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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
I.
The Early Years
II.
Moscow 1915-1919
III.
Finally, Fatherland (?)
IV.
The Twilight Zone
V.
Goodbye, Accursed Country
VI.
First Steps into the Wide, Wide World
Afterword
Postscript
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Volume 16
Michael Zimmermann
How I Survived
the Wars and Peace:
My Life in the Gulag
published by
the
Concordia University Chair in Canadian Jewish Studies
Copyright � Michael Zimmermann, 2002
Key
Words
Warsaw.
Moscow. Bolshevik Revolution. Polish student anti-Semitism. German
Invasion of Poland. Vilna, city 180 km northwest of Minsk. Lvov,
city near western border of the Ukraine. NKVD. Maryiska Soviet Republic.
Yoshkar-Ola, city 250 km east of Gorky. Soviet lumber camp. GULAG.
Arkzamas, regional city. Gorky, city 400 km east of Moskow. Sukhobezvodnaya,
Gulag camp. Leningrad. Karelo-Finnish Republic. General Sikorski.
Polish Government in Exile. General Anders' Army. Buzuluk Bashkirian
Republic. Tashkent, capital of Uzbeck Republic. Chkalov (Orenburg), city east
of the Urals. Kokand, city 180 km southeast of Tashkent. Namangan. Ferghana Valley.
Chust. Chust orphanage. Uzbekistan. Przemysl, Polish town. Prof.
Zbigniew Brzezinski. Wroclaw(Breslau). Kielce. Czechoslovakia. Displaced
Persons Camp. Austria. Riedenburg DP camp. ORT. Salzburg. Hallein,
Austrian town. Montreal, Canada.
Abstract
The
memoir begins with an account of the author's family in Warsaw,
Poland. He was born in 1907 and wrote this personal history between
August and November, 1995. He depicts Jewish life in Poland as oppressive,
subject to the constant pressure and prejudices from the majority
Catholic population. Reports on the discriminatory practices in
most areas of Polish society, particularly in the field of education
where the author describes his experiences at the Warsaw Polytechnic
where he studied and graduated as an Electrical Engineer. Reports
on the violent antiSemitic activities of the Polish student body.
Recalls his father business ventures and, with the outbreak of World
War I, the family move to Moscow, where they live from 1915 to 1919.
Depicts the wartime conditions in Moscow and the onset of the Bolshevik
Revolution. Family moves back to Warsaw. At the outbreak of World
War II and the German invasion of Poland, great masses of people
seek to escape the German onslaught by moving to the eastern border
with the USSR. Gives detailed report of the chaos that resulted.
Author and companions make their way to Lvov where they are arrested
by Soviet police and transported by prison car to the north-east
region of the Soviet Union. Arrives at a concentration camp where
inmates work at felling trees and preparing lumber. Describes the
camp conditions. Organizes attempt to escape the camp, but the attempt
is foiled and he is arrested by the NKVD and sent to prison. Transported
to several Gulag work-camps. With German invasion of the USSR in
June, 1941, shipped to eastern region beyond the Urals. Following
the German advances, transported to the central Asian republics,
and to Tashkent in the Uzbeck Republic. Experiences life and work
on several cooperative agricultural farms. Describes NKVD attempt
to recruit him as informer. Russian agreement to allow displaced
Polish citizens to join General Anders' army. At war's end travels
back to Poland. Describes the work of organizations who aid displaced
persons. Reports on the prevalent antiSemitic attitudes and acts
perpetrated against Jews returning to their former homes. He and
his surviving family make their way to Austria where he works as
teacher and principal at an ORT school. In 1950, he and his wife
and child, emigrate to Canada.
In a postscript, describes his post retirement employment as a translator
and interpreter to Canadian professional groups who cooperate with
Soviet agencies in a mutual agreement pact for cooperation in various
fields of science and technology. Over a number of years he visits
the USSR many times and reflects on the irony that while he had
suffered at the hands of the Soviet regime, nonetheless he had them
to thank for his surviving. Had he remained in Poland under the
Nazi occupation he undoubtedly would have perished in the death
camps, as had his family.
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