While the prisoners began forming up to march off for morning work, the call went up: “Prisoner 7290 to the gate!” Fritz reported to Schobert, who asked him what was the matter. This was the moment of no return. Steeling himself, Fritz explained that he couldn’t bear to be parted from his father, and requested formally that he be sent to Auschwitz with him. Schobert shrugged; it was all the same to him how many Jews were sent to be exterminated, and he granted the request. With a word, Fritz had done the unthinkable, stepping voluntarily from the roll of the saved to that of the condemned.
