Illness and Care of the Sick

If inmates became ill, it was possible that they would be sent back to the main camp. This however seems to have happened very seldom. One Polish Bible Student1Her name is unknown. fell ill soon after arrival at St. Lambrecht and was therefore sent back to Ravensbrück main camp.2PA, interview Hoogers-Elbertsen, Jans, 16-10-2002. After the take-over of the sub camp by Mauthausen concentration camp in September 1944 this never happened again, although a few female inmates had an accident or fell ill.

The Polish physician-inmate Jankowski was responsible for the medical care of the female Bible Students. Of course, one cannot speak of adequate medical care.

Infections and physical injuries became serious problems under camp conditions. Jans Hoogers-Elbertsen suffered from a festering inflammation of her nail bed. The female SS guard drilled a hole in her fingernail with a needle calling it a necessary ‘therapeutic’ measure. The result was that a blood-poisoning affected her whole arm, which was successfully treated by the general practitioner from the village. Because no pain killers were available, she had to suffer without pain relief. This absence of active medicines was a huge problem when she had to have a painful molar out. Gerdina Huisman, who was present at the operation, tried everything to stop the pain caused by the festering molar, though without success.3PA, interview Hoogers-Elbertsen, Jans, 16-10-2002.

The sisters in the faith supported each other in such critical situations and helped each other within the scope of the means and possibilities available to them. When Sjaan Pronk got nettle rash, the German female Bible Students brewed stinging-nettle tea and herbal teas for her and thereby supported the healing process. This Dutch Bible Student already suffered from blood in her stools in Ravensbrück women’s concentration camp.4Melaena; causes included inflammation and ulcers that may have arisen from the severe stress caused by the conditions in the camp (see Pschyrembel 1993, p. 204). While there she was cared for by Froukje Volp, who smuggled oatmeal porridge to the sick bay through a German sister in the faith.5WTA Emmen, interview Volp, Froukje, 31-08-1995. Sjaan Pronk suffered from malnutrition when she arrived at St. Lambrecht, and there her sisters in the faith continued caring for her.6PA, interview Pronk, Cobie, 18-10-2002. Maybe it was because of her bad state of health she was given the task of shepherding the sheep, a job which required relatively little physical strength compared to the other types of work.

Ella Hempel too was in bad health when she arrived in Styria from Ravensbrück. Toos Berkers remembers Ella Hempel as often being ill at St. Lambrecht. Therefore, Toos Berkers took over the physically strenuous kitchen work from her. Berkers incurred oedema, which made her stomach, her arms and legs swell up. She thought the cause of this was a stress reaction of the body.7PA, interview Berkers, Toos, 16-10-2002. I deem it more probable that the cause must be sought in the malnutrition to which she had been exposed for several years. This syndrome was ignored and there followed no treatment for the ailment. When Toos Berkers incurred influenza, she was released from work for two days and had then to resume work although she hadn’t recovered.8PA, interview Berkers, Toos, 16-10-2002.

Gerdina Huisman skidded with her hobnailed climbing boots on a slippery spot, caused by the extinguishing of a fire opposite the entrance to the abbey. She fell and fractured her right forearm. The Polish physician could not treat this complicated multiple fracture properly. He only splinted the arm with two wooden strips. The result was that Huisman suffered severe pains and the arm swelled up. Even in this case there were no pain killers available. As Gerdina Huisman could not work with her broken arm, she feared that she would be sent back to the main camp, but she wasn’t. Now she had to assist in activities she could manage with her handicap. The male detail had a cobbler, the Spanish inmate Jose Lopez Saez. He made a leather splint for Gerdina, that relieved the pain in her arm and enabled the healing of the multiple fracture. But the unprofessional treatment left the forearm clearly misshapen.9PA, interview Huisman, Gerdina, 15-10-2002.

The exceptional situation to which the inmates were exposed also left psychological marks. Froukje Volp for instance became depressed. She often cried. The other sisters in the faith responded by comforting her and offering her the support of the religious community.10PA, interview Berkers, Toos, 16-10-2002.

Living conditions in the concentration camp damaged both body and spirit. All the Jehovah’s Witnesses who could be interviewed or who have left a biography, have experienced physical problems or have incurred physical damage due to their camp experience.

The psychologically difficult situation was made easier to bear by the mutual bond and the influence of the religious community. Coping with the events depended on the psychological reserves and the individual personality structure of each female Bible Student. This allows for the conclusion that the varied potential was transformed into different coping strategies.

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