Worst of all were the rules of the Appell, the roll call. At 5 a.m. a siren woke the camp, and prisoners were marched outside their blocks to line up in ranks of five, hands by their sides, standing erect in military fashion while the count took place. Even in these early days it took as long as half an hour to get the numbers right, and at 5 a.m. a cold wind blew off the Schwedtsee, cutting through cotton clothes. ‘Achtung! Achtung! Hands by your sides, ranks of fives.’ Langefeld sometimes took Appell in person, but usually left the job to her deputy, Emma Zimmer, who had also come from
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