The day a Holocaust survivor got revenge on his tormentor

NY Post ^ | 11/9/14 | Martin Greenfield

[Impala64ssa]

He survived the savagery of the Holocaust, made it to America with barely a penny and became a world-famous tailor in Brooklyn, dressing celebrities and presidents. In his new memoir, “Measure of a Man,” Martin Greenfield tells the story of his extraordinary life. In this excerpt, he explains how the concentration camps nearly stripped him of his humanity at age 16 — and the day he got it back. While at Buchenwald, the SS assigned me to work in the munitions factory. But early one morning after roll call, a soldier placed me on a 12-prisoner team to perform repairs outside the camp in nearby Weimar. Working in the city was a welcome distraction from camp life. Sometimes you got lucky and spotted a potato in a field or smuggled a trinket to trade for food. Either way, it was a chance to see the sky, escape the stench of rotting corpses, and confirm that there was still a world beyond the barbed wire. We loaded our gear and marched the few miles to Weimar. The soldiers stopped us in front of a bombed-out mansion, home to the mayor of Weimar. A big black Mercedes sat out front. The soldiers commanded us to sift the rubble, clear the debris, and begin repairs on the mansion. I walked alone to the back of the estate to assess the damage. Dusty piles of broken bricks lay scattered across the yard. Seeing the cellar door ajar, I slowly opened it. A shaft of sunlight filled the dank cellar. On one side of the space sat a wooden cage wrapped in chicken wire. I walked closer and noticed two quivering rabbits inside the cage.

[Impala64ssa]

Interesting account of a Holocaust survivor that shows that G-D Almighty, in his time, has a way of seeing to it that what goes around comes around. Karma is a b!tch.

[Kenton]

In Weimar, the mayor and his wife, after seeing Buchenwald atrocities, slashed their wrists.”

I love stories with a happy ending.

Could have been better, but hell, the bastards are dead.

[dfwgator]

“Teddy ——in’ Williams knocks it out of the park! Fenway Park on its feet for Teddy -—in’ Ballgame! He went yardo on that one, out to -—in’ Lansdowne Street!”

[Fresh Wind]

Apparently, George Soros, the Jewish Nazi, made such a good deal with Satan that his Karmic payback has been delayed much longer than it should have been.

But it’s coming, count on it.

[Ancesthntr]

Great story, thanks for posting it.

Glad to see that the mayor and his wife offed themselves - that way no one else has any guilt for their deaths, especially this particular guy.

[Rusty0604]

I like the part where he slipped notes into Eisenhower’s pockets.

[GOPJ]

Beautiful post...

[vladimir998]

“I love stories with a happy ending.”

Actually there are sources that say that they DID NOT commit suicide. It was the mayor and his wife from a nearby town, not Weimar.

[elcid1970]

Most Nazi suicides after V-E Day were among the well to do & influential. They were fully aware of what their Third Reich had done to the Jews & other “subhumans” & they expected the Allies to reply in kind, outside of the rule of law, as was already happening where the Red Army had conquered.

Germans living near death camps claimed they had no idea what was going on despite the unmistakable stench of the crematoria. The nearest thing to Allied poetic justice was forcing Germans to handle & bury the thousands of murdered corpses. Some were driven to suicide after that experience as well.

[DariusBane]

!

[rfreedom4u]

My only concern regarding them offing themselves is what happened to the baby?

[boycott]

Apparently, George Soros, the Jewish Nazi, made such a good deal with Satan that his Karmic payback has been delayed much longer than it should have been.

But it’s coming, count on it.

---

Yep. And the world will be a better place when it does.

[boycott]

Apparently, George Soros, the Jewish Nazi, made such a good deal with Satan that his Karmic payback has been delayed much longer than it should have been.

But it’s coming, count on it.

---

Yep. And the world will be a better place when it does.

[boycott]

Apparently, George Soros, the Jewish Nazi, made such a good deal with Satan that his Karmic payback has been delayed much longer than it should have been.

But it’s coming, count on it.

---

Yep. And the world will be a better place when it does.

[Pajamajan]

Wow-Great Story!

[submarinerswife]

I love this story of how this man, as a boy of 16 stopped himself from cold blooded murder of the mayor’s wife. He came so close to what he considers a monster like the SS. I don’t know if I could have recognized God’s intentions at the time. It really was very close to Hell as it comes.

I always feel very tiny in comparison to survivors of the Holocaust and their wisdom on life after liberation.

I found his audiobook on Audible.com and plan to purchase it.

[submarinerswife]

Actually there are sources that say that they DID NOT commit suicide. It was the mayor and his wife from a nearby town, not Weimar.

That's interesting. I kinda wish they did off themselves because it seems like this man, Mr. Greenfield, has peace because he believed it was so.

[FreshPrince]

Mr Greenfield is a bit confused. It was the Mayor/Wife of Ohrdruf who committed suicide. Greenfield was in the Buchenwald subcamp near Ohrdruf. The people of Ohrdruf were forced to view the camp, along with the Mayor and wife, not Weimar.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Then and there I made a vow to myself: If I survived Buchenwald, I would return and kill the mayor’s wife.

Reminds me of an old saying;

"Before you start off on the road to vengeance, dig two graves."

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

They were fully aware of what their Third Reich had done to the Jews & other “subhumans” & they expected the Allies to reply in kind, outside of the rule of law, as was already happening where the Red Army had conquered.

I love that scene in Band of Brothers where the formerly well-to-do people of the local town were made to sort the bodies and dig graves. Sweet Schadenfreude.