumably May 1944) in Blechhammer. An exceptional conclusion applies to this group, which is indicated below in the discussion of the transport of 2 Nov 1942 (see there).
A larger part went to Sakrau in early November 1942 and was directed from there in different directions. A group, which has already been discussed during the transport of 16 October 1942, left for the Gross Rosen resort (Tränke and following; names and further fate known) on approximately 22 November 1942.
Another group was transferred to Klein Mangersdorf in the latter part of November 1942 and from there to Neukirch in January 1943.
Furthermore, on 20 November 1942, another group went to Königshütte and from there to Johannsdorf in January 1943. Later, several contingents from Neukirch and Johannsdorf left for camps in the Gross Rosen district. Some have fled and been caught again or have followed an exceptional route as a professional worker. Three ended up in Auschwitz and 4 men in Bismarckhütte. The whole thing is extremely confusing (see also States I, II and III).
A bright spot is the fairly large number of individual findings and the fact that 53 men were found in Blechhammer (largely the Eichtal group).
For those, of whom nothing is known individually, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that they must have died no later than the end of March 1944, being the time at which the occupations of almost all "Zwangarbeitslager" – forced labor camps - in Blechhammer had been contracted and at which time it is possible to speak of a more clear situation in the Gross Rosen resort. Place of death: one of the labor camps in Silesia (Poland).
The general conclusions in paragraphs 12 and 13 of this chapter naturally apply to the Blechhammer cases and to those who ended up in Bismarckhütte.
CONCLUSIONS FROM APPENDIX III:
The men who disembarked in Cosel must, unless it appears otherwise, and with due observance of the general conclusions stated, be deemed to have died at the time and at the place stated about the transport of 23 October 1942: unless, in individual cases show otherwise, and taking into account the general conclusions stated, the men who disembarked in Cosel must be deemed to have died after 26 October 1942, but no later than 31 March 1944, in one of the labor camps in Silesia.
Those who were found in Blechhammer before 1 April 1944, but whose further fate is unknown, must be considered to have died no later than 31 March 1944.
Source: the Dutch Red Cross archives, Publication October 1952 – Auschwitz III – the Cosel transports – pages 8, 20, 25, 31, 32, 36, 37, 49 and 50 re the transport of 23 October 1942 from Westerbork and the Appendix III sub A item 4 and sub B item 7 for transport 23 October 1942.
This is an update done 19 Sept 2023 from the previous story of 30 Dec 2022 by the editors of Joods Monument.