"Was this a bargain or was this an insult?" wondered Frau Fleischmann not in a position to philosophise. For the starck facts were 50,000 Slovakian Jews had already been gassed at the time, the end of 1942. Even if two pounds sterling per person was an individual insult it represented in toto á?á50,000. Which Gizi didn't have. Nor did she really know how to get it, at least in time, such a large sum in cash.
Nevertheless, she had been buzy, she had to be busy, having got in touch with the Jewish Agency in istanbul, Turkey, as well as with Saly Mayer, who represented the "Joint" the American Jewish Charity in Switzerland.
As Frau Fleischmann had feared the response from Saly Mayer was to all intents and puposes negative.Explained Saly Mayer in his letter responding to Gizi's urgent appeal for help! "Im am an old man. But I am not new to philanthropy. It is my brief and desire not to squabble over shortage of funds. So how can you esxpect me to send á?á50,000 to these murdering swine? Money, especially in cash that they could easily take, but give nothing in return. If you asked me to feed hungry Jews or provide them with clothing and blankets, this I might consider but only if it goes to them and not the Nazis".
The trouble was not only that mail was slow, but that, changing Saly Mayer's way of thinking seemed an even slower process. So there was not time to make and receive written explanations. Especially since the Haupsturmfuhrer had given Gizi just four short weeks to get and place the money in cash on his deck. No time, even if Mayer could be induced to believe that the Baron, although representing the Nazis, was a man of his word; having already stopped the deportations anticipating a successful deal.
Which could of course be a ruse, as Gizi was pretty sure, Mayer might have pointed out; in that it was of course just as easy to restart the deportations after the money was received, as to stop them as token of good faith.
Moreover, when Frau Fleischmann with much fortitude actually pointed this out, the Baron made no attempt to deny the possibility. Instead he said : "Certainly. But how you convince your people and ?how you get the money to me is? your business. So if you want the prisoners to survive the war you better see to it that the money is in my possession ?when and where I want it?".
"But", wailed Gizi, "have mercy Herr Baron. We shall get the money. But it will take some time".
"How much time?" bellowed the Officer. He presently calmed down however, saying : "All right, Frau Fleischmann; another two weeks!". Gizi got up weakly, thanking the man opposite her.
The two weeks however disappeared too quickly; and with no money having as yet arrived when Gizi Fleischmann went again in front of the Officer it was like facing a stone wall. "I have justgiven orders to deport 3,000 more Jews to the gas chambers", he said harshly.
"But the money is on the way", Gizi interjected pleadingly.
"On the way is not enough. I fulfilled my part of the bargain; what I want is á?á50,000 in cash. On my desk, and in time".
Although Gizi could say nothing to this then, she had of course not been idle. Expecting no response, at least in time from Mayer in Switzerland, she had sent courier after courier to the Jewish Agency in Istanbul, impressing on them the urgency of thesituation and the likehood, if not the certainty, that many Jewscould be saved; might be saved. But only if at least some moneywas found ?and? delivered. And at last it had been.
So facing the Baron, shaking inwardly and yet surprised by herfortitude, Frau Fleischmann astonished herself when withunexpected audacity she asked : "Will you ?really?, now that I have the money, save the remainder of the Jews of Slovakia, now some 20,000 from the gas chambers?"
"Money or no money", screamed the Baron, "I have the power to send ?you? to the gas chamber, for your insolence. I do however admire your courage. Also not all German officers agree with everything that is being done in their name. Nevertheless all must and most do their duty for their Fatherland, as must all Allied Officers and men".
But deeds speak even louder than words. Certainly in this case. For while the Baron could easily renage on the evrbal agreement and while Jews were being exterminated in all manner of ways wherever Nazi boots had stepped on, in Slovakia no Jew had been,for at least two years. Certainly, it is recorded, not just because he was a Jew. Even though Jews were being executed again in 1944 but only if they took part in the uprising organised by the Partisans. If Gizi Fleischmann had had no more achievements to her credit than the ones described so far it would suffice to place her among the great and glorious in the struggle to save Jews during the Holocaust.
Which is was Haupsturmfuhrer Baron von Wiscliceny must have thought
too. For he did not wait, when the possible opportunity arose for Frau
Fleischmann to contact ?him?. Instead he sought out
Frau Fleischmann and this is how the Baron began the fresh dialogue
"You believe that I am a man of my word. You believe that I can be trusted".
