Cold Crematorium: Reporting from the Land of Auschwitz
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- Author：József Debreczeni
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Summary
8 hours， 24 minutes
The first English language edition of a lost memoir by a Holocaust survivor， offering a shocking and deeply moving perspective on life within the camps—with a foreword by Jonathan Freedland。
József Debreczeni， a prolific Hungarian-language journalist and poet， arrived in Auschwitz in 1944; had he been selected to go “left，” his life expectancy would have been approximately forty-five minutes。 One of the “lucky” ones， he was sent to the “right，” which led to twelve horrifying months of incarceration and slave labor in a series of camps， ending in the “Cold Crematorium”—the so-called hospital of the forced labor camp Dörnhau， where prisoners too weak to work awaited execution。 But as Soviet and Allied troops closed in on the camps， local Nazi commanders—anxious about the possible consequences of outright murder—decided to leave the remaining prisoners to die in droves rather than sending them directly to the gas chambers。
Debreczeni recorded his experiences in Cold Crematorium， one of the harshest， most merciless indictments of Nazism ever written。 This haunting memoir， rendered in the precise and unsentimental style of an accomplished journalist， is an eyewitness account of incomparable literary quality。 The subject matter is intrinsically tragic， yet the author’s evocative prose， sometimes using irony， sarcasm， and even acerbic humor， compels the reader to imagine human beings in circumstances impossible to comprehend intellectually。
First published in Hungarian in 1950， it was never translated into a world language due to McCarthyism， Cold War hostilities and antisemitism。 More than 70 years later， this masterpiece that was nearly lost to time will be available in 15 languages， finally taking its rightful place among the greatest works of Holocaust literature。
The first English language edition of a lost memoir by a Holocaust survivor， offering a shocking and deeply moving perspective on life within the camps—with a foreword by Jonathan Freedland。
József Debreczeni， a prolific Hungarian-language journalist and poet， arrived in Auschwitz in 1944; had he been selected to go “left，” his life expectancy would have been approximately forty-five minutes。 One of the “lucky” ones， he was sent to the “right，” which led to twelve horrifying months of incarceration and slave labor in a series of camps， ending in the “Cold Crematorium”—the so-called hospital of the forced labor camp Dörnhau， where prisoners too weak to work awaited execution。 But as Soviet and Allied troops closed in on the camps， local Nazi commanders—anxious about the possible consequences of outright murder—decided to leave the remaining prisoners to die in droves rather than sending them directly to the gas chambers。
Debreczeni recorded his experiences in Cold Crematorium， one of the harshest， most merciless indictments of Nazism ever written。 This haunting memoir， rendered in the precise and unsentimental style of an accomplished journalist， is an eyewitness account of incomparable literary quality。 The subject matter is intrinsically tragic， yet the author’s evocative prose， sometimes using irony， sarcasm， and even acerbic humor， compels the reader to imagine human beings in circumstances impossible to comprehend intellectually。
First published in Hungarian in 1950， it was never translated into a world language due to McCarthyism， Cold War hostilities and antisemitism。 More than 70 years later， this masterpiece that was nearly lost to time will be available in 15 languages， finally taking its rightful place among the greatest works of Holocaust literature。
Reviews
Andrew
，
Great read， I can’t imagine what the author went through or those who were with him on top of what is written。 Never forget。
Jordan Davidson
，
Terrifying， sobering， and guaranteed to leave you feeling despondent and disgusted with humanity。 Which is all the more reason for everyone to read it。
Jamie
，
A Holocaust memoir not for the faint of heart。 Written in 1950 and just now being published is a fascinating story on its own but what Jozsef Debreczeni endured and lived to give witness too is one of the most horrifying tales of many horrifying tales of the Holocaust。 His exploration of the psychology of the Nazis and the hierarchy they employed in the camps is so insightful and unlike anything I have read before。
Patrick
，
5 stars is not nearly enough。 Why this book was hidden from view so long is a tragedy。 Profoundly impactful in its barbarity and historicity。
Pat Richard
，
