Tired?
No.
What's the work you're doing?
Carrying bricks on a building site. It's not too bad...
What's being built?
I don't know.
Poor Papa...
The sparrow scratched the stork So tired he couldn't walk
Ninus...
I think the war will soon be over.
Papa... Rudek has said they're planning more transports.
They're going to close the Ghetto and move us all out.
Whatever they think up, we'll manage.
And then we've got to be at the back.
Of course. It'll be fine.
In January 1943, as the Germans capitulate in Stalingrad-
- the Warsaw Ghetto is visited by Reichsfuhrer Heinrich Himmler.
To his surprise he discovers-
- that there are still tens of thousands of Jews in the Ghetto...
...and he orders 8,000 to be deported and killed forthwith.
Everyone out!
Ninka!
They're taking us to the trains!
Run! Give them this if they catch you.
- But I don't want to leave you... - You've got to! Run!
If you make it, so shall I!
No! Nina!
It wasn't like a human... more like an animal.
I think he was going to shoot. And that scream of Mama's stopped him...
...that's what I believe.
When we reached the Umschlagplatz - there were masses of us there -
- I suddenly remembered something Rudek had told me.
Mama...
- We need to be at the back. - What does it matter?
- It makes no difference now! - Mama!
Rudek said we must be at the back if we're taken to the Umschlagplatz.
- These two have been freed. - What?
Halt!
These two have been freed.
He stole a police hat, he stole a bicycle.
He was incredibly brave! He had no documents.
He had nothing - he just had the police hat, which wasn't his.
We found ourselves in no-man's-land-
- and we went into an empty building, up to the attic floor.
There we sat, waiting for dark to fall.
This time they only took five hundred from Schultz.
But we don't have much time. We've got to get out of here.
Things calmed down again, in relative terms...
In the Main Ghetto weapons were being gathered-
- but there was very little of that in the Small Ghetto-
- at Schultz or Toebbens.
We had an acquaintance outside the Ghetto - Maria.
Rudolf kept in touch with her.
I realised he was trying to find ways-
- of getting us out of the Ghetto. But it was no easy matter.
20 April 1943
- Hallo, Szymon. - Hallo, Nina. Have you heard?
An uprising started in the Main Ghetto yesterday.
I hadn't heard...
The Germans are emptying both factories tomorrow.
Everyone from Schultz is being trans- ported to a work camp in Trawniki.
What do we do now?
If you want to stay in the Ghetto...
...you'll have to hide somewhere. Immediately.
Ninka...
...look after yourself.
We more or less said farewell to each other.
It was Passover... a really sunny, hot day.
And we were in utter despair...
...knowing we'd got to move away from there the next day...
...by some means or other.
Maryla, I beseech you not to leave!
We can hide here together. - Henio...
I beseech you, stay here!
We cannot hide.
- It's best to go to Trawniki. - Rudek'll find us somewhere to hide.
I don't believe the talk about work in Trawniki.
I beseech you once again - don't go!
Maryla, please, please stay here!
God!
I forgot to give them the bread. - Ninka!
Give them the bread!
Maryla! Wait! You forgot the bread.
We don't need it, Nineczka. You need it more than we do. Goodbye.
That was the last time I saw them.
I have so few memories of Rysio during the Ghetto years.
I don't know why, but my memories of Rysio are extremely faint-
- and that plagues me, having such faint memories of him.
Rudolf hid us in the crypt of a Catholic church.
We had a bed; Mama, Papa and I sat on it.
It was our 'home', that bed.
All Jews, come out and make yourselves known-
- and you'll be given food and work. Those disobeying will be killed.
Fania...
Perhaps we should go outside.
We won't manage here any longer.
Let's...
...ask Ninka.
We stay here.
Papa...
I'm leaving the Ghetto.
When?
Immediately.
Immediately?
I'm to be smuggled out on an ambulance run.
Rudek's friend Marysia will find me a hiding place on the Aryan side.
We shall all meet soon.
- Immediately. - Papa...
We'll all meet again soon.
Ninus...
Things'll turn out all right.
I didn't bid Rudek or Mama farewell in any particular way.
Rudek said to me:
"We shall all meet again. "
"Don't be afraid. "
That was all we said... not really goodbye.
I felt such trust in Rudek's capacity.
I was certain that he'd get Mama and Papa out, somehow or other.
Halt!
- Nina? - Yes.
It was a small flat...
...it was incredible she was willing to hide me.
Poles hiding Jews did so on pain of death.
Those caught by the Germans, for hiding Jews-
- were in as much danger as the Jews they were hiding.
You've tried to bleach your hair?
Yes.
Nina... It shows.
Mama said I should bleach it, it was too dark.
All right.
Mrs Pola was very kind. But she received information-
- that a partisan group from Lwow needed a refuge.
She offered to take them in and told me-
- that I'd have to find somewhere else to hide; she couldn't keep me there.
So I contacted Marysia - she had a phone -
- and told her I had to leave Mrs Pola's flat.