When Gizi nodded assent, the officer continued : "You also don't think that I am among the worst - at least as Germans or Nazis go".
Gizi one more nodded for she couldn't help but agreeing with the soldier's self-praise. She was also curious to find out why and for what purpose he had summonded her. She did not have long to wait. Von Wiscliceny came almost at once to the point : "We have some 20,000 Jews, all in Slovakia, but I estimate there are still some three million more waiting to be gassed elsewhere in Europe".
"And", interrupted Gizi, noticing with approval the Baron's "we" relative to saving Jews.
Gizi found it difficult to inhale and exhale air, on account of understandable inner tension.
"And", continued the Baron, "the powers that be want the German Reich Judenrein, cleansed of its Jews. As well as the rest of German occupied Europe".
Once again, Gizi noticed that rather than saying "I" want Europe free of Jews, Baron had said "the Powers that be". Which might of course have been just a manner of speech and nothing else. Be this as it may Frau Fleischmann, with her usual fortitude, said : "And the Jews want to be rid of German Occupied Europe".
The Baron made no direst response to Gizi's remark. Instead he replied with a smile : "Well, and we can oblige. For a price : two million dollars. It is known in Berlin as 'the Plan for Europe'. It will get the Jews out of concentration camps like Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Maidaneck".
"All Jews", Gizi queried with some scepticism. "Yes, ?all? Jews, of Greek, French, Belgian, Dutch and Scandinavian origin"."Smelling a rat" Gizi interjected quickly : "And what about German and Polish Jews?"
Wiscliceny hesitated. Then he said, "They are not included in the deal".
Gizi was so overwhelmed she didn't dare to ask why. Instead she tried to come up with her own secret explanation. "I suppose they will come up with anoher deal for the German and Polish Jews". Nor did she think it was a hoax. After all she ?had? worked successfully with the Baron before. He ?had? delivered when she had come up with the agreed price. There was however a difference. It nit in principle, in relation to the vastness of the operation. 20,000 was a lot of people. It paled however into insignificance compared to three million. Moreover these three million were not in a relatively small area, but spread over nearly the whole of Europe. The same applied to the cash involved. á?á25,000 had been difficult enough to get in cash and get within the certain time limit. However two million dollars, also in cash, was quite a different sort of proposition. And so Frau Fleischmann was of course quite justified, bewildered and confused that she was, to repeat her previous question in somewhat different words : "You mean mein Herr, for two million dollars you will guarantee the lives of ?all the remaining? Jews, now surviving in Europe?"
The Baraon apparently did not think that Gizi's carefully recorded question was not justified. He therefore screamed : "You are not a stupid woman, Frau Fleischmann. Nor mill I stand for the artificial lenghtening of the negotiation and so I shallrepeat my offer but only once". And he did, carefully and slowly, as follows : "I'll stop the deportations of ?all? the Jews of Europe to the gas chambers, ?except those of German or Polish origin?".
At that point Gizi tried to interrupt Wiscliceny. But he would not have it. Instead he continued firmly : "And there are no ifs or buts ... there is nothing I can do for Jews from Germany or Poland, at least for the moment". He then added : "I have already done more than I should have done. Oh yes, and in return I want two million in American dollars in cash on my desk. On the same terms as in the past". Gizi thanked the Baron and left. If only she could be successful in persuading the people with the money that there was every chance the two million sent could be saved, if only the money was forthcoming, and so she got in touch at once with Saly Mayer, with this new proposition in Switzerland.
Having been less co-operative with Gizi in the past, but having heard that she had been able to save 20,000 Slovakian Jews with money from other sources, he admitted : "The German has proved a person one can trust. So I am ready to accept his offer. Two million dollars for the lives of two to three million Jews". But then came the proviso - which was unacceptable. Mayer had said in advance : "I am willing to guarantee the two million American dollars. I haven't however that much in actual cash, but rely wholly in this on the American Joint. And they say they would pay the sum agreed to Wiscliceny but after the war. If for no other reasons than because of currency restrictions by the Allies".
Gizi knew she didn't have much of a chance with this proposition.
That the conditions she was about to deliver were just the "ifs and the
buts" which the Baron har ruled out in advance. Nevertheless since
this was all that she had she went back to the negotiating table, inwardly
afraid, but trying not to betray her fears on her face. And she was pleasantly
surprised when the
expected outburst on hearing the offer by Mayer, did not come about.
