Zaciągnął się w Palestynie by służyć sprawie wolności.
Z epitafium na nagrobku R. Altmana
Niedaleko od wejścia na cmentarz, nieco z boku, znajdują się dwa groby. Symboliczne, nie ma w nich ciał. To mogiły dwóch żołnierzy z Palestyny. Żydowskich ochotników.
Palestyna, brytyjskie terytorium mandatowe, nie była przed wybuchem II wojny światowej miejscem spokojnym. Syjonizm, napływ Żydów z Europy, coraz bardziej niechętna postawa Arabów, ba nawet późniejsza kolaboracja części z nich z nazistami, konflikty. To wszystko powodowało iż Brytyjczycy niezbyt chętnie patrzyli na możliwości uzbrajania i tworzenia oddziałów palestyńskich Żydów czy Arabów. Jednak kiedy wybuchła wojna, setki ochotników, z obydwu społeczności, zgłaszały swoja chęć walki przeciw Niemcom. Władze brytyjskie wyszły na przeciw ich oczekiwaniom, przynajmniej częściowo, zaciągając ich do wojsk inżynieryjnych. Ich pierwsza kampania w Grecji, była też ich ostatnią. Większość z nich została wzięta do niewoli w Kalamacie, pewna liczba później na Krecie. Spora cześć Żydów niedawno opuściła Europę, niektórzy pochodzili z Niemiec lub Austrii. Jeńcy bali się jak postąpią z nimi Niemcy. W czasie przesłuchań wielu podawało jako swe miejsce urodzenia Palestynę, wielu stwierdzało iż zostali siłą wcieleni do brytyjskiej armii. Rzeczywiście przez pewien czas istniała obawa co do ich statusu, emigrantów z Niemiec chciano uznać za "uciekinierów przed sprawiedliwością", izolowano nawet ich od reszty jeńców. Ostatecznie jednak uznani zostali za jeńców wojennych. Z Grecji, wraz z tysiącami innych jeńców alianckich, Palestyńczycy trafili do obozów w Niemczech. Arabów próbowano zwerbować do Legionu Arabskiego, który miał walczyć z Brytyjczykami. Na kolaboracje poszło około setki z nich. Reszta trafiła, wraz z żydowskimi towarzyszami do Łambinowic. Było ich przeszło tysiąc. Wśród nich Altmann i El-Mishali. Niemcy liczyli iż pośród więźniów pojawią się nastroje antysemickie, co doprowadzi do separacji i gorszego traktowania Żydów. Okazało się że było inaczej. Mąż zaufania Sidney Sherriff i oświadczył iż nie będzie miała miejsca żadna segregacja, a potem pokrzyżował niemieckie plany pozbawienia Palestyńczyków racji żywnościowych z Czerwonego Krzyża. Mieli takie sam status jak inni jeńcy. Co więcej w przypadku śmierci pochówek odbywał się z wojskowym ceremoniałem, a na nagrobkach znajdowała się Gwiazda Dawida. Oczywiście żydowscy jeńcy doświadczali jak wszyscy inni ciemnych tron niewoli. Brutalność i okrucieństwo ze strony strażników, zwłaszcza w komandach roboczych. Kilku z nich zostało zabitych. No i ciężkiej pracy, na przykład w śląskich i zagłębiowskich kopalniach (Jaworzno). W takich komandach roboczych znajdowali się Altmann i El-Mishali.
Masud El-Mishali (sądząc po imieniu i nazwisku prawdopodobnie był Sefardyjczykiem) zmarł w lazarecie w Chorzowie 8 marca 1943 roku. Jego nekrolog znajduje się w 5. numerze obozowej gazety "Clarion" (nazwisko w pisowni Mischoli, jako datę śmierci podano 9 marzec)
Richard Altmann, syn Hugo i Margarete ( z domu Lippmann) zmarł 11 marca 1943 roku w wieku 36 lat w lazarecie w Siemianowicach. Jego nekrolog znajduje się w 4. numerze "Clariona".