Very well written， sobering and at times depressing。 The firsthand， realistic narrative of life in a concentration camp is absolutely amazing and heart wrenching at the same time。 Appreciated learning the details about how insanely cruel the camps were run， but also the incredible survival tactics used by so many。 A quick read an and absolutely worth the time。
Brian
，
The author， József Debreczeni， was a Hungarian journalist and poet who spent twelve horrifying months of incarceration in a series of concentration camps， starting at Auschwitz in 1944。 His last transfer was to the “Cold Crematorium，" Dörnhau， where prisoners too weak to work awaited death from disease or starvation。 Written in Hungarian， it was not translated into English and published until 2024。He has recorded his experiences in one of the harshest indictments of Nazism I have ever read。 It i The author， József Debreczeni， was a Hungarian journalist and poet who spent twelve horrifying months of incarceration in a series of concentration camps， starting at Auschwitz in 1944。 His last transfer was to the “Cold Crematorium，" Dörnhau， where prisoners too weak to work awaited death from disease or starvation。 Written in Hungarian， it was not translated into English and published until 2024。He has recorded his experiences in one of the harshest indictments of Nazism I have ever read。 It is gruesome， graphic， and。 gut wrenching。 If the descriptions of these horrific conditions don’t impact you， nothing will。 If it were a movie， I might walk out。 Yet， I predict it could become recognized as one of the greatest works of Holocaust literature ever written。 。。。more
TE
，
This book just goes to show that eyewitness testimonials of one of the most horrific periods in human history are still being uncovered， or at least， made accessible to a wider audience。 As here， each individual voice adds to the ample body of evidence of that terrible time。 That is not to say that this account remained concealed: it was first published in Hungarian in 1950， but for some inexplicable reason， it was never translated and disseminated the way other testimonials have - until now。 It This book just goes to show that eyewitness testimonials of one of the most horrific periods in human history are still being uncovered， or at least， made accessible to a wider audience。 As here， each individual voice adds to the ample body of evidence of that terrible time。 That is not to say that this account remained concealed: it was first published in Hungarian in 1950， but for some inexplicable reason， it was never translated and disseminated the way other testimonials have - until now。 It adds another critical dimension to the indispensable genre of Holocaust literature， alongside world-renowned authors such as Elie Wiesel and Primo Levi。This book is thus the first English-language translation of this memoir by Holocaust survivor József Debreczeni， a Hungarian journalist， author and translator who found himself in Auschwitz in 1944 after having been rounded up and deported from his native Yugoslavia。 Having survived the "selection，" which neither his parents nor his wife survived， he was then shipped on to a year of backbreaking labor in a series of slave labor camps， each worse than the last， until his physical condition eventually landed him in Dörnhau， a designated "hospital" camp， where he remained from November， 1944 until liberation in May， 1945。 In reality， it was nothing more than a warehouse where victims were simply left to die rather than being murdered outright - but the death rate was no less astounding。József Debreczeni （1905-1978） was a seasoned journalist and poet， about forty years of age， who lived in the Vojvodina region of Yugoslavia。 Aside from that， little else is known， or provided herein， about his life。 In fact， his American nephew claimed that Debreczeni was actually the pen name of József Brunner， a man born in Budapest in 1905 - a playwright， novelist and reporter， who was an editor of Hungary's daily paper， Napló， in Subotica， until the war changed his life forever， as it did for so many of his countrymen。 Increasingly severe anti-Jewish laws all over Europe resulted in the loss of his job in 1938， and the loss of his freedom - and family - in 1944。 Debreczeni was among the more than 420，000 Hungarian Jews who were deported to Auschwitz over the course of just eight weeks， starting in May， 1944， after Hitler invaded the country and sent the notorious Adolf Eichmann to Budapest to carry out the continued policy of mass slaughter。 Debreczeni， his parents and wife， Lenka， were herded onto cattle trucks and shipped off to Auschwitz。 A heartbreaking letter in the US Holocaust Memorial Museum documents a plea from Debreczeni's father for news of his wife， Sidonia， who， unbeknownst to him， had already been killed。 