The Mental Reactions of Prisoners to Camp Life

Prisoners had to take coupons which could be exchanged for six cigarettes. The privilege of actually smoking cigarettes was reserved for the carpo, who had his assured quote of 50 fennings per day. Once lost, the wool to live seldom returned and we knew a comrade had given up faith in his strength to carry on. We did not know whether we were still in Silesia or already in Poland. Everyone's heart missed a beat at that moment. Auschwitz, the very name stood for all that was horrible, gas chambers, crematoriums. Dreadful realisation as long as possible, Auschwitz.