Obaj zostali pochowani na cmentarzu żydowskim w Chorzowie. W archiwum fotograficznym Instytutu Yad Vashem trafiłem na zdjęcia ich mogił.
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| Mogiła R. Altmanna na cmentarzu żydowskim w Chorzowie . Ze zbiorów Yad Vashem. http://collections.yadvashem.org |
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| Mogiła K. El-Mishali na cmentarzu żydowskim w Chorzowie. Ze zbiorów Yad Vashem. http://collections.yadvashem.org |
Jaka straszliwa ironia losu. Cmentarz był zdewastowany przez nazistów. Z wojskowymi honorami odbyły się dwa pochówki. Na żydowskich mogiłach leżały wieńce z swastykami.
Cmentarz jakoś przetrwał okupację. Został zamknięty w latach 50, a w 1973 roku go zlikwidowano. Część grobów ekshumowano i przeniesiono do Bytomia.Nie wszystkie jednak. Zniknął też ślad po grobach jeńców. Stąd te dwa symboliczne nagrobki na krakowskim cmentarzu.
Not far away from the entrance to the cemetary, a little at the corner, there are two graves. They are only symbolic as there are no bodies in them. They are graves of two soldiers from Palestine. The Jewish volunteers.
Palestine, the British mandated territory, wasn’t a peaceful place before the outbreak of the II World War. Zionism, Jewish influx from Europe, growing reluctance of Arabs, even later the collaborance of some of them with the Nazis, conflicts. All of these factors caused that the British didn’t want to arm and create the troops of Palestinian Jews or Arabs. However, when the war exploded, hundreds of volunteers, from the two communities, wanted to fight against Germany. British authorities lived up to their expectations, at least partly, taking them to the engineering forces. Their first campaign in Greece was at the same time their last one. The majority of them was taken into captivity in Kalamata, some of them later in Crete. A considerable part of the Jews has recently left Europe, some of them came from Germany or Austria. The prisoners were afraid how Germans would treat them. During the hearings many of them declared Palestine to be their place of birth. Many of them claimed to be taken by force to the British army.
In fact, during some time there was a fear concerning their status. The emigrants from Germany were acknowledged as ‘’the fugitives against/from justice’’ and they were even isolated from the rest of the prisoners. However, finally they were recognized as the prisoners of war. From Greece, together with the thousands of other alied prisoners, Palestinians got to the camps in Germany. The Arabs were tried to be enlisted to Arab Legion, which were to fight with the British. About hundred of them decided to collaborate. The rest, together with the Jews, got to Łambinowice. There were above thousand of them. Among them, Altmann and El-Mishali. The Germans hoped that among the prisoners anti-Semitic moods would appear which would lead to separation and worse treating of the Jews. It turned out that it was differently. The camp leader, Sidney Sherriff said that there would be no segregation and later he thwarted German plans of depriving Palestinians of their parcels from the Red Cross. They had the same status as the other prisoners of war. What is more, in the case of their death, the burial included military ritual and on their gravestone the Star of David had to be put. Of course, the Jewish prisoners of war experienced also the dark sides of captivity like the others. The brutality and cruelty of the guards especially in the work parties. A few of them were killed. They also experienced hard work for example in silesian mines (Jaworzno). In such work parties there were Altmann and El-Mishali.
Masud El-Mishali (judging by its name and surname he was probably Sephardic) died in the hospital in Chorzów on the 8th March, 1943. His obituary is in the 5th issue of a camp newspaper ‘’Clarion’’ (the surname written Mischoli, the date of death was 9th March).
Richard Altman, Hugo and Margarete’s son (family name Lippmann) died on the 11th of March, 1943 at the age of 36 in the hospital in Siemianowice. His obituary is placed in the 4th issue of ‘’Clarion’’.
They were both buried on the Jewish Cemetary in Chorzów. In the photographic archive of Yad Vashem Institute I came across their graves’ photos.
