Alexsy Wajcen

Born:
30 June 1922, Hodorov
Interview:
21 March 2010 , 22 March 2010

"In military service"

Spoken language: Russian

- The translation in the subtitles are not yet synchronised correctly -

Alexsy Wajcen (Aleksej Waitsen) was born in the shtetl of Hodorov, a Jewish community not far from the town of Lvov in Ukraine. Horodov was part of Poland before the Second World War, but annexed by the Soviet Union after 1939. Alexsy was the oldest of five children. He served in the Soviet army from 1940 onwards and as a prisoner of war arrived in Sobibor, where he was selected for forced labour.

With the exception of one brother all other family members were killed by Ukrainian fascists during the war. Alexsy took part in the Sobibor revolt that was led by Alexander Pecherski and Leon Feldhendler. He fled and enrolled with the partisans. Later on he served in the Soviet army and continued to do so after the war as, among other things, a parachutist.

 

Alexsy Wajcen's recollections are confused and fragmentary. He says he didn't speak to anyone about Sobibor until well into the 'nineties, not even in private with his wife and children. It was forbidden to talk about Sobibor in the Soviet Union; anyone who did was punished severely.

In this interview is talked about:

  • Jewish life

    Which Jewish customs and traditions are referred to by the interviewees? Did they observe Jewish holidays before the Second World War? What role does their Jewishness play now? This section deals with Jewish life in the Netherlands and Poland.

    Alexsy Wajcen (1922) grew up in a typical Polish-Jewish community, a shtetl. He recalls of a large synagogue in this town. His Jewish family observed the sabbath at Friday evenings, of which Alexsy cherishes warm recollections. In school he associated with Jewish as well as non-Jewish youth; the several population groups got along well.

  • Life before the war

    In this section interviewees recollect their lives before the Second World War. The large majority of them grew up in Jewish Amsterdam. They tell about their childhood, recalling more or less beautiful aspects of family life...

    Alexsy Wajcen was born in Hodorov, a Jewish community not far from the town of Lvov in Ukraine. Horodov, now Ukraine, was part of Poland at the time. Alexsy was the oldest of five children. His Jewish family was neither rich nor poor and possessed four cows. Alexsy has warm recollections of his childhood, especially of the shabbath observances at Friday evenings. In school he associated with Jewish as well as non-Jewish Poles and Ukrainians. Polen en Oekraïners. The several population groups got along well. This changed drastically in 1939 with the occupation.

  • Life during the war

    Daily life was becoming more and more difficult for Jews during the German occupation. Persecution gradually became more intrusive and more gruesome. People tried to carry on with their everyday lives as long as they could.

    In 1940, at eighteen, Alexsy Wajcen is summoned to serve in the Soviet army. Jewish and non-Jewish soldiers gat along well. He was captured by Nazis a number of times but managed to escape every time. The last time he got captured as a POW was in Minsk, from where he was deported to Sobibor. After the revolt of May 14, 1943, in which he plays a part, Alexsy Wajcen escaped and enrolled with the partisans who combated the Nazis. Later Alexsy served in the Soviet army in Belarus. By the end of the war he was in Rastenburg, Germany.

  • Expectations

    Jews in the Netherlands must have sensed that life under German occupation was going to be hard and unpleasant for them. But what did they expect, what exactly did they think?

    When the Nazi Germans invaded, it was immediately clear to Jewish citizens what they were up to: rumours were manifold, but violent attacks on Jews were also for everyone to see.

  • Camps & ghettos

    There were three transit camps and one SS concentration camp in the Netherlands during the German occupation. Interviewees recollect their experiences in Westerbork and Vught. Camp life in Germany and Poland is also discussed.

    Alexsy Wajcen was taken POW by the Nazi Germans and from Minsk deported to Sobibor, where he was selected for forced labour upon arrival. Many other Russian prisoners were killed immediately. In the camo Alexsy was on a good footing with Alexander Pecherski. He also met Semion Rozenfeld (see his interview elsewhere on this site), whom he had known from before Sobibor. The prisoners spoke Hebrew amongst each other, so the guards could not understand them. Alexsy took part in the Sobibor revolt of October 14, 1943 under the leadership of Pecherski, who was elected in this position by the prisoners. He managed to escape from the destruction camp, leaving among the last, together with Pechersky.

  • Liberation

    Many interviewees are ambiguous about the liberation. They survived the war, but at what cost? Relatives and loved ones had been killed. Feelings of gratitude were mixed with feelings of mourning and loss.

    Alexsy remembers the liberation well. He was with his army unit in Rastenburg, Germany, at the time. All were in a festive mood, joy was great.

  • Life after the war

    How did it feel when many did not return after the war? Interviewees recollect how they resumed their lives, shaped by such huge losses.

    Alexsy Wajcen (1922) returned to his place of birth after the war, but found no one left there. He married Nina in 1947 and decided to enter the Soviet army, in which he worked, among other functions, as a parachutist. He always kept contact with Alexander Pecherski.

  • Consequences of Sobibor

    Interviewees lost loved ones and relatives in Sobibor. Here they talk freely about the role these losses still play in their lives.

    After the war Alexsy Wajcen decided in favour of a life-long service in the Soviet army. He didn't talk about his experiences in Sobibor. Speaking freely about his war experiences was possible only from the end of the 'nineties onwards. All the years up to then it was strictly forbidden in the Soviet Union to talk about Sobibor.

  • Demjanjuk trial

    Next of kin to people killed in Sobibor, and survivors of the revolt played a major role as co-plaintiffs during the Demjanjuk trial.

    Alexsy Wajcen remembers Demjanjuk in Sobibor. He tells how Demjanjuk would supervise the working brigade in the camp at seven in the morning.