None of Debreczeni's three family members were still living by June of that year。 After the selection at Auschwitz， Debreczeni himself was sent to a series of labor camps， the last of which entailed twelve-hour shifts， in all weather， tunneling into the earth as a miner， where life expectancy was reportedly about four months。After months of starvation， overwork and disease due to horrific living conditions， and sensing that his end was imminent， Debreczeni volunteered to be deported yet again， to a destination and fate unknown， but in all probability， he says， to certain death in the gas chambers of Auschwitz， which the prisoners were apparently well aware of。 Instead， he was sent to Dörnhau， which the author termed the "cold crematorium，" hence the title of the book。 There， prisoners were essentially left to die of starvation and disease rather than outright murder in the gas chambers， as the Nazis apparently knew by that time that the war was lost， and did not wish to be caught in the act of mass slaughter by Allied forces， which would likely have meant execution for the perpetrators。 Debreczeni， in unflinching realism， describes the inhuman conditions， which are almost beyond imagining: being forced to sleep naked， body-to-body on racks of cots with the dead and dying， the almost continual bouts of dysentery， which no doubt was the culprit in the deaths of untold thousands of prisoners， and beatings and abuse by fellow inmates， especially the slave-driver "kapos，" fellow Jews appointed by the SS to oversee their fellow prisoners， who meted out more cruelty than even the Nazis themselves。 Death at Dörnhau mostly resulted from the effects of starvation， neglect and eventually a typhus epidemic， a disease which afflicted many camps due to the appallingly unsanitary conditions the prisoners were subjected to。But， despite all the mistreatment he endured， Debreczeni survived。 After the war， he settled in Belgrade and continued to write: poems， satires， short stories and novels， translations， and narrative non-fiction， among which was this tragic volume。 Debreczeni continued to reside in Belgrade until his death at age 73， in 1978。 This unflinching narrative account should now be on the short list of must-read Holocaust literature， as difficult as the subject matter is to get through。 We posterity， owe survivors like Debreczeni that much， at least。 。。。more
Susan
，
The author of this book lives in spite of the horrid conditions of the Holocaust camps of death。 It is a memoir of his life living in the camps。 He shows the brutality and cruelty of life yet the desire to live is very strong。 It is a compelling book to read。 He lives through the inprisionment and slave labour in a series of camps， ending in the 'Cold Crematorium' - the so-called hospital of the forced labour camp Dornhau， where prisoners too weak to work were left to die。 He watches his neighbo The author of this book lives in spite of the horrid conditions of the Holocaust camps of death。 It is a memoir of his life living in the camps。 He shows the brutality and cruelty of life yet the desire to live is very strong。 It is a compelling book to read。 He lives through the inprisionment and slave labour in a series of camps， ending in the 'Cold Crematorium' - the so-called hospital of the forced labour camp Dornhau， where prisoners too weak to work were left to die。 He watches his neighbors in this “hospital” die。 Whe he is finally freed from this horror， he writes this book giving us a shocking and his perception of life in the camps。 It is not to be forgotten as you read this。 Even though I have read several books about the Holocaust， this one was different。 It is a memoir that will haunt the reader。Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley。 I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review。 The opinions expressed are strictly my own。 。。。more
Penny Clark
，
Please read this book。 As difficult as the entire book is to read， it's almost unimaginable how people had to live。。。 and what they had to do to survive， IF they survived。 We must never forgot the atrocities of the Holocaust。 And we absolutely MUST ensure this never， ever happens again。 Please read this book。 As difficult as the entire book is to read， it's almost unimaginable how people had to live。。。 and what they had to do to survive， IF they survived。 We must never forgot the atrocities of the Holocaust。 And we absolutely MUST ensure this never， ever happens again。 。。。more
Chris
，
One of the best books on the inhumanity of the holocaust。
D。K。 Hundt
，