What an irony of fate. The cemetary was devastated by the Nazis. There were two burials with the military honours. The wreaths with the swastikas were put on the Jewish graves.
The cemetary survived during the occupation. It was closed in the 50 –ies and in 1973 it was closed. Some graves were exhumed and moved to Bytom. But not all of them. The trace of the prisoners’ graves also disappeared. That is why, there are two symbolic gravestones on the cemetary in Cracow.
Not far away from the entrance to the cemetary, a little at the corner, there are two graves. They are only symbolic as there are no bodies in them. They are graves of two soldiers from Palestine. The Jewish volunteers.
Palestine, the British mandated territory, wasn’t a peaceful place before the outbreak of the II World War. Zionism, Jewish influx from Europe, growing reluctance of Arabs, even later the collaborance of some of them with the Nazis, conflicts. All of these factors caused that the British didn’t want to arm and create the troops of Palestinian Jews or Arabs. However, when the war exploded, hundreds of volunteers, from the two communities, wanted to fight against Germany. British authorities lived up to their expectations, at least partly, taking them to the engineering forces. Their first campaign in Greece was at the same time their last one. The majority of them was taken into captivity in Kalamata, some of them later in Crete. A considerable part of the Jews has recently left Europe, some of them came from Germany or Austria. The prisoners were afraid how Germans would treat them. During the hearings many of them declared Palestine to be their place of birth. Many of them claimed to be taken by force to the British army.
In fact, during some time there was a fear concerning their status. The emigrants from Germany were acknowledged as ‘’the fugitives against/from justice’’ and they were even isolated from the rest of the prisoners. However, finally they were recognized as the prisoners of war. From Greece, together with the thousands of other alied prisoners, Palestinians got to the camps in Germany. The Arabs were tried to be enlisted to Arab Legion, which were to fight with the British. About hundred of them decided to collaborate. The rest, together with the Jews, got to Łambinowice. There were above thousand of them. Among them, Altmann and El-Mishali. The Germans hoped that among the prisoners anti-Semitic moods would appear which would lead to separation and worse treating of the Jews. It turned out that it was differently. The camp leader, Sidney Sherriff said that there would be no segregation and later he thwarted German plans of depriving Palestinians of their parcels from the Red Cross. They had the same status as the other prisoners of war. What is more, in the case of their death, the burial included military ritual and on their gravestone the Star of David had to be put. Of course, the Jewish prisoners of war experienced also the dark sides of captivity like the others. The brutality and cruelty of the guards especially in the work parties. A few of them were killed. They also experienced hard work for example in silesian mines (Jaworzno). In such work parties there were Altmann and El-Mishali.
Masud El-Mishali (judging by its name and surname he was probably Sephardic) died in the hospital in Chorzów on the 8th March, 1943. His obituary is in the 5th issue of a camp newspaper ‘’Clarion’’ (the surname written Mischoli, the date of death was 9th March).
Richard Altman, Hugo and Margarete’s son (family name Lippmann) died on the 11th of March, 1943 at the age of 36 in the hospital in Siemianowice. His obituary is placed in the 4th issue of ‘’Clarion’’.
They were both buried on the Jewish Cemetary in Chorzów. In the photographic archive of Yad Vashem Institute I came across their graves’ photos.
What an irony of fate. The cemetary was devastated by the Nazis. There were two burials with the military honours. The wreaths with the swastikas were put on the Jewish graves.
The cemetary survived during the occupation. It was closed in the 50 –ies and in 1973 it was closed. Some graves were exhumed and moved to Bytom. But not all of them. The trace of the prisoners’ graves also disappeared. That is why, there are two symbolic gravestones on the cemetary in Cracow.
Źródła:
Gelber Y., Palestynian POWs In German Captivity, w Yad Vashen Studies, Jerozolima 1981
Gilbert A, POW. Allied Prisoners in Europe 1939-1945, London 2007
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