Background info:

Name: Marianne Roslyn Maier

Age: 23
Job: Jewish nurse
From: Thuringia, Germany
Family: Husband, 3 children (2 girls and 1 boy)
Family names: Johann Maier, Luise Maier, Emmi Maier, Peter Maier
Ages: 28, 8, 6, 4 years old

Entry 1
For me and my family if they find this.
October 26th, 1939
It is 4 o’clock in the morning. I was hidden in my neighbor's old house for only a couple
of months. I never thought I’d be caught at all! I was there for so long. This is so infuriating. Why
me!? Why did I have to get seen!? Out of all people. Now I have to work for the stupid Nazi
party as a nurse in the Buchenwald one of the biggest concentration camps. The commandant
Karl Otto Koch told me I had to heal the officers, soldiers, and anyone sick in the camp. I have a
horrible feeling about him and his wife Ilse Koch is scary and giving me weird looks. There are
other nurses and doctors too. But, I just want to go back to my home with my family. I miss my
husband and children so much. After people started getting arrested and captured by the Nazis
we split up and went into hiding. I don’t know where my family is or even if they’re still out there,
alive…I shouldn’t think about that stuff right now, I should get as much sleep as I can I’ll have to
work soon after all.

Entry 2
November 2nd, 1939
It’s about half past nine at night and it’s been about a week since I’ve been in this dump
of a camp. It’s so overfilled and the prisoners here have to work for over 12 hours doing hard
labor and dealing with commandant Koch and his wife the witch of Buchenwald they call her.
And don’t get started on their punishments they get beatings, tortured, starvation, whippings,
and death by hanging. It’s horrible here. The days feel like they get longer and longer. The only
thing keeping me going and distracted from all the horror is the thoughts running through my
mind each second. Like, who knows if any of my family are still alive, still out there hiding, or if
they’ve been taken as well. They could’ve even been taken to a different camp. If you are still
out there my husband and children I hope you are reading this right about now…I just feel so
sick of this place! I just wish to return to our home back in Thuringia.

Entry 3
December 20th, 1939
10 at night. It’s almost Hanukkah, at last, I want this war to be over already. I hope it
doesn’t last any longer! I’m getting used to my job now, it’s still bad but more tolerable now I
suppose, and I have learned that this job has been keeping me pretty much alive. You see
Jewish nurses, doctors, directors, etc. are helping the Nazis in a way, and keeping other Jews
calm and spirited. And since we are doing this the Nazi officers decide to spare our lives not
forever but, at least I’m not dead right now. I’m also lucky enough to not get beaten or tormented
by the Witch of Buchenwald. Being a nurse in a war is a service an officer told me one day. I’m
just glad to be alive right now. I’m one of the lucky few who might survive this. Dear God, I hope
I live.

Entry 4
March 4th, 1940
A quarter to 9 at night. I haven’t written in a while. Things are getting worse, I hear they
are making more and more ghettos, and thousands of people are still being killed in other
camps and institutions. And Ilse Koch the witch of Buchenwald keeps beating and torturing poor
prisoners for her own amusement. I just want things to end and go back to how they were. But
that will never happen now this is my life and I have accepted it. I have to keep working as best
as I can even if my medical supplies are limited here as long as I can heal and help people and
be of good use I can outlive this! I have to stay positive now the war won’t end soon I have to
survive for myself and my family.

Entry 5
June 14, 1940
It's around 7 in the night and it's been a while again. Germany is taking control of France
now. I can’t even imagine the other horrible things they will do or that they already have done
that I do not know or wish to know about. There are more diseases going around camp and
everyone is skin and bones. Except for Commandant Koch and his wife, they are as big as pigs
with all the food and drinks they want but none to spare the poor prisoners. All of us nurses and
doctors have been trying to help and heal people and officers from illnesses. I’ve been helping
out pretty well and have been rewarded my life per usual. I still have hope though in these dark
times. It’s easy for people to be consumed by the darkness and feel weak but we all just need to
find light and a reason to keep going and get through this. This is war after all and everything
has to end at some point. I’ve made it this far I can keep going. The thought of the people I love
is still in the back of my mind still wondering where they are and what has happened to them. I
cry often at night about the thoughts of them but I always tell myself to stay strong and hope I
will find them again.

Entry 6
August 18, 1940
It’s half past 10 in the night. Germany and Britain have been attacking each other.
Bombs and raids have been happening in both countries, it's been horrible. They’ve been killing
more and more people left and right. People have been dying from malaria it's been going
around too. I’m afraid I might be next to die if not from the sickness from hanging or torture by
the commandant. Of course, there are other nurses and doctors here that could be killed but I
don’t exactly know if they are older or better than me. And the doctors do more though so I
guess it’s likely they're killing the nurses now. I hope I won’t die with the others. I’ve done so
much as best as I can. Was it not enough for them? Should I have done more? I’m panicking
now thoughts are racing I can’t stop thinking about it now.
Entry 7
September 5th, 1940
It’s 11 at night. It’s true they are killing some of the nurses here now. Not the doctors of
course but why us!? It’s terrible just terrible! It had to happen at some point I realized but now
that it’s gonna happen for sure makes me panic all over again just like before. I’m losing hope
now. There is no point I heard it I’m sure they are killing us. Since this might be my last entry I’ll
end it well for whoever finds this journal even if it may not be my family. I have always loved
being a nurse and taking care of others. I love my husband and 3 children the most and wish
and hope they are alive somewhere. And if they are and read this I hope this reminds them of
me. I hope at least someone finds my journal anyone who can share my experience as a Jewish
nurse. Even though I got caught and dragged here I’m glad I still got to live a bit longer than I
thought at first and help the other sick and hurt Jews so that they could live a bit longer too.

Days later Marianne died with other Jews in the camp by hanging. Her family also did not
survive as long as Marianne had thought they did. They died before her in May. Her
husband was caught with the 3 kids and put in a different camp than Marianne. They died
together in a gas chamber in Sachsenhausen.