“Surviving was all you thought about.”—Former prisoner Daniel Steckler
SS Lieutenant Willy Hack was warned by Johann “Hans” Kasten that he would be held responsible for the deaths of American soldiers at Berga. A native of Milwaukee, Kasten enlisted north of Chicago in 1943 at twenty-seven years old. He originally joined motor transportation, and when Kasten arrived in England, he requested a transfer to the infantry. Several years before the war, in 1936, Kasten, a German-speaking American, traveled and studied abroad in Germany. Kasten rode his bike across the country, was arrested taking pictures near the Siegfried Line, and had a conversation with Hitler at a youth hostel. Never shy to present his own feelings, after witnessing Hitler’s speech, he stated that this dictator was absolutely “crazy.”
During the D-Day assault on Omaha Beach, Kasten made it ashore, as many of his friends were killed. He fought across France, was almost captured during the Battle of the Bulge, returned to his own lines, and was later placed in a castle to oppose the Germans. Fighting against the enemy, his unit was pinned down, and Kasten used all of his ammunition and food, and after two days, these Americans surrendered. Quickly, as a prisoner, Kasten was ordered to bury the dead Germans in the snow whom he had previously shot. Kasten was sent to Stalag IX-B, where he was appointed as the prisoner representative to communicate with the Commandant and the German guards. Immediately, Kasten saw the poor conditions that Americans were forced to endure and the refusal of the Germans to adequately care for this camp.
Kasten made it clear that the war was almost over through the increased Allied aircraft overhead, as it was evident that the Germans had no chance of winning. The criminal conduct toward the prisoners mattered little to Hack, who was pressured by the Nazi regime to complete the tunnels and the armaments factory that were situated in the nearby mountains. Whereas food, medicine, blankets, and Red Cross parcels were non-existent, the prisoners were constantly harassed, beaten, and purposely neglected by the guards and leadership. Near the American barracks and in the concentration camp, there were hangings of prisoners who committed infractions and tried to escape.
Many of the crimes that were committed against the Americans were allowed under the authority of Sergeant Erwin Metz. A member of National Guard Battalion 621, he presented hatred toward the Americans and rarely heeded the advice that workers were too sick to go into the mines. He conducted medical examinations by checking the tongues of prisoners, and after they collapsed from exhaustion, Metz tossed ice-cold water on them to wake them up. Until the very end of the war, Metz never shied away from the horrendous treatment that was inflicted upon the American prisoners.
Whereas these Americans were in the military, it was believed by the German guards that most of these prisoners would perish from the harsh labor and inhaling the toxic air in the mountains. A local prisoner who trained at Camp Upton in Yaphank spoke German and understood that the guards were indifferent toward the plight of the Americans. Later, starving prisoners were instructed by Metz that they were unable to be given Red Cross parcels until they were completely clean. It was noticed by the Americans that Metz smoked cigarettes that were stolen from these packages. Due to the increased escapes, Metz refused to allow these suffering men vital sources of food to keep them alive, with the hope of being liberated.
As German cities and towns were bombed on a nightly basis, the leadership at Berga felt no compassion toward the Americans who were dying at an alarming rate. The guards continued to beat them for working too slowly, coughing, asking to rest, and one German SS member boasted that he made a “lampshade” and a “book shade” from human skin. Kasten pressed Hack for better treatment for the prisoners and was informed that Berga had new German Shepherds that would viciously attack the prisoners and search for any escapees.
Not an easy figure to restrain, Kasten was frustrated over the heinous actions of Hack and plotted to cause a revolt or escape from Berga. He directed the Americans who worked in the tunnels to steal dynamite that would be given to him. While they were nearly starving, Kasten hid food, money, and some resources that would be used on the journey toward American lines. With two other soldiers, Kasten escaped during an air raid that blackened the entire camp. They ran into the woods, traveled at night, stole food from farmers, and at times responded to civilians, “Heil Hitler.”
A few days later, the brutal cold forced Kasten’s group to seek accommodations within local inns. The men were turned away, and they went to a beer hall, ordered drinks, but one of the Americans spoke poor German, and they were quickly detected. An officer demanded to see their papers; Kasten refused, but they were tricked into being given accommodations. Again, they were asked for their papers, searched, and the dynamite was discovered, and the interrogators wanted to know if they were spies.
They finally admitted to being escaped prisoners of war from Berga, and they were heading toward the advancing American forces. Hack later arrived to identify these prisoners, beat Kasten, and informed them that they would be executed. Rather, Hack was overruled by other officials in the town, and they were ordered to be held in solitary confinement at Stalag IX-C, near the south-central part of Germany.
Contact in the camp was eventually made with these former prisoners of Berga, as Kasten informed a British officer of their camp and the shortage of food. They wanted Red Cross parcels sent to their comrades, who probably believed that they were caught and shot by the Germans. Even further east at Berga, the soldiers realized that the war was coming to an end. These prisoners were sick and lost weight, desperately seeking liberation. Anthony C. Acevedo, a Mexican-American medic, kept a diary of the final moments at Berga. He presented the need of attaining Red Cross parcels to prevent the deaths of Americans. His diary documented the changes in work conditions, as Americans started to labor outside in warmer weather. Acevedo identified the positive view of American aircraft that commanded the skies over the camp.
News circulated among the men that American forces were less than 100 kilometers away, but concentration and prisoner of war camps across the region ordered death marches to evade the advancing American armor and infantry. There were inconsistent actions by the Germans, as some tried to curry favor with the prisoners, realizing the fighting was over. Others were still fanatical, willing to carry out orders that led to additional deaths of Americans at the very end of the war. For eighteen days, the prisoners of Berga headed southward with a high death toll, where they were finally set free by American forces, who were shocked at their condition.