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Then came the period of the Holocaust which in Bulgaria took the form of the infamous Law for the Protection of the Nation. We came back to Ruse upon our own decision. And my husband was at forced labor camps [11] for three years. Our men went to forced labor camps in March and came back in November. He was taken to five camps. And I was afraid and I was awaiting his return as soon as possible. Husbands usually returned to their wives in an awful condition – infested with lice and overstrained. But at least they hadn’t been beaten.
My husband was sent to the village of Rebrovo, then Mikre, Lovech region, then Lakatnik and Ugarchin, where roads were built. I remember that 1943 was our toughest year. Because they were dismissed from a camp, but subsequently were given instruments to start work again. And he was sent to Veselinovo, Shumen region, where 1944 found him. But he was impatient to get free and escaped from the camp. Then he came to me. I told him to go back to Veselinovo because I was afraid. ‘It doesn’t make sense,’ he said, ‘the war is over.
My husband was sent to the village of Rebrovo, then Mikre, Lovech region, then Lakatnik and Ugarchin, where roads were built. I remember that 1943 was our toughest year. Because they were dismissed from a camp, but subsequently were given instruments to start work again. And he was sent to Veselinovo, Shumen region, where 1944 found him. But he was impatient to get free and escaped from the camp. Then he came to me. I told him to go back to Veselinovo because I was afraid. ‘It doesn’t make sense,’ he said, ‘the war is over.
Location
Bulgaria
Interview
Sultana Yulzari