Maria, or 'Marysia' in Polish, was a woman of Rudolf's age-
- whom he had met when he was trading in gems.
Jewess!
That frightened me so much-
- that I didn't dare go out into the streets any more.
Calm down now, Nina. We'll dye it again.
The first week of May the Warsaw Ghetto burns.
Each day, I expected them to have got out...
...I expected to receive word they were out.
I was absolutely certain Rudek had found some means.
I had an utterly unrealistic belief in his capacity. Utterly unrealistic.
Excuse me. You've got a visitor.
How ïyou do. I'm Marysia.
Marysia? How ïyou do. I'm Nina.
Thank you so much for all you've done for us.
I'm delighted to have been of help.
Have you found me somewhere to hide?
Yes.
But... I have other news, too.
Shall we sit down?
Two days ago Rudek and your mother got out of the Ghetto...
...smuggled out in a bread cart.
- Where are they? - Hiding on the Aryan side.
And Papa?
Rudek agreed to meet the bribed German again, an hour later...
They were to return to the Ghetto with bread for Toebbens...
...and fetch your father, but he didn't turn up.
- Who didn't? - The German soldier.
Rudek waited outside the market-hall, but... the soldier never appeared.
What did Rudek do?
He waited an hour, then walked alone... towards the entrance.
Your father was deported to Majdanek.
Nina... they've all been deported.
The Ghetto is no more. It's in flames.
Your mother and Rudek got out at the last minute.
He could never forget he'd failed to get Papa out. He could never forget.
He mentioned it only a day or two before he died...
...that he could never forget that he had failed to get Papa out.
Who is this family?
Mr Jakubiak, an acquaintance of Nina's brother's, found them.
- Where do they live? - Not far off, in Praga.
Thank you for everything, for letting me stay here.
I'll never forget it.
She hadn't done it for money.
Some of the population, even if their numbers were limited...
...they did it for the love of humankind, they helped people.
And I think Mrs Pola was one of them.
Mr Jakubiak found a place I could get to-
- with a railwayman and his family.
To reach them, we had to get a train, at a station.
All three of us were to meet at the station:
Marysia, Mr Jakubiak and myself.
Miss Marysia!
- Miss Rajmic, I presume? - How ïyou do.
A friend of my son's, Zbyszek Pelikan.
I went to visit Mr Jakubiak's son, but he wasn't at home-
- so I came along with Mr Jakubiak to the station.
I'll just go and buy a ticket for you, Miss Rajmic - and myself, of course.
Excuse me...
Miss Nina, may we have a word, please?
Yes... I'll come with you.
I just need to say something to Marysia. Excuse me.
Forgive me, Marysia, but I'm going to go with Mr Zbyszek.
Maria got very upset. "You're not to. I promised your brother and mother" -
- "that you'd be taken to Praga, where two other Jewish girls are. "
"We know of the family. You've no idea where you're going to end up" -
- "if you go off with that young man. "
I said: "I'm going to, anyway; I'm going with him. "
And I did.
A few days later, I heard-
- that the railwayman and his family and those two Jewish girls...
...they'd been killed by the Germans-
- the day after I was due to start my stay with them.
Mama!
We got there...
...and Zbyszek's mother was very surprised.
Mama, Aunt... This is Nina... Rajkowska.
How ïyou do.
Mama, may I have a word?
He took her to one side, and they spoke.
One should mention that their financial situation was pretty weak.
And it was accepted that, for hiding a Jew, you got paid.
But his mother was not easy to persuade; she was very sceptical.
And she sat down with me, for a talk.
May I speak to you?
First she asked me where I came from.
From Lodz.
"Oh, from Lodz? So am I," she said.
Where did your parents work?
Papa was an accountant at Scheibler & Grohmann.
"Goodness me!"
"My father has worked at Scheibler & Grohmann, too!"
At that was how I came to be allowed to stay there.
And the marvellous thing was, about a week later...
...Rudolf was allowed to come and stay there, too.
I was so, so thankful that they accepted Rudolf.
He was utterly exhausted from all his moving about in Warsaw.
It was a great blessing that we ended up in that household.
Mother was with a family employed at the Mint, in the Old Town.
We asked Mrs Pelikan-
- if she could consider letting Mother stay in their villa, too.
So Mrs Pelikan asked Mama there one day.
And Mama came, with Maria, and they were given tea and biscuits.
But as soon as the conversation got going round the table-
- I realised that Mama would not be allowed to stay there.
It was so obvious that my mother's Russian accent bothered them.
Mrs Lucyna said it would give her away immediately.
So nothing came of it.
Mama had to go back to the family at the Mint-
- and was unable to be with us.
Good afternoon.
Come in, my dear!
This is our little cousin, Nina Rajkowska. - Do sit down.
Marta, have some of the cake.
Shall I help you?
Thank you, my pet.
Oh, delicious!
You bake wonderfully, Lucyna, no matter how bad the times.
You're far too kind, my dear Marta.
I didn't know you had a cousin.
