Small Riga Ghetto

199
This man was Walter Eggers from Hamburg. He was a very crafty and clever
man, and he realized immediately that the moment had come when a man
could amass a fortune with the help of the Jews. He was very poorly endowed
in terms of character, and the very first money and valuables he took away
from the Jews in return for small favors or advantages granted by him
strengthened his intention to concentrate on Jewish affairs as intensely as he
could.
According to reports, he didn't trust Fainsohn initially, but was in complete
agreement with him later on.
Of course it was easier for wealthy people to be assigned to the HKP. Besides
the professional mechanics, who covered for the nonprofessionals in the
workshops, women also worked there as cleaners. Others worked as seamstresses
in the workshops to supply the clothing depots of the Wehrmacht.
A small group of Jews was lodged in the HKP barracks camp in the late fall
of 1941; the rest were brought later on from the ghetto to work here. A certain
Machmonik was in charge of the rations at this barracks camp. Later he was
replaced by Sch. Isaksohn (Izig). Brin, Schnitke from Liepāja, and the pharmacist
Zeitlin worked in the kitchen. Sascha Rubinstein, who was the group
leader of a department (in the large market halls), became a leading figure.
The Jews did very well in this satellite camp, because here they had connections
with the city and thus were able to trade and sell things. Thus one or another
of them could sometimes afford to get a bit more for himself. After the
liquidation of the Large Ghetto this work crew was enlarged. They were also
joined by the German Jews from the Small Ghetto. *
While Roschmann was the ghetto commander, various rumors about "the
good life" at the HKP reached his ears. For this reason he had Fainsohn and
several women, including Zila Dolgitzer and B. Raikin, Schäffer, Petersohn
and others, arrested and taken to the ghetto. They were later freed but then put
into prison again. This time too, they were lucky and were once again released.
This time Fainsohn was not returned to the HKP but put into the Gestapo
work crew (see the chapter on Jumpravmuiža). Some of the women were
returned to the HKP, while others were taken to the Kaiserwald concentration
camp. At the same time Isaak Misroch, who lived at the HKP with his whole
family, was also arrested. He was accused of having made contact with Aryans.
He was put into prison and died at Stützpunkt (see the chapter on
* [Ed.: The German Jews always lived in the larger ghetto, called German or Reichsjuden
Ghetto; there were no German Jews in the small ghetto, only Latvian Jews.]