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The meals for the children were prepared in the kitchen of the ward.
Meals were prepared according to the types of diet suitable for children from
the ages of a few months to 2 years. We requisitioned the foodstuffs from the
department “camp food“ of the central camp administration. In the
first instance, we received all items allocated to small children according to
the official rationing schedule, including milk, white bread and special
infants’ food. In addition, and with the support of the central camp
administration and the cooperative stores of the Krupp firm, we managed
throughout to get hold of extra foodstuffs for the kitchen. Meals were prepared
cleanly and carefully. At the appropriate times the infants received their
milk, their pap and their other meals. Frequently, they received fruit. Medical
care of the children’s ward was in the hands of the camp physician Dr.
Kolesnik at all times; he lived in the building of the children’s home. In
addition, Dr. Jaeger, the chief camp physician, regularly inspected and
examined the children’s home.
During the summer 1944 more children
arrived. I remember that two transports, I believe of 20 to 25 children each,
arrived from Essen, and that we noticed particularly that these children were
in bad physical state. They seemed to be sick, and we did not believe that they
would live. I inspected these children practically every day, and found that
both the German and the Russian staff of the children’s home did their
best to improve the state of health of these children.
Soon after this,
an epidemic disease broke out, and during the next weeks a considerable number
of children fell victims to it. As far as I remember, scarlet fever broke out
first, then diphtheria, and other diseases. Both Dr. Kolesnik and Dr. Jaeger
were informed immediately. Their instructions were followed throughout. The
sick children were isolated. They received the necessary remedies which were
supplied currently. Every night, one or two nurses were detailed for night
nursing and stayed in the children’s rooms. I frequently asked Dr.
Kolesnik for the cause of the deaths. His German was but halting. He told me
that most of the children were suffering from tuberculosis as it was and hardly
able to live [lebensfaehig] he felt that not much could be done. I had informed
Dr. Jaeger, too, when the two transports of children in a bad physical state
had arrived; I had called his attention to this particularly. He implied that
he did not understand why these children had been assigned to the home. There
was a standing rule issued by Dr. Jaeger to the effect that every child was
first to be examined by him before it was admitted. In the case of
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