Our little cousin doesn't come to see us so often.
The family lives a way off in the countryside.
Why haven't we ever been able to meet them?
My parents seldom come up to Warsaw.
And my brother studies hard... reads a lot of books.
Pity. I'd really like to meet him.
How's the cake?
Splendid. Just like the old days.
It's good the damned war will soon be over.
How many times have we said that!
My dear, the Americans are already in Europe and the Russians at Bug.
The Germans'll soon be out.
Then we can have real coffee... if the devil sees to Hitler.
Say what you will about Hitler, one good thing he did...
He got rid of the Jews.
It's lovely to have our little cousin here.
A pity you can only stay a week.
After that tea party I said to Mrs Pelikan-
- that I didn't want to take part in any more tea parties.
She wasn't too pleased at that.
But I insisted on staying in my room.
Tuck in, Bolek.
I went to see Mama, while I was staying at the Pelikans...
...two or three times.
It was a tiny flat. I know, too-
- that, if someone came to see the woman Mama was saying with-
- Mama had to hide in the wardrobe.
Hallo, Mama.
Hallo, Ninka.
Don't worry - everything is fine.
I've got something for you.
I made it for you.
Thank you.
How are things for you and Rudek?
Everything's fine.
Are they friendly towards you?
Mrs Lucyna is so kind.
She said we can stay on, even if we run out of money...
...I can, at least.
I've got something else for you.
Here you are.
- But, Mama, it's... - I want you to have it.
You need to powder your face.
You've grown up so.
Thank you.
I'm so sorry I have no more to give you.
Mama...
I just want you to be well and, afterwards, we'll go to America.
Yes...
Of course we'll go to America.
You're such a big girl now, Ninka!
We're only going one more stop.
If you're going to Sluzew, wait an hour or so.
The Germans are raiding the place. A soldier's been killed.
Rudek!
- How did you find out? - On the tram. They spoke of a raid.
Then why did you come home?
You'd never have left the house without me.
Having sat in the field for a few hours, we went back.
Mrs Pelikan told us-
- that, a minute after we'd run from the villa, the Germans had come.
They had gone through every single room; they were looking for men.
If I hadn't run back, Rudolf woulïve still been there, waiting for me.
This is Radio Poland, Blyskawica.
Soviet troops are a few kilometres from Warsaw.
When the Polish Underground Army started their anti-German uprising-
- we banked on support from the advancing Russians.
But the Soviet forces have halted-
- on the east bank of the Vistula River.
Warsaw fights on!
The house is on fire!
Rudolf and I, Mrs Pelikan and her sister, and Maria who was visiting-
- we all hid in the field. We were out there for three days.
After that, we went back to the house, which was now gutted.
We spent another two days in the garden there.
Then it transpired there were trains, out to the villages outside Warsaw-
- so we got on one.
I had a very powerful feeling during those years of hiding-
- that I didn't have the right to exist.
That feeling vanished completely when the Warsaw Uprising started...
...the big uprising with the whole population of Warsaw on the run.
Then you became one among the many, no longer a Jew on the run.
Out in the countryside, I often went mushrooming.
I felt much less frightened in the village than I had been in Warsaw.
Hallo?
Hallo.
Suddenly I realised I was discussing mushrooms-
- and that I'd forgotten he was a German.
It was a very strange experience, being with a German-
- without thinking of him as a German... just as a person.
In that small village...
...we suddenly heard artillery fire.
And then, on 17 January, there were no Germans left.
There was a column of Russian armoured units and artillery-
- moving through the little village.
And we'd been liberated, Rudek and I.
The only ones left.
When the Russians came, my brother went to see the family at the Mint-
- and was told Mama had left them...
...a few days after the Uprising had started-
- and had tried to get across to us.
She only got a few blocks-
- ending up in a church in the Old Town.
There were four hundred civilians there...
...down in the crypt.
And... that was where my mother was killed.
It was such a painful feeling... So painful.
Because I had been hoping that Mama had survived.
When we'd been liberated, the first thing we did was go back to Lodz.
We got to Lodz and went to our old flat, which was empty.
We felt such profound grief.
An indescribably deep grief, going into the flat...
...there was only Rudek and me.
It was a photo of my mother-
- that had lain there throughout the war.
When the war ended my mother, Nina Rajmic, was 20.
Of almost 400,000 Jews that were in the Warsaw Ghetto-
- the day the deportations to Treblinka began-
- only a few hundred survived.
Among them were my mother, Nina, and her brother, Rudek.
Out of the chums and friends-
- whom I had during my Warsaw period, only one is alive.
The same applies to my classmates in Lodz.
I haven't come across a single one of them since the war...
...not a single one.
Imagine all those people...
...what they could have become, what happy people they might have been-
- and so many new people they could have brought into the world...
After the war, Nina starts studying medicine in Lodz-
- as the only one, perhaps-
- to have passed her university entrance in the Warsaw Ghetto.
One day at the University of Lodz she bumps into a young Jewish man-