COLD CREMATORIUM: REPORTING FROM THE LAND OF AUSCHWITZ – BIOGRAPHY Written by - József DebreczeniTranslated by - Paul Olchváry‘József Debreczeni， a prolific Hungarian-language journalist and poet， arrived in Auschwitz in 1944; had he been selected to go “left，” his life expectancy would have been approximately forty-five minutes。 One of the “lucky” ones， he was sent to the “right，” which led to twelve horrifying months of incarceration and slave labor in a series of camps， ending in the “Cold Cr COLD CREMATORIUM: REPORTING FROM THE LAND OF AUSCHWITZ – BIOGRAPHY Written by - József DebreczeniTranslated by - Paul Olchváry‘József Debreczeni， a prolific Hungarian-language journalist and poet， arrived in Auschwitz in 1944; had he been selected to go “left，” his life expectancy would have been approximately forty-five minutes。 One of the “lucky” ones， he was sent to the “right，” which led to twelve horrifying months of incarceration and slave labor in a series of camps， ending in the “Cold Crematorium” 。 。 。 。’‘Come here， you visionaries who create with pen， chalk， stone， or paintbrush; all of you who’ve ever sought to conjure up the grimace of suffering and death; prophets of the danse macabre， engravers of terror， scribes of hells—come here！’‘Night in Dörnhau。’‘Six hundred men are pressed tightly up against each other。 Every third person is dying。’A Must Read—Highly Recommend！Thank you， NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press， for providing me with an eBook of COLD CREMATORIUM at the request of an honest review。 。。。more
Brian Hanson
，
"Who can guarantee that death is a punishment？" asks one of the people encountered in this book， "Maybe life is"。 This certainly seems true of the months outlined here， spent in "the Land of Auschwitz"。 One of the distinguishing features of this reportage - published early among Jewish accounts of Nazi atrocities - is that Auschwitz itself plays only a minor role。 We are led by Debreczeni beyond that oft-depicted site of horrors to witness the wider yet equally inhuman tortures inflicted upon th "Who can guarantee that death is a punishment？" asks one of the people encountered in this book， "Maybe life is"。 This certainly seems true of the months outlined here， spent in "the Land of Auschwitz"。 One of the distinguishing features of this reportage - published early among Jewish accounts of Nazi atrocities - is that Auschwitz itself plays only a minor role。 We are led by Debreczeni beyond that oft-depicted site of horrors to witness the wider yet equally inhuman tortures inflicted upon those who were not kept in that death camp。 Three times the author has to make a decision， faced with a fork in the road: to stay put or to be moved on。 Three times the path he chooses leads to continued life （albeit at times a life seemingly worse than death） while those who chose the other fork were lost。 Such is the thin line， in this land， between life and death。 。。。more
Douglas Pretsell
，
This is a first hand account of someone who was at Auschwitz and other camps in the last year of the war。 Josef is a Hungarian Jewish man who survived against the odds。 A fundamentally important book to read at this point in history
Jbussen
，
To be fair， I have read a ton of these books on concentration camp survival。 Not just in Germany but in the gulags of Russia， the still functioning nightmare of North Korea， American internment of the Japanese， and civil war camps， and others in Afrika。 It is difficult to give me new information。 Here the author describes in detail what others had included but never in such vivid and consequential detail。 And this is what makes this book special to me。 “the best slave driver is a slave accorded To be fair， I have read a ton of these books on concentration camp survival。 Not just in Germany but in the gulags of Russia， the still functioning nightmare of North Korea， American internment of the Japanese， and civil war camps， and others in Afrika。 It is difficult to give me new information。 Here the author describes in detail what others had included but never in such vivid and consequential detail。 And this is what makes this book special to me。 “the best slave driver is a slave accorded a privileged position” Will haunt me。 I need to find a book on American slaves in the south， the so called "house niggers" next。 I read this in two days。 I couldn't put it down。 Stolen from the review of: Steven Z。The Holocaust relied on accomplices throughout Europe – from liberal France to anti-Semitic Poland。 Many of these individuals "willful blindness，” would later deny seeing or participating in atrocities。 The author’s account of the actions perpetrated by Kapos， many of which were Jews。 In a diabolical Nazi system “the best slave driver is a slave accorded a privileged position” is accurate and well defined。