I am a Star (excerpt)

Early in the morning, we were taken by truck to the waiting train at Stuttgart station. We were crowded together. Guards sealed the train and rode with us to make sure no one escaped. We wondered if we would ever see our homes again. The further east the train traveled, the more the landscape changed and became less familiar. The stations had strange-sounding names and the letters had unfamiliar accents. We had already eaten almost all of the provisions we had been allowed to take with us. But no more food was distributed, except for a little water. I was scared, frightened, and my stomach hurt.

Two days later, loud shouts brought our journey to an end. We arrived at Bohušovice station. “Throw everything away except your bedrolls and eating utensils—come on, march, no resistance!” Guards with whips and rifles surrounded us. We were all tired and afraid. A few elderly people who were no longer steady on their feet fell. Their cries for help filled the air. Many of them died on the way. My parents walked on either side of me to protect me from being beaten. I held my doll tightly in my arms. We walked about three kilometers and were driven through an arched entrance into a large barracks. Then we were surrounded by high walls.