Fr. Richard Henkes, S.A.C., A Picture of His Life A Picture of His Life | Page 9

for the canteen. Some prisoners were given money - however, they
were not allowed to manage it personally. No, instead, that was what
the person in charge did. Those who did not receive outside support
were poor. Richard Henkes had noticed this during his time in the
post office work group.
Canteen-keeper. This was his third working assignment in
Dachau. When he arrived there on July 10, 1943, he first had to sur-
vive the four-week quarantine in Access Block 15. The camp manage-
ment greatly feared epidemics and thus placed great importance on
cleanliness. This gave the guards great opportunity for harassment and
criminal activities. How did it affect the newcomers? They had their
shackles removed, were herded into the showers as a crowd, and, af-
terwards, were thrown prison clothing which had the stinging scent of
a disinfectant. Such humiliation was intentionally designed to shock
and ruin the self-esteem of the prisoners from the start. Woe to a
prisoner if one’s locker was not in order, the floor not clean, or the
soup bowl not rinsed - for there would be inhuman punishments over
a fingerprint or dust spot that remained.
Thanks be to God, Richard Henkes soon met Edward Allebrod.
This encounter made prison life easier. The two Pallottines had some-
one to talk about and share common memories and acquaintances in
Silesia. Such conversations - in which he met many other Pallottines
- took the moments of paralysis from his soul which were triggered by
the uncertainty, the restrictions, and lack of freedom. Richard Henkes
was increasingly under stress.
Since the prisoners in Dachau could write a letter every 14 days
and receive one, despite being cut-off from life, a certain flow of in-
formation was possible. In general, only one addressee was allowed.
Fr. Henkes decided on a loyal collaborator in his parish in Strandorf,
Paula Miketta. The letters of the prisoners were subject to censor-
ship. Therefore, one had to write about the truth with caution. One
could write no complaints about the real situation, and so many times
the prisoners deliberately did not complain, so as not to disturb their
family. In greeting his mother, Richard Henkes stressed over and over
again that, despite everything, he was doing well and she not need
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