After my grandfather, Paul Diamond, survived the Nazis, he came to America. In 1950, he applied for reparations--and in doing so, he documented his life both before and after the Nazis invaded his part of Poland (now Ukraine).
In the case of Pejsach Diment, citizenship (Polish), date & place of birth (27 March 1922 in Biskupiche, Zhitomir, Russia), profession (car mechanic), and the work carried out at the time of the application in the DP camp 'Neu Freimann Siedlung,' near Munich, Bavaria (helper in the camp), current address (1700 Harlem Ave., Baltimore, MD. USA), residence as of 1 January 1947 [same DP camp address as above], in case of refugees day and place of admission in Bavaria (December 1945), in the case of emigrants the locale where registered by the police (Neu Freimann, 1945 - 1947), in the case of a "displaced person' the day and place where the ID card was issued (December 1945 in Neu Freimann, handed in on date of emigration), last place before emigration (Neu Freimann, Bavaria).
Translation:
IV. notes regarding assignations of any restitution entitlements = ("I have not done any of that") V. questions regarding refund claims (none), claims according to this page of the form B) [checked off] = harm to body and health; C) [checked off] = harm to freedom. unsigned, Baltimore, MD, April 6, 1950.
Translation:
Pejsach Diment, section B = form deals specifically with bodily harm and health; the filled-in spaces deal with name, date, place of birth (27 March 1922 in Biskupiche, Zhitomir, Russia), profession (car mechanic), & work carried out before persecution (car mechanic), current address (1700 Harlem Ave., Baltimore, MD. USA), marital state (married, proof to follow), names of any dependents (Abraham, date of birth: 2 April 1948, legitimate), 6. citizenship (stateless, previously Russian), 7. any bodily injuries (bullet wound in right foot, right arm dislocated), 8. how injury happened (shot at 1942 in Luzk ghetto, arm injury 1943 in Luzk ghetto), 9. has applicant received medical attention (no), 10. did treatment take place in a hospital (no), 11. what kind of health insurance before or during the injury (none), 12. benefits received from German State insurance (none), 13. what kind of compensation has the applicant received (none),14. what kind of income does the applicant receive (none)
Translation:
15. what kind of annual income does applicant now receive (~$1,500/year), g) what annual income did applicant receive pre persecution (540 Zloty as car mechanic), 16. kind of persecution during which injuries to body & health occurred (shot at during attempt to flee, arm injury occurred during torture), a) estimate of degree of income loss (30%), b) is in need of medical attention (yes), c) how can the injuries be proven (injuries occurred during Nazi slave labor in the ghetto), 17. does applicant possess a BLW document (no), applicant is not in possession of above but has the following proof of persecution, (personal eyewitnesses are no longer found; [strikethrough words]: evidence only at locale of the crime), 18. witnesses ([strikethrough word] inhabitants of the locale), 19. Application: I seek, according to the Laws of Restitution for NS crimes (yes) 2) granting of a pension (yes) and, 3) monetary compensation in the amount of DM: (hightest amount according to the law), Signature
Translation:
In the case of Pejsach Diment, section C = a form that deals specifically with loss of freedom.= the filled-in spaces deal with family and first name, date & place of birth (27 March 1922 in Biskupiche, Zhitomir, Russia); II. remarks on loss of freedom = "I was robbed of my freedom by way of: ghetto (Luzk, Poland, from August 1941 to November 1942), slave labor camp ([strikethrough words] Luzk, Poland, July 1943 to May 1944), forced labor (in Luzk, July 1943 to May 1944), altogether (25 months). III. 2) (statement given under oath shall be provided when required) IV. I apply for compensation for suffered loss of freedom for a total of (25) full months according to the ……. laws. — unsigned, April 6, 1950
Interestingly, he says he was in the Lutsk Ghetto rather than Senkevychivka Ghetto. I'm not sure why this discrepancy is there. This isn't written in my grandfather's handwriting, so perhaps there was a misunderstanding with whoever was filling out the form for him.
