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(Updated on 9/30/2002) Faces
of Courage:
Teenagers Who Resisted
If
there is any light in the darkness of the Nazi era, it is to be found
in the courage of those who dared to fight back, to rescue others, to
join resistance movements, or simply to survive. This book chronicles
the stories of young people whose courage lit a candle of hope in the
darkest of times. I want a brutal, domineering, fearless cruel youth. Youth must be all that. It must bear pain. There must be nothing weak and gentle about it. The free, splendid beast of prey must once again flash from its eyes. That is how I will eradicate thousands of years of human domestication. That is how I will create the New Order. Adolph Hitler
There
were many young people in Nazi Germany who resisted the cruelties of
the Nazi Youth and remained true to their own codes of moral conduct.
The Edelweiss Pirates was one of the largest youth groups who refused
to participate in Nazi youth activities. The police were not allowed
to arrest members of the Hitler Youth Patrol Service, who were known
for their brutality and bullying. Hitler Youth were guilty of many crimes,
they broke shop windows, stole, and beat people on the streets. In one
case, a group of Hitler Youth broke the windows of the home of a teacher
who had given them low marks. The Nazi Youth Patrol raided movie houses,
cabarets, billiard halls and coffee shops looking for the Edelweiss
Pirates, who stood up to them and even fought with Dressed
in his checkered shirt and short trousers, Franz walked quickly along
the dark street bordering the park. He saw the flashlights and heard
the Nazi Patrol and quickly jumped into the bushes that bordered the
park. Knowing how to avoid the patrol was important and Franz, who knew
every bush and hiding place in the park, was sure he would never be
caught. Patrol would never catch him. The son of a steelworker, Franz
had just turned 16 when he left school and joined the Edelweiss Pirates.
He knew most of the other boys from his neighborhood, they were his
friends and he had known them for most of his life. His father was a
Social Democrat who lost his position as trade union leader because
he opposed the Nazis. As soon as Franz was old enough, he quit school
to avoid having to go to Nazi Youth meetings. He took a job in the steel
mill as an apprentice and joined the Edelweiss Pirates. When
Berthold was 12 years of age, his father was killed in an accident in
the steel mill. His mother had to work as a domestic to feed her family
of four children. Berthold was the oldest and when he was 14 years old,
he left school and found a job in a factory. He was glad to be making
some money to make life easier for his mother. Albert
lived in a home for orphaned boys in the working class section of the
city. The Director of the Home forced him to leave school and work as
a street sweeper because he refused to attend the Nazi Youth Club meetings.
Small for his age and frail, Albert worked all day sweeping streets
and carrying big bags of trash. One afternoon, he dropped a bag of garbage
and began to sweep it up, when he heard a friendly voice whisper, "So
you are a member of the slave gang" Albert turned and saw an older
boy dressed in a checkered shirt and black hat. Jacques
Lusseyran was only seventeen years old when he organized the "Volunteers
of Liberty" (Voluntaires de la Liberte) an underground resistance
group of university and secondary school students. The "Volunteers"
became part of the "Defense de la France", a major underground
resistance network affiliated with Charles De Gaulle and the free French
government. The Germans occupied Paris from June 14, 1940 until August
25, 1944. References Ehrlich,
Blake, Resistance France, 1940-1945, Boston, Mass.: Little Brown
and Company. 1965. On the way back
to the village, Jean was climbing the hills bordering the Dordogne River
when he saw a streak of silver twisting and turning in the sky; trailing
streaks of black smoke as it hurtled to the ground. Jean was deaf and
did not hear the plane crash, but he saw the smoke rising above the
trees on the other side of the river. Jean stopped on the top of a hill
and watched the smoke circling above the sparkling river, and then he
saw the white parachute tangled on a tree below him. A man dangling
from its ropes was waving his arms, frantically trying to reach the
branch of the tree.
A
small crowd of villagers watched in tearful silence as Karl was taken
away from his home by the public health official. His parents were sobbing.
