As a manual laborer, Theodor Dreschner struggles to support himself and his family. A move to Frankfurt am Main in 1937 is supposed to improve the situation. But they are denied entry to their apartment; all Sinti are herded together as “Gypsies” in a camp. In June 1938, detectives arrive there; all men are ordered to report. The next day, he is in Buchenwald concentration camp, where he is forced to work on building the camp. An escape attempt fails; he survives beatings with sticks, penal battalions, and the quarry, adapts, and is finally able to escape from a death march. After 1945, as a former prisoner marked with a “black triangle,” he once again struggles with prejudice. He never receives compensation.