The economic function of Auschwitz is an area frequently skimmed through by other authors。 This author （a professional journalist/reporter no less！） describes the German corporations involved to the point that many victims would have company names printed on their striped pajama type uniforms。 Illicit trade between prisoners， kitchen workers， guards is ever prevalent – a life for people denied the fundamentals needed for survival – to eat， drink， bathe are all missing with disease and lice everywhere caused by a total lack of sanitation。 People were treated like animals， and for a chance at survival the same people morphed into animalistic behavior as they completely lost their identity， self-respect， and will to love。 The end result is a slow descent into madness and suicide for many who Debreczeni comes in contact with。 Debreczeni has written a haunting memoir， conveyed in the precise and unsentimental style of a professional journalist whose eyewitness account is of unmatched literary quality。 The author’s writing is evocative， employing irony， sarcasm， and an acerbic humor as he prods the reader into the “the Land of Auschwitz，” a place that is intellectually incomprehensible。 What sets the book apart is the reporting that the German guards were largely absent or stay in the background。 Instead， it is the prisoners themselves who rule over each other depending on their status which forms a window into the complex organization of the camps。The memoir begins in January 1944 with a prisoner transport where victims are oblivious as to their location and what the immediate future might bring ending with liberation by Soviet forces in early May 1945。 Debreczeni provides precise details of who certain prisoners were and what they experienced。 For example， Mr。 Mandel， a carpenter who always had a cigarette in his hand， but once they were taken away he still raises his empty fingers to his lips – he will be the first to die on the transport or the TB riddled Frenchman， a lower level Kapo in Auschwitz who developed a semblance of humanity as he warned prisoners as to what was about to happen to them。 Debreczeni holds nothing back in describing how people of varying backgrounds cooperated with the Nazis， including Jews。 A prime example is Weisz， a low brow salesclerk from Hungary， “a low-life Jew” who wielded a truncheon。 He was “power crazed， malicious， a wild beast，” who was the epitome of the Nazi system that “the best slave driver is a slave accorded a privileged position。” Most of these types of slave drivers came from the “lower rungs” of Jewish society before the war。 Those who came from the highest levels of Jewish society were found to be helpless in the Nazi camp hierarchy。 Another is Herman， an SS guard who had been a bartender before the war and was one of the few guards who exhibited a degree of empathy as opposed to his murderous compatriots as he would drop a half smoked cigarette to the ground for a prisoner to find。 A typical power hungry individual was Sanyi Roth， a room commander for tent #28， a notorious repeat offender， serial burglar who was put in charge of the worst tent which housed murderers， robbers， and other “creatures。” Interestingly， after Debreczeni flatters him he begins to take him under his wing。 Perhaps the most despicable person was Moric， the foremost Kapo of all camps， whose nickname was the Fuhrer of the death camps – the sole Jew who held as much power as Nazi officials。 Another individual who stands out， but in a positive fashion is Dr。 Farkas， a Jewish physician who was forced to cooperate with the SS。 But at the same time was able to display compassion and medical knowledge to treat many inmates。 In fact， without his care Debreczeni would not have survived。The author provides an understanding of the evil the Nazis perpetrated aside from annihilation。 He describes the genius of those who developed the Final Solution。 To achieve mass death a killing infrastructure needed to be created。 A key aspect of which was the hierarchy of power which the Nazis implemented providing certain prisoners a key role in the genocide。 The Germans kept themselves invisible behind the barbed wire as “the allocation of food， the discipline， the direct supervision of work， and the first degree of terror – in sum， executive power – were in fact entrusted to slave drivers chosen randomly from among the deportees。” For their hideous work they received certain benefits including more food， clothing， the opportunity to steal， and power over their fellow prisoners – power over life and death， which for many was intoxicating。 They all played a role in the vertical structure that resembled a military command where each person from the highest to the lowest Kapo knew their job and what would happen to them if they didn’t carry it out。 