No one knew when he or she would see Karl again. When his father was
told that Karl had to leave the village and go to the state hospital,
he protested angrily. The official warned him that Karl would be taken
by force, if they did not let him go willingly. Peering
out of the dusty window, Noni was looking for the birds that made their
nests in the tall trees that ordered the state hospital, when she saw
the big gray bus with blackened windows pull to a stop. Everyone in
the hospital heard the rumors about the buses that came every day to
take another group of people away from the hospital. There was chaos; everyone was running in all directions in the forest. Annaliese held the hand of a young boy and they ran together behind a tree. The soldiers were firing their rifles in all directions. There was screaming and crying. The shooters were relentless and bodies were scattered everywhere. Annaliese and the young boy were murdered with the twenty-five other young people who lived in St. Joseph's Home in Silesia. The Nazi officials calmly boarded the bus that was meant for the young residents. The priest buried his head in his hands and the nuns wept. St. Joseph's was a small school for children and young people with mental and physical disabilities. Like other small religious schools in remote parts of Germany, St. Joseph's school was a haven for children with disabilities during the war but as defeat came close, the Nazis intensified their killing of children and adults with disabilities as well as prisoners in concentration and death camps. The children and young people of St. Joseph's were killed in March 1945. Annaliese never knew her parents. She was placed in a state orphan home for girls when she was a baby. Alone and abandoned, there was no one to whom she felt close. The teachers at the school and supervisors in the Home did not pay very much attention to the quiet little girl who worked hard at school and never caused trouble. When Annaliese was 14 years old, the war began and the orphanage became very crowded. There was a shortage of food and clothing and more and more troubled girls were sent to the Home. It was chaotic, noisy and dirty and Annaliese became increasingly uncomfortable and retreated into herself. She missed the girls who had been sent away and felt uncomfortable with the new director, who gave the girls cleaning chores to do. After school, Annaliese and the others barely had time for their school work. They had to wash the dishes and clean the rooms of the smaller girls. The only relief was attending church on Sundays, but the new director preferred the girls to attend meetings and march in the streets chanting Nazi slogans, rather than go to the church. Annaliese felt lonelier then ever and did not enjoy the outings with the German Maidens. She did not like the girls who were the leaders, they were bossy and picked on the smaller or weaker girls. Modest and shy, Annaliese was not even aware of how pretty she was. She kept her long blonde hair in braids and when she looked in the mirror, she saw only sadness in her blue eyes. When the director told her she was being moved to a home in the country, Annaliese was surprised. She looked forward to leaving the noisy, crowded home. She had never been out of the city, but she knew the countryside was quiet and peaceful. The Director did not tell her anything about the home except that it was a special place for German Maidens. One week later, after her sixteenth birthday, Annaliese found herself on a train with one other girl from the Home. Seated next to a window, she could not take her eyes away from the sight of rolling hills, forests and farms as the train sped along the tracks. She thought about her life and hoped that life in the country would be peaceful and that she would make friends in the new home. An older girl accompanied her and she was happy too. She told Annaliese that they were going to be treated very well because they were specially chosen by the German Maidens. No one told her that the girls in the new home were expected to make babies for Hitler. The house was an old mansion with rugs on the floor and lovely dark furniture. Annaliese was given her own room with a comfortable bed and curtains on the windows. The girls in the home came from all over Germany and at first they seemed very friendly. The girls were given new and pretty dresses and the food in the home was delicious. Annaliese never tasted so many different kinds of foods before. In the new peaceful surroundings, Annaliese began to relax her guard and took long walks around the grounds. She loved the big gardens with their rosebushes. But she could not help wondering why there were no supervisors in the home, there were maids who did the cleaning and laundry and one older woman, who did not bother to call the girls by name. She referred to them as "Maidens". Annaliese offered to help with the chores in return for living there. But the woman just shrugged and laughed. "You'll have plenty to do when the soldiers arrive. Don't you know you are here to give our soldiers a good time? Annaliese did not understand what she meant and asked another girl what they were expected to do. One of the other girls laughed at her and told her they would be making beautiful babies for Hitler. Annaliese was stunned, she had heard of girls getting pregnant before they were married but she did not want that to happen to her. She hoped to finish school and become a nurse before she married. After all she was only sixteen years old. The other girl saw her fright and told her, "Don't worry", the other girl said. "We're going to have fun and have dances and parties. The soldiers are really handsome fellows". "Not me" Annaliese said, "I'm much too young to get married. I want to be a nurse". "Oh they won't marry us. They just want us to have babies for the Fatherland. It's a great privilege to make