In the case of Pejsach Diment, citizenship (Polish), date & place of birth (27 March 1922 in Biskupiche, Zhitomir, Russia), profession (car mechanic), and the work carried out at the time of the application in the DP camp 'Neu Freimann Siedlung,' near Munich, Bavaria (helper in the camp), current address (1700 Harlem Ave., Baltimore, MD. USA), residence as of 1 January 1947 [same DP camp address as above], in case of refugees day and place of admission in Bavaria (December 1945), in the case of emigrants the locale where registered by the police (Neu Freimann, 1945 - 1947), in the case of a "displaced person' the day and place where the ID card was issued (December 1945 in Neu Freimann, handed in on date of emigration), last place before emigration (Neu Freimann, Bavaria).
Translation:
IV. notes regarding assignations of any restitution entitlements = ("I have not done any of that") V. questions regarding refund claims (none), claims according to this page of the form B) [checked off] = harm to body and health; C) [checked off] = harm to freedom. unsigned, Baltimore, MD, April 6, 1950.
Pejsach Diment, section B = form deals specifically with bodily harm and health; the filled-in spaces deal with name, date, place of birth (27 March 1922 in Biskupiche, Zhitomir, Russia), profession (car mechanic), & work carried out before persecution (car mechanic), current address (1700 Harlem Ave., Baltimore, MD. USA), marital state (married, proof to follow), names of any dependents (Abraham, date of birth: 2 April 1948, legitimate), 6. citizenship (stateless, previously Russian), 7. any bodily injuries (bullet wound in right foot, right arm dislocated), 8. how injury happened (shot at 1942 in Luzk ghetto, arm injury 1943 in Luzk ghetto), 9. has applicant received medical attention (no), 10. did treatment take place in a hospital (no), 11. what kind of health insurance before or during the injury (none), 12. benefits received from German State insurance (none), 13. what kind of compensation has the applicant received (none),14. what kind of income does the applicant receive (none)
15. what kind of annual income does applicant now receive (~$1,500/year), g) what annual income did applicant receive pre persecution (540 Zloty as car mechanic), 16. kind of persecution during which injuries to body & health occurred (shot at during attempt to flee, arm injury occurred during torture), a) estimate of degree of income loss (30%), b) is in need of medical attention (yes), c) how can the injuries be proven (injuries occurred during Nazi slave labor in the ghetto), 17. does applicant possess a BLW document (no), applicant is not in possession of above but has the following proof of persecution, (personal eyewitnesses are no longer found; [strikethrough words]: evidence only at locale of the crime), 18. witnesses ([strikethrough word] inhabitants of the locale), 19. Application: I seek, according to the Laws of Restitution for NS crimes (yes) 2) granting of a pension (yes) and, 3) monetary compensation in the amount of DM: (hightest amount according to the law), Signature
In the case of Pejsach Diment, section C = a form that deals specifically with loss of freedom.= the filled-in spaces deal with family and first name, date & place of birth (27 March 1922 in Biskupiche, Zhitomir, Russia); II. remarks on loss of freedom = "I was robbed of my freedom by way of: ghetto (Luzk, Poland, from August 1941 to November 1942), slave labor camp ([strikethrough words] Luzk, Poland, July 1943 to May 1944), forced labor (in Luzk, July 1943 to May 1944), altogether (25 months). III. 2) (statement given under oath shall be provided when required) IV. I apply for compensation for suffered loss of freedom for a total of (25) full months according to the ……. laws. — unsigned, April 6, 1950
Interestingly, he says he was in the Lutsk Ghetto rather than Senkevychivka Ghetto. I'm not sure why this discrepancy is there. This isn't written in my grandfather's handwriting, so perhaps there was a misunderstanding with whoever was filling out the form for him.
Wow! What a unique family history document!
ReplyDeleteThis is so moving! Many survivors of the ghettos and camps are unable to speak of what happened to them. They just want to erase those memories. But here is documentation of your grandfather's experience.
ReplyDeleteDo you know if he ever received compensation?
Thanks--and I believe he did.
DeleteHe and Bubby Sonia received compensation until Bubby passed away in January. All funds received were donated to charity. Marvin
ReplyDeleteThanks, Abba. :)
DeleteI knew your grandparents in Baltimore. Visited their home several times when my parents visited from Toledo OH. We were cousins of Lillian Kale.
Delete