Readers Remember

In early May of 1945, after I spent over two years in Auschwitz, the Germans were on the run. Sandwiched between the Russian forces and the American 5th Army, our captors avoided the Russians and marched west to Gunskirchen camp, near Salzburg.

We concentration camp prisoners slept on the barracks’ bare ground. If you relieved yourself, you’d return to find your space taken, so prisoners urinated in empty cans, indiscriminately dumped around our “beds.”

Overwhelmed by the stench of the urine, I stood on a friend’s shoulders and pulled myself onto the wood beam near the ceiling. Others envied my newfound bed, but were too weak to lift themselves.

We heard bombs and artillery in the distance, and knew the end of the war was near. I actually slept peacefully that night.

When the morning light woke me on my crossbeam bed, I looked down. To my shock, the others had disappeared. Taken away and shot? I jumped down and ran to the front gate. Amazingly, it was wide open. American soldiers waved me through.

I walked to my freedom past three dead German soldiers. With tears in my eyes, I kissed the ground . . . and laughed to myself. I had overslept the liberation!

MANFRED WOLF

Los Angeles

What do you recall most about the 20th century? In 200 words or less, send us your memories, comments or eyewitness accounts. We will publish as many as we can on this page until the end of the year. Write to Century, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053, or e-mail century@latimes.com. We regret we cannot acknowledge individual submissions. Letters may be edited for space.