perfect babies for the Fatherland. Don't you it's your duty to make beautiful babies for Hitler" the other girl said sharply. Annaliese suddenly felt frightened, but then she thought no one would force her to do something she did not want to do. That night there was a party, but Annaliese pretended to be sick and did not go. She refused the next night after as well. The woman in charge of the house scolded her and threatened to send her back to the orphanage. Annaliese asked to go back and the woman promised to try to arrange it. There were parties nearly every night and Annaliese discovered how hopeless her situation was. One night a soldier forced his way into her room and roughly pulled off her clothes and made her lie down with him. He was rough and cruel and caused her a great deal of pain. He got up off the bed and laughed at her as he got dressed and left the room. Annaliese lay in her bed in terror. She felt violated and ashamed, she had nothing, not even her body belonged to her, she thought. Suddenly she knew that the only one who could help her was herself and she planned her escape. She did not sleep that night and with the first light of dawn, she left the mansion. Outside the first rays of light were streaking the sky and Annaliese walked quickly. She stood at the edge of the forest wondering in which direction to go and then she entered the forest. Forcing herself to be calm, she stepped carefully around the bushes and trees. She rested against a tall tree and imagined that the trees were protecting her. The thought comforted her and she continued walking. The sun was shining brightly when she reached the end of the forest and saw noticed that she was close to the edge of the forest. She saw a small church on the other side of the road and she ran towards it. Sister Mary was coming out of the church when she saw a disheveled girl running towards the church. As soon as Annaliese saw the nun, she began sobbing. The sister put her hand on Annaliese arm and pulled her inside the church and calmly spoke to her. She asked her if she was running away. Annaliese nodded and then decided to tell the Sister everything. She told her about the mansion where the girls were ordered to make babies for the Fatherland. Annaliese told her about the soldier and how he had hurt her. Sister Mary listened quietly and then took Annaliese's hand. "You are safe now", she said. "There is no need to be afraid." Sister Mary brought her to the priest who told her that the church was also the home of 26 children and young people who were disabled. He asked her if she were willing to work and help take care of the boys and girls who lived there. Most of the children and young people were independent, but they required some help to do their chores and their school work. Annaliese nodded her head, she was so nervous she could barely hear what the priest was saying. But his voice was gentle and calming and she saw the kindness in his eyes. "I'll do whatever you like, but please let me stay," she said. The priest nodded and told her she would be expected to help with the cleaning and cooking chores. Annaliese did not hesitate and promised to do whatever they asked of her. Sister Mary took Annaliese to the dining room where the residents were eating breakfast. The residents were seated around a long table. There was no fighting or loud talk, but there were smiles and quiet laughter. Sister Mary walked her around the table and introduced Annaliese. One by one they stood up and greeted her politely. The sister introduced each resident by name. Annaliese barely noticed the slight physical disabilities or deformities of some of the residents. Their friendliness was what important to her. One of the boys invited her to sit with them and have breakfast. They brought her a plate filled with eggs and fresh bread. He told her to eat as much as she wanted. For the first time in a long time, Annaliese felt safe. After breakfast, Sister Mary showed Annaliese the small room where she would live and brought her some clothing. After she washed her face and changed her clothes. Sister Mary took her around the grounds and explained that most of the boys worked on the small farm in back of the church and the girls worked inside the Home. There was a sewing room and a school room for the younger residents. It was calm, friendly and peaceful at St. Joseph's and in a short time. Annaliese settled into the routine of the home. She worked in the kitchen helping with cooking and cleaning chores and assisted the younger children with their school work. The residents appreciated the help she gave and they were always polite and respectful. Annaliese felt as if she had found a real family and she joined in all of the activities of the home. She always there to help a child solve a problem and they began looking for her whenever they needed help. And when one of the residents was ill, Annaliese sat by their bedsides and read or talked to them. She took the boys and girls on picnics and outings and earned their love and trust. The priest and the two Sisters who worked at the Home told Annaliese that she was making life easier for everyone. Annaliese felt that she belonged and had a great respect for these young people who accepted and encouraged one another. There was no teasing or bullying and everyone cooperated. One afternoon, black smoke surrounded the barn. One of the older boys was the first to see the smoke coming out of the barn and he called to the others. Annaliese watched in quiet admiration as the boys filled buckets with water and quietly put out the fire. Even the priest and the Sisters were surprised that the residents knew exactly what to do. No one panicked or refused to help. Afterwards they even helped to repair the part of the barn that was damaged. Annaliese thought that the young people at the Home were a lot smarter than the girls who were making