Fork
On view
Date1944 - 1945
Dimensionswhole: 7 in.; 17.78 cm
ClassificationsOther
Credit LineGift of Abraham Melezin family
Object number2002.A.47
Object DescriptionFork acquired by Abraham Melezin in Stutthof in exchange for a piece of bread. It came from a warehouse with belongings confiscated from arriving prisoners. Marked rostfrei (stainless) on the back. Melezin was passing as a non-Jewish Pole with the name Adam Melzhinski. He was interned in Stutthof as Polish political prisoner #32209.NotesAbraham Melezin was born in Odessa on June 29, 1910. During the Yom Kippur aktion in October 1941, Abraham along with his wife and child, were sent to Lukiszke, despite having an Arbeitskarte. They escaped from Vilna thanks to his university contacts. Abraham changed his name to Abraham Melzhinkski which was close to his real name. Abraham was betrayed and arrested in September 1943, suspected of saving a Jewish woman and child. The Lida gestapo arrested and interrogated him. His wife panicked and didn't go to the safehouse they had arranged, but went to the Lida ghetto where her parents were. The ghetto was being liquidated in two transports, both sent to Sobibor. The underground could no longer help Abraham in gestapo custody, so he admitted to being Jewish and decided he would jump off the deportation train. His wife was on the first transport and he was on the second. He was very skilled in Polish geography, so he knew exactly where to jump off. He bribed the engineer to slow down at the correct spot, claiming to be a Polish officer. He was 33 years old. He then made his way to a safe house, but was arrested first and sent to a prison in Volkovsk. He was in cells with criminals and "politicals." Known as "the professor" Abraham told his cellmates stories to pass the time. He was then sent to Stutthoff as Abraham Melzhinski in January of 1944 and given the prisoner number #32209. in January 1945, Abraham was sent on a death march from Stutthof. With a map given to him by another prisoner, he marked the route each day. They marched for ten days. Exhibitions
