I was doing that. All of a sudden, I heard such a noise.
Shooting, yelling, screaming. People running like with pain.
I pulled the drapes apart.
And all I could see is SS running like wild dogs,
shooting, killing, people running, children...
I mean, it's something that even today, I can see it.
I was standing, trembling, and paralyzed almost.
Schultz walked in and I [said] Schultz, what it is, what's happening, what it is?
He came and put his hand on my mouth. He said 'Shh!
The SS coming right up.
You don't want them to think you are a Jew lover.'
That's the first time I really know what was happening.
Now I overheard that the end is coming.
Few weeks, or three or four weeks later,
I heard Sturmbannführer (major) Keitel saying,
'I am your friend' to the major. You better get some other workers,
Ukrainian and Polish. We will teach them how to work.
Because the Jews, soon they will not be here.
Well. When I heard that, when I talked to my friends,
they would ask me 'Irene help!'
What can I do? I did not have home.
I was not with my family.
But I knew if I don't help, they will be dead.
There's nothing I could do.
So, miracle happened for me.
God put me in the right place at the right time.
Because I overheard the major saying that more soldiers are coming,
and that he's looking for home.
Soon he told me that he find a villa, big home.
I did not think out how I would do it yet,
you know, I mean, I wanted to help.
When I was doing that, you don't have time to think, you do.
So at that time, the night come.
I locked the door,
so they can come out for a second, go to the toilet,
I brought in some drink.
Ida said, we will go out, we will give ourselves up.
I said, my life is not more worth it than you.
We got so far.
I said go out there, tonight you'll be, you know, in a villa.
And so, everybody was tired because they went to bed late.
Major was tired, when he was going to bed,
he said that he has a big headache,
and he wanted to get something, some pills,
maybe for sleep.
Well I brought him milk for drinking.
I knew where he has a key.
About hour later, when he was fast asleep,
I took the key. I locked the door.
His door, I locked him in.
And I don't know why, but I remember I did that.
And, they'd have to let, one by one down,
and the three flights down,
into the officer's entrance,
because they could not go the other way.
I led them into the night.
And they knew where the villa is,
and that's how they will go.
I went there, I opened the window, to the German major's villa,
to the coal shoot,
you know, they put in coal through the window,
I left that open.
And they came through the coal shoot, down to the cellar.
[Interviewer] One by one.
During the night.
And they said six. There were twelve!
And I was so happy that I have a place for my friends.