This structure also was apparent in camp hospitals like Dornhau where Doctors， medics， nurses， and other workers had specific roles in the Nazi hierarchy。Debreczeni offers an exceptional description of the “Land of Auschwitz” which consisted of many sub-camps in addition to the more famous areas like Birkenau or lesser labor camps like Furstenstein which the author experienced personally which was typical of other work camps who held the same characteristics。 This area consisted of a castle complex which the Nazis destroyed in order to create an underground complex for a new headquarters for Hitler， should retreat be necessary and an arms factory on the site。German corporations do not escape Debreczeni’s withering description as they paid the Nazi regime to rent slave labor and profited immensely。 Many books have been written about this subject。 For a complete list one can be found at https://www。jewishvirtuallibrary。org/。。。。 In Debreczeni’s case it was Sanger and Laninger who enslaved him as a tunnel digger。There are many other elements that the author describes from the use of cigarettes as a medium of exchange which became its own underground industry。 Another medium of exchange was extracted gold crowns which many inmates did themselves to trade for food – the going rate was one crown for a weeks’ worth of soup。 The concept of the “will to live” is explored in detail with harrowing examples。 For the author， the will grew and like others he was willing to steal， fake jobs， and other strategies as a means of survival。 Debreczeni’s commentary concerning prisoner roundups is very disconcerting as prisoners were asked to volunteer for certain jobs and transport。 Many prisoners were willing to play Russian roulette to survive， most who did died， but a few would escape。The Dornhau camp hospital which describes the Nazi approach to medical care。 It is this hospital that the term "cold crematorium" refers to。 Debreczeni’s recounting of the plight of his bunkmates is noted such that you can feel it！“Debreczeni recounts his deportation to Auschwitz， and from there to a series of camps。 This isn’t the sort of book you can get a sense of from a plot outline。 Debreczeni suffers; he survives （or， more accurately， he does not die）; he observes。 His powers of observation are extraordinary。 Everything he encounters in what he calls the Land of Auschwitz — the work sites， the barracks， the bodies， the corpses， the hunger， the roll call， the labor， the insanity， the fear， the despair， the strangeness， the hope， the cruelty — is captured in terrifyingly sharp detail。”In conclusion， Debreczeni has written haunting conformation of the terror of that was the Holocaust， and the will to survive。 。。。more
Bryan Fichter
，
Cold Crematorium is a rarity in the canon of Holocaust literature in that it is not an uplifting story of rescue or survival。 Yes， the author survived a system that took sadism and neglect to unimaginable levels。 But there is no great escape or something of that nature。 The author is honest about wishing for death at various times in this circle of Hell。 The fact that Debreczeni was a writer by trade means that his account of existence in the Nazi camp system is unusually perceptive， observant， Cold Crematorium is a rarity in the canon of Holocaust literature in that it is not an uplifting story of rescue or survival。 Yes， the author survived a system that took sadism and neglect to unimaginable levels。 But there is no great escape or something of that nature。 The author is honest about wishing for death at various times in this circle of Hell。 The fact that Debreczeni was a writer by trade means that his account of existence in the Nazi camp system is unusually perceptive， observant， and thoughtful。 That anyone survived at all seems a miracle。 。。。more
Patricia
，
This book is one that everyone should read。 An honest and brutal account of his experience incarcerated by the Nazis。 Debreczeni was a journalist， and this book is well written。 And terrifyingly sad。
Emily Thomas
，
Thank you to NetGalley for this advance copy of the audiobook of Cold Crematorium。 This was a tough read。 The agonizing daily life of a man who， against all odds， survived the Holocaust。 Nearly dead when the Germans flee the camp， our narrator is left to fend for himself until the Russians arrive。 Much like Elie Weisel’s Night， Joszef is detached from the recounting of events。 Without the extra details and romanticization of the horrors， Joszef’s clinical， reporter background tells the story as Thank you to NetGalley for this advance copy of the audiobook of Cold Crematorium。 This was a tough read。 The agonizing daily life of a man who， against all odds， survived the Holocaust。 Nearly dead when the Germans flee the camp， our narrator is left to fend for himself until the Russians arrive。 Much like Elie Weisel’s Night， Joszef is detached from the recounting of events。 Without the extra details and romanticization of the horrors， Joszef’s clinical， reporter background tells the story as it unfolds。 At times， this is frankly more unsettling than some of the fictionalized， sensationalized literature I’ve read。 I’m very thankful this book was not lost to time forever， so I have the opportunity to read and to know。 May we never forget。 。。。more
