Jakub Leipzig Interview

[Transcript of IRO interview in ITS Personal File of Jakub Leipzig - view scan of document and metadata]

LEIPZIG JAKUB

The subject was born at MIELEC (POLAND). Both his parents were Polish Jews. Finished elementary school and 2 classes of secondary school at his native town, studying Polish language.

From 1938 – 1939 the subject was a secondary school student and lived at MIELEC (POLAND) together with his parents, who supported him.

In September 1939 as during the […] was their house was demolished by the German bombers, the subject went to a nearby village DEBICA, where a sister of his was married and living (MANJA BORNSTEIN). The subject remained living in the house of his sister – helping in housework – till December 1941. 

In December 1941 the subject together with his relatives was sent by Germans to a GHETTO at DEBICA (POLAND). In that Ghetto the subject remained interned till 1942, and was sent often from there as forced labourer to the different works. 

In 1942 the mentioned Ghetto became a concentration camp and the subject lived there deported as a forced labourer till April 1943.

In April 1943 was transferred to another concentration camp at PLASHOW (near KRAKOW) and there stayed deported till 3rd of May 1944.

On 3rd of May 1944 was transferred to GROSSROSEN (a concentration camp near BRESLAU, Germany), where remained for three months. 

At the end of July 1944 the subject was again transferred to FALKENBERG (also a German concentration camp) and there stayed till the 5th of February 1945. 

On 5th of February 1945 all the camp was moved by the Germans, as the Russian Army neared, and the subject together with all other internees had to walk about one month, when they arrived to MAUTHAUSEN concentration camp in March 1945. At Mauthausen remained for about two weeks, then was sent to EBENSEE (another concentration camp in Germany) and there stayed till the liberation in May 1945.

After the liberation the subject lived at EBENSEE till June 1945, as a DP assisted by AC. 

In July 1945 arrived to Italy with assistance of UNRRA and JOINT, as he was quite sick and needed a change of climate. 

From July 45 till Aug 45 live as a DP at the AC camp at Modena, Italy.

In August 1945  was at Bologna AC Camp.

In September 1945 was transferred to ST. MARIA DI LEUCA CAMP and there stayed till March 1946, being assisted by UNRRA.

In March 1946 left the camp and went to Milano. There recently found an employment at the UNRRA camp SCUOLA CADORNA. Remained on the job - as a clerk – till Nov 1946.

In November 1946 arrived to Merano, where accepted a job as the welfare assistant of the JOINT SANATORY at MERANO. [He] is still now working in the same san[a]tory and on the same job – earning about 26.000 Lire monthly.

As a work contract and housing has been assured to the subject by his relatives from the USA, the subject would like to emigrate there and asks IRO to assist him at the resettlement as his relatives are unable to pay for the resettlement costs. 

Does not desire to return to Poland as he claims that has no one there, and suffered so much in the country so that cannot think of returning. Claims that all his relatives who lived in Poland have either been killed by Germans already in Poland or have died in German concentration camp. So he would like to emigrate to USA, if that would be possible, and if not, he would prefer to remain living in Italy.

Asks for IRO’s resettlement assistance and legal and political protection. 

Interviewer: SUNARIC VLADO                                          Milano, 21.5.1949