“Moja brama" from the Kulisiewicz Collection at the USHMM, courtesy of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum (www.ushmm.org).
Music from the Camps
Topical Song
01:13
Moja brama (My Gate)
This text is copied from the USHMM article on Mojo Brama
Moja Brama is Kulisiewicz's reminder of the sadistic 'sporting competitions' held at Sachsenhausen. During these sessions, SS men commanded prisoners to perform the so-called 'Indian Dance', forcing inmates to quickly and repeatedly raise their arms, stare at the sky, twist their bodies, drop to the ground, and stand up again. Many prisoners became dizzy or ill or fell exhausted after such 'exercise'. Kulisiewicz's coping mechanism was to focus on the camp gate, much as a ballet dancer might spot a distant object to remain balanced while turning. The image of the gate burned into Kulisiewicz's consciousness, and remained among his most indelible impressions of camp life.