Eric
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Harsh。 Depressing。 Terrifying。 Sad。 All the emotions。
Peter Freitag
，
I read Debreczeni's Cold Crematorium in one sitting。 I have a long list of books about the Holocaust I have read over the years and I must say that this book has to be included in the Pantheon of such memoirs。 It ranks along with Primo Levi's Survival in Auschwitz， Elie Wiesel's Night and Tadeusz Borowski's This Way to the Gas， Ladies and Gentleman。Debreczeni leaves out no excruciating details about the nature of his experience in the various camps in which he was imprisoned。 Obviously， he survi I read Debreczeni's Cold Crematorium in one sitting。 I have a long list of books about the Holocaust I have read over the years and I must say that this book has to be included in the Pantheon of such memoirs。 It ranks along with Primo Levi's Survival in Auschwitz， Elie Wiesel's Night and Tadeusz Borowski's This Way to the Gas， Ladies and Gentleman。Debreczeni leaves out no excruciating details about the nature of his experience in the various camps in which he was imprisoned。 Obviously， he survived but along the way he and those with him were tormented by the absolute evil of their captors， the starvation they experienced， the disease-carrying lice that allowed them no rest。 There are some acts of kindness as well， but they are overwhelmed by the inconceivable conditions they underwent。 Reading the book， I kept thinking back to the chapter entitled "Excremental Assault" in Terence Depres' The Survor: An Anatomy of Life in the Death Camps。 My maternal grandmother died of Typhus in the Piaski transit camp in Poland。 Debreczeni's description of the disease left me in tears， making me understand in a more personal way the torture she must have experienced。 I thought I had read enough about the Holocaust to no longer feel moved or upset but the author broke through that hard shell。 I suffered with him all of the pain， loss of dignity and desire for a merciful death that he experienced。This is certainly not a book for the weak at heart， but it should be read by anyone who wishes to understand the horrors that occurred at the hands of the Nazis。 。。。more
Danielle Berg
，
I'm not confident in how to score this book。 At times， i would rate it 5 stars。 The details about lice infestations， diarrhea， and just the general state of no sanitation hit hard。 Evocative， and emotionally wrenching。 But at other times， I got slogged down。 The details about the various hierarchies and the names and histories of individual people， slowed the pace and left it hard for me to focus。 There were also some strong opinions about other 'types' of captives that didn't sit well with me。 I'm not confident in how to score this book。 At times， i would rate it 5 stars。 The details about lice infestations， diarrhea， and just the general state of no sanitation hit hard。 Evocative， and emotionally wrenching。 But at other times， I got slogged down。 The details about the various hierarchies and the names and histories of individual people， slowed the pace and left it hard for me to focus。 There were also some strong opinions about other 'types' of captives that didn't sit well with me。 There was a general sense that people who 'made nothing of themselves' in the before times， were allotted privileged standing in the camps。 That feels like a stereotype to me。 Same goes for assuming that the women had it easier。 So i'll end this review with accepting that I both love and hated this book。 And that I give grace to the author for the experiences he survived and thank him for his brutal honesty。 。。。more
Edward
，
