Camp Punishment
In St. Lambrecht women’s concentration camp there were apparently no collective punitive measures imposed upon the female Bible Students, apart from a one-time prohibition to receive mail.1PA, interview Hoogers-Elbertsen, Jans, 16-10-2002. It is also not known that any punishment was imposed upon individual members of the female detail by either the camp management or camp commandant Schöller. The ‘punitive transfer’ of Gerdina Huisman, which was voluntarily proposed by her to avoid contact with the Spanish inmate Manuel Amoros Lafuente, has already been described. This, however, was an exception.
The female inmates were however humiliated by the female guards and were also physically maltreated, at least by the younger Jane Gerda B.2PA, interview Messnarz-Günter, Margarete, 13-09-2002; PA, interview Huisman, Gerdina, 15-10-2002. Small matters that were not tolerated by this guard, such as yodelling, were sufficient reason for her to dole out blows.
This guard’s bullying was however kept within bounds because the inmates and their working efficiency were useful to the Nazi administration. Apart from that, as already stated, camp commandant Schöller protected the female Bible Students against the high-handedness of the female guard.3PA, interview Huisman, Gerdina, 15-10-2002; interview Hoogers-Elbertsen, Jans, 16-10-2002.
Next →