In April of 1945, Nazi guards forced Berga prisoners to walk many miles each day to escape the fast approaching allied forces. So many of the prisoners died along these marches that they coined the name Death Marches very quickly.
Berga was ran by Erwin Metz who tried to escape on his bicycle when the Allies started closing in. He was caught and sentenced to death.
"The march lasted and continued until
April 22, 1945. That day while I waited in a soup line, one our
interpreters cried out that we were to move out immediately! We could hear
small arm fire in the distance. The guards yelled out, "Rouse! Rouse!",
but we acted as though we were too ill to move. I laid down on the ground
as a German Captain pulled out his pistol yelling for everyone to get up
and go. By now General Patton’s tanks had moved in. The guards started
running and the officers did the same. Some of the guards came up to us
and gave up their weapons pleading for mercy. We were finally free!
Everyone was excited and breathed a sigh of relief. We had been liberated!
I had lost so much weight that I was down to 85 lbs. but thankful to God I
had made it" (Berga Prisoner)
Berga was ran by Erwin Metz who tried to escape on his bicycle when the Allies started closing in. He was caught and sentenced to death.
"The march lasted and continued until
April 22, 1945. That day while I waited in a soup line, one our
interpreters cried out that we were to move out immediately! We could hear
small arm fire in the distance. The guards yelled out, "Rouse! Rouse!",
but we acted as though we were too ill to move. I laid down on the ground
as a German Captain pulled out his pistol yelling for everyone to get up
and go. By now General Patton’s tanks had moved in. The guards started
running and the officers did the same. Some of the guards came up to us
and gave up their weapons pleading for mercy. We were finally free!
Everyone was excited and breathed a sigh of relief. We had been liberated!
I had lost so much weight that I was down to 85 lbs. but thankful to God I
had made it" (Berga Prisoner)