It's very hard for me to attempt to describe the horror and inhuman acts that the author， Jozef Debreczeni， brings forth on nearly every page of this remarkable book。I found an appropriate quote in the Afterword written by the author's nephew， Alexander Bruner， that serves as an adequate description: "when Cold Crematorium was first published in 1950， one commentator called it 'the harshest， most merciless indictment of Nazism ever written。" Bruner also writes further on that "like the mythologi It's very hard for me to attempt to describe the horror and inhuman acts that the author， Jozef Debreczeni， brings forth on nearly every page of this remarkable book。I found an appropriate quote in the Afterword written by the author's nephew， Alexander Bruner， that serves as an adequate description: "when Cold Crematorium was first published in 1950， one commentator called it 'the harshest， most merciless indictment of Nazism ever written。" Bruner also writes further on that "like the mythological phoenix rising from the ashes， Cold Crematorium bears witness and warns future generations。"The future is NOW。！ 。。。more
Deb
，
A simply horrifying account of the author’s experience in Auschwitz and several other locations towards the end of World War II。 This account was so well written and speaks to the will to live in unbelievably raw circumstances。 I can never get over the vile hatred and torture these poor souls endured。
Pam
，
Sad and also upliftingA poignant， beautifully orchestrated account of the Nazi death camps told by a court reporter who survived， against all odds。 Reads like a novel， just a masterpiece is all I can say。 Beautiful writing！ And even though it is a haunting true story of unimaginable suffering， it’s also a triumphant celebration of the human spirit with a will to live。
Jennifer
，
Of all the non fiction， memoirs， biographies， and other survivor books I've read， I've never come across such detail add I did here。 Jòzsef Debreczeni somehow managed to survive！ He starts at Auschwitz， but gets moved from one camp to another， to another， months after months， after months only to find the next one worse than the last one！ Each camp had longer work hours， less foods， less sleep， only making them weaker day after day。When he arrives at Dörnhau， the "cold crematorium"， he's discove Of all the non fiction， memoirs， biographies， and other survivor books I've read， I've never come across such detail add I did here。 Jòzsef Debreczeni somehow managed to survive！ He starts at Auschwitz， but gets moved from one camp to another， to another， months after months， after months only to find the next one worse than the last one！ Each camp had longer work hours， less foods， less sleep， only making them weaker day after day。When he arrives at Dörnhau， the "cold crematorium"， he's discovered is just to suffer to death。 Many are dying day after day。 There's body waste everywhere， lice， tuberculosis， typhus， and with three bodies sharing a bed at a time， all it does is spread and get worse。 The place is so horrific and gruesome， the Nazi's refuse to stay， especially when they learn their own men are picking up the lice and diseases。Amazing to survive through this to give such a detailed story to remind us this should have happened。 This needs to keep being brought up to make sure somebody as evil as Hitler can never create such a place again。Thank you Netgalley and St。 Martin's Press for the arc。 。。。more
Karen Lovett
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This should be required reading for EVERYONE。 It was not a pleasant read but is history that everyone should know。
Laural Ronk
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Difficult reading but first hand account provides perspective。
Emily Boyer
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Read it。 Read it now。
Janet
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Absolutely brutal holocaust literature。 I thought I already knew how cruel and diabolical the Nazis were， but I didn't。 This book focuses on daily life in a concentration camp， and wasn't translated from the original Hungarian until recently。 Never ever ever forget！！ Absolutely brutal holocaust literature。 I thought I already knew how cruel and diabolical the Nazis were， but I didn't。 This book focuses on daily life in a concentration camp， and wasn't translated from the original Hungarian until recently。 Never ever ever forget！！ 。。。more
Julie J
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I’ve read a lot of books on the Holocaust。 This one…is that much more haunting。
Megan Rang
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*****I received this audiobook free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 This first hand account of the work camps during the Holocaust is devastating！ This story is written by the author and translated into English。 He had the opportunity to go left which would have taken him to the gas chambers or go right。 He chose right and went through extensive hardships and neglect in various work camps。 I highly recommend this book！
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cold crematorium reporting from the land of auschwitz cold crematorium reporting from the land of auschwitz review