Gizi thus plucked up enough courage to say : "We don't doubt your intentions
but wonder if you will have the power toreally stop deportations all over
Europe".
Frau Fleischmann's fortitude was well rewarded. For instead ofthrowing her out or taking other wilder measures, the Baron,almost lamely made this proposition : "Pay the sum asked for inmonthly instalments of two hundred thousand dollars, and we'llstop deporting Jews. If we don't, just stop paying".
Gizi Fleischmann and her people thought that Wiscliceny was almost a friend. Or at least could not be fairer to us in all the circumstances.
As a result she was confident that Mayer and the Joint would be of the same mind, and the money woult!
Gizi was at her wits end. She had no idea how Wiscliceny would react if and when she relayed to him Mayer's attitude. He might send her at once to a gas chamber and/or even speed up deportations. In the event, although the Baron had let threetime limits lapse, she was surprised when he gave her permission when she asked : "May I go to Budapest to collect the money?"
The President of the All Hungarian Association of Jewish Communities was a Councillor Stern. He was very sympathetic, as was every member of the Community. But you can't get anything out of a stone. And so the arguments of Councillor Stern were similar to those of Mayer. "We haven't got that sort of money, and if we did have it, I don't know if I could use it for nonªHungaroans!" Fortunately, but not fortunately enough, as it turned out, 57,000 dollars had turned up from Istanbul. Could Gizi dare to offern the Baron this money ?and? ask at the same time for a further delay?!!!
"My limit is a further two weeks", was the Baron's almost mild response ... "My absolute limit!" but when a letter that was sent from Mayer to Gizi contained this message : "Put the money for Wiscliceny in a blocked Swiss account", he had Frau Fleischmann brought before him, screaming : "I told you what must be done. The money ?must? be delivered in cash. After the war is no good to us. Even to me who tried to be fair to you people and help".The Baron had a point. Even Gizi Fleischmann thought that, although she kept that thought to herself. And so events moved or were set into motion as follows : Wiscliceny told Berlin the Plan for Europe is in disarray. There is no money now. As aresult the deportations were restarted. The empty trains to the camps were filled and chimneys at the gas chambers were smoking once more.
With German correctness, Baron Dieter von Wiscliceny, Chief of the S.S. in Slovakia returned the 57,000 dollars and made sure that Frau Gizi Fleischmann and all Slovakian Jews were safe, as per agreement. S.S. Obersturmfuhrer, Wiscliceny's successor, was not so bound. Nevertheless, he sent for Frau Fleischmann to tell her that the agreement would be honoured and that the Jews of Slovakia and she herself would be safe. Could Brunner's assurances be trusted? Maybe and maybe not. Experience however taught Gizi Fleischmann and the other remaining leaders of the Jewish community that mostly before new persecutions were begun, assurances as to safety had preceded them. And so young Jews within the Partisans revolted. They were helped by israeli paratroopers specially brought in by the;Allies. In the event Brunner felt justified by the events and suppressed them with exceptional cruelty. He also sent for FrauFleischmann, informing her smoothly :
"There is nothing to worry about. If you Jews behave, nothingwill happen to them. On the contrary, we are pleged to protectthem and this can only be done by peaceful transfer to specialcamps".
This may or may not have been a ruse. Frau Fleischmann could notbe sure; however on balance - Jews having in the past been deceived by similar assurances - her experience and her instincts told her not to believe Brunner. So she went to Budapest to warn the Committee. Attemts were also made by members with connections with more friendly officers among the occupation forces, such as the S.S. Haupsturmfuhrer Gruson as well as von Wiscliceny, to staibilize conditions in Slovakia. As a result Baron Wiscliceny did get special authority direct from Berlin to act in Slovakia. He actually went for that very purpose to Bratislava while Gizi went to Sared, the biggest Jewish camp to organise a mass escape.
But Brunner beat her and Wiscliceny to the punch. Gizi Fleischmann was
arrested. When they found a file on her with which to cut through prison
bars, they handcuffed Gizi Fleischmann, and sent her in a truck all of
her own, to Auschwitz. To forestall any intervention, perhaps from Baron
von Wiscliceny who had shown great respect for the fortitude of Frau Fleischmann,
they put her stright into a gas chamber, all by herself, her life not being
considered worth ?two dollars? by the
world and even her own people.