Moszek Majer Bromberg in the army

I, Jakub Bromberg, received this photo from Lola, who was my sister’s sister-in-law. I ran away to Russia with Lola during the war. She gave me that photo because my brother Moszek Majer Bromberg is featured in this picture, which was taken when he served in the 57th Infantry’s Regiment. 

There were six of us, brothers, at home. There was a one and a half year difference between each of us; a new one would be born every 18 months. After the last one, the youngest brother, after five years, Father's precious daughter was born: Estera Chaja Zelda. Our treasure. My brother Moszek Majer, named after Grandfather, was the oldest. He was born in 1913. He was a tailor. He studied tailoring for three years, with one younger brother, for free. 

Moszek Majer died in the army, in Warsaw, defending the citadel [September 1939].There was still some fighting in Warsaw and I found out that that was where my brother died, defending the citadel. But I asked my cousin, 'so where's the grave?' He said that he saw the helmet and it said Moszek Majer Bromberg on the grave. But it was said that some woman had come, dug the grave up, so to this day I don't know what happened. So what did I think? I thought: I'll go to the community; perhaps they know something specific about his fate there.

The Jewish community in Warsaw was located on 26 Grzybowska Street, if I'm not mistaken. When I was walking there some Jewish muggers chased me, they wanted to snatch my coat. But I knew what they were up to and didn’t let them. I kept walking, and I was about to enter the building, when I saw a round-up. The Germans are on the street and they're catching Jews. So I thought to myself, and that now they'd get me. But there were no Germans in the direction I was walking from, so I turned around on that street and scurried off. And that's why I never solved my brother's case, until today.

Photos from this interviewee