babies for Hitler. Annaliese had been at the Home for two years and her life was good. Germany was losing the war and Sister Mary confided to Annaliese that she was glad. "Life was good before the Nazis and will be good again", she told her. But then groups of soldiers and many Nazi officials came to the village that was near the Russian front. They wanted to escape the approaching Russian army Until the end of the war, children and young people with disabilities were safest in homes run by religious orders in rural parts of Germany. In other places Nazi doctors were killing them. The killings continued even though Germany was losing the war and the killing operations were being extended to rural homes like St. Joseph's. It was just a few months before the end of the war, when the public health doctor came to see the priest and told him that his residents were to be put to death. The doctor told the priest that the residents were a burden on the government and that as a good citizen he was obliged to cooperate. The doctor planned to inject everyone with poison. The priest knew that children and adults who lived in the big institutions and hospitals were murdered, but he never thought that would happen at St. Joseph's. As soon as the doctor left the priest went to the town hall to beg the Mayor to intervene, but the Mayor refused to help. When no one offered to help, the priest and the nuns and Annualize tried to make a plan to keep the residents out of the Home when the public health doctor paid a visit. Annualize took the residents for long walks in the forest and stayed there until nightfall. It was an abrupt change in routine and older children sensed the fear. They stayed close to one another and to Annualize tried to be cheerful as she led them through the thickest parts of the forest. The Russian troops were getting closer and the Nazi officials knew they would be taken prisoners. They too planned to escape, but that did not keep the public health doctor from planning the murder of the residents. The doctor did not disguise his anger with the priest, who secretly arranged for a bus to come and take the residents to another church far away in another village. Finally the bus arrived on a Saturday night and was parked in front of the church. Early the next morning, the residents went to the church and the plan was to board the bus after the Mass. But as soon as they emerged from the church, Annaliese saw the soldiers coming and shouted for everyone to run into the woods. One of the younger boys tripped and fell and Annaliese stopped to help him and together they ran into the woods. The Russian troops were expected to be coming soon and the Nazi officials were eager to escape before the Russians came. The soldiers were yelling and shooting and there were dead bodies everywhere. Annaliese held the shaking boy in her arms and tried to calm him. She took him behind a tall tree, but a soldier saw them and fired his rifle. Annaliese and the boy were killed. The
priest and the Sisters stood in front of the church in silent horror
and watched helplessly as the Nazi officials climbed aboard the bus
to escape from the Russian army. Helmuth Huebener and his friends, Karl Heinz Schnibbe, Rudolf Wobbe and Gerhardt Duewer, were known as the Huebener group. They defied the Nazi regime by distributing leaflets to expose the lies and deceit of Nazi propaganda. This was viewed as a crime by Nazi authorities and was severely punished. Helmuth Huebener was seventeen years old when he was sentenced to death. Karl, Rudolf and Gerhardt were imprisoned and sent to forced labor camps in Russian and Poland. From 1941 to 1943 they distributed their leaflets to working class sections of Hamburg, a busy industrial city, situated in northern Germany on the Elbe and Alster Rivers. Hamburg was Germany's second largest city and its biggest port. Sons of working class families, Helmuth and Gerhardt were administrative apprentices in social administration. Karl-Heinz was apprenticed to a house painter and Rudi (Rudolf), the youngest member of the group, was a mechanic's apprentice. Full of youthful idealism and exuberance, the Huebener group may not have been fully aware of where their activities would take them. "Come and visit me. I have something to show you", Helmuth told Karl at a meeting of young people at St. Georg's. Karl had no idea of what he would find when he arrived at the apartment later that night. It was dark and quiet in the apartment; Helmuth's grandparents were already asleep. Helmuth showed Karl a small radio. "The radio has short wave and we can listen to foreign broadcasts." "Man are you nuts?" Karl said. "Don't you know that's illegal?" He was feeling nervous, knowing that listening to foreign broadcasts was strictly forbidden and severely punished. "Hitler is making a lot of good things illegal. But we are not sheep, we don't have to obey all the crazy laws." Helmuth said, turning on the radio. A feeble light illuminated the numbers on the short wave dial and they listened to the German language broadcast from the Britain. The broadcast contradicted all the boasts of German victories they were hearing every day. "Do you realize that we are being told lies. They tell us that hundreds of Russian soldiers are being killed, but they don't mention how many German soldiers are also losing their lives". "Think about it, Germany has no raw materials and is dependent on other countries. When the Allies will start to win, Germany will have nothing. Hitler is leading us to destruction. Don't you think people have the right to hear the truth". The British had already begun to bomb Hamburg. After the broadcast, Helmuth showed Karl a leaflet he had written. "I know you'll want to help me distribute these", he said handing the leaflet to Karl. Karl picked up the red paper and felt it burn his hand, He could not believe what he was reading.
This is how they are lying to us! "This is crazy", Karl said. "Don't you know how dangerous this is?" "It's only dangerous if we are not careful and we will be careful. People need to be told the truth". "But how is this going to help anybody?" Karl asked. "What we can do is warn people and wake them up. When enough people hear the truth, who knows what can happen". Karl was reluctant but he agreed to take seven leaflets. The streets were very dark because of the blackout. Britain had begun their bombing raids on Hamburg. Karl felt sick to his stomach with fear, and looked around him. When he was sure there was no one to see, he placed a leaflet in the telephone box at the entranceway of an apartment house. When he had gotten rid of all the leaflets, he let out a sigh of relief and dashed home as fast as he could. Two policemen were on the street where Karl lived. Passing them he mumbled "Heil Hitler" and wished them a good evening. "Where are you going so late?" one of the policeman asked. "Oh, I was just visiting a friend", Karl answered in as strong a voice as he could muster. "Well, good night then. Let's hope there will be no more air raids." Opening the door to his apartment, he felt a wave of relief. He did not want to distribute any more leaflets. If Helmuth asked him at that moment to distribute more leaflets, he would turn him down. But the next morning he felt differently and told himself that he would be willing to do it now and again. If he were careful, nothing could go wrong. HE did not tell his mother what he had done. Karl was to learn later that Rudi was involved. He did not know about Gerhardt until later. Helmuth tried to protect his friends by not telling them everything. At that time Karl did not know that Helmuth had already written and distributed short leaflets. The
President of the church knew about Helmuth's good stenographic and typing
skills and asked him to type letters to soldiers on the front lines.
He gave Helmuth a typewriter and access to paper. Helmuth typed his
first leaflet on red paper so it would be noticed and made ten copies.
He
put them in the telephone boxes of apartment buildings with the notice,
"This is a chain letter, so pass it on." The first leaflets
were very short and contained brief messages, but listening to the radio
broadcasts gave him the idea of writing news reports. With carbon paper
he typed seven or eight copies at a time. Realizing that if the information
campaign was to be successful, he would need the help of his friends.
Helmuth, Karl and Rudi saw one another often at the church. Karl and Rudi looked up to Helmuth who often had answers to difficult questions. They knew he read a lot of books and knew a great deal about religion as well as history. Karl began to call Helmuth the "professor" because he seemed to know so much. On his part, Helmut trusted Karl and Rudi. They met regularly in the church and often went to a small restaurant afterwards. That is where they told one another about their experiences with the Nazi Youth. The three boys were forced to join the Hitler Youth against their will. Strong individualists, they shared an intense dislike of Nazi Youth activities, the pressures to conform, the persecution of Jewish people, and the ugliness and sheer brutality of what they saw around them. Helmuth, Karl and Rudi came from religious families and much of what they saw around them contradicted their beliefs. Hamburg was a working class city with a strong tradition of Social Democracy and many Mormons were Social Democrats who had opposed Hitler. Helmuth thought that the Mormons who supported Hitler were mislead and misinformed like the President of St. Georg's who was a member of the Nazi party. Helmuth still had respect for the President and knew he was a good and caring man. He could not understand what made him have so much faith in Hitler. Living in Hamburg, where there was still a strong belief in democracy, Helmuth, Karl and Rudi were skeptical and aware of the cruelties imposed by Hitler. Hamburg never went completely over to the Nazis like other German cities; the city had too many Social Democrats. Hamburg was a sprawling city with many bridges that cross the rivers and canals. Nazi patrols were everywhere. Whenever a flag patrol came along, everyone was expected to stop and raise his or her hands in salute. Helmuth avoided the patrols and when he saw them coming, he would turn and walk the other way. From the corner of his eye, he could see that there were other people managed to avoid saluting too. As teen aged boys, Helmuth, Karl and Rudi lived with their families. Helmuth's mother worked as a nurse and when she married for the second time, Helmuth moved in with his grandparents. He was not happy with his new stepfather who was avid Nazi. Rudi lived with his widowed mother, who had strong religious beliefs and encouraged Rudi to be respectful of other people. Their family doctor was Jewish and she refