Ala Gertner

Ala Gertner, and Alla, Alina, Ela, Ella Gärtner ( born March 12, 1912 in bendin Poland, † January 5, 1945 in the concentration camp Auschwitz -Birkenau ) was in the preparations for the armed uprising of the prisoners' details in the crematoria III involved with the smuggling of explosives and IV in concentration camp Birkenau and was after weeks of torture murdered by the camp Gestapo in a staged execution in mind of being beaten prisoners, together with three co-venturers by the SS.

Biography

Ala Gertner was born one of three children of a wealthy family in Poland. Her parents allowed her to German occupation of Poland in 1939 to attend high school in Bedzin.

On October 28, 1940 (today Rzedziwojowice ) deported from Sosnowiec station from the labor camp in Geppersdorf, where she was forced to do forced labor in motorway construction through the organization Schmelt ( route of the motorway A 4). She had there in the kitchen and the laundry work. Because of their knowledge of German, she came into the warehouse management. There she met fellow prisoners Bernhard Holtz, whom she married after his release from the forced labor.

Auschwitz

After a stop in the transit camp Bedzin she was eventually deported from July to August 1944, the hitherto survivors of this ghetto to Auschwitz. In Auschwitz Gertner was forced to work in the stockroom when sorting the belongings of gassed prisoners now. She learned, amongst others Rózia Robota know and became friends with her. Robota was a member of a secret resistance group of the camp. Ala Gertner came into the Union munitions factory office. There she participated for months with other in smuggling explosives on the prisoners of the Sonderkommando to prepare an outbreak. She managed to win more women for the dangerous participation in this plan.

Together with her Rózia Robota, Regina Safirsztajn and esters Wajcblum were hanged.

Legacy, remembrance

Ala Gertner could from the labor camp 28 Letters to Sala Kirschner ( born Garncarz ) Send that have survived. Relatives who have survived are not known.

On October 7, 1994, a memorial plaque in honor of Roza Robota, Ala Gertner, Esther Wajcblum and Regina Safirsztajn was unveiled in the main camp at a memorial service marking the 50th anniversary of the Sonderkommando revolt in Auschwitz -Birkenau State Museum. Other memorials there are in Israel and Australia.

The last known letter from Gertner from Będzin at Sala Garncarz was:

Kamionka

July 15, 1943 Dearest sarenka, I'm just at the post office, now scheduled to depart post and how I could not write to my dear Sara there? My little Bernhard was visiting. It seems to go good for him and he feels fine. I 'd like to know how you are? We are all ok and expect to come into the camp. Today is a somewhat strange day, but we are in good spirits and confident. Not despair, it will be all right. Chin up, it 'll be fine. Best wishes from all the family and from my Bernhard