On Board of the SS Donau
The SS Donau lay anchored at Pier 1, the quay of the Norwegian America Line. Among the 532 Jews onboard were young and old, women and men (men and women were separated). The conditions onboard were terrible. The prisoners were physically and mentally abused, with “Judenschwein“ as one of the most common addresses. The guards forced the Jews to scrub the floor with a toothbrush. The sea was rough, and many fell seasick. The prisoners were allowed, however, to get some fresh air on the upper deck.
One evening the 19-year old Samuel Steinmann suddenly heard the song “Månestråle” (Moonbeam). It was Marie (Maya) Sachnowitz, “The Princess of Larvik”, who was singing. She had moved over to the men’s section of the deck and sang as a way of boosting their morale.
Samuel Steinmann was one of the 34 Norwegians who survived Auschwitz, and he tells about his experiences in the interview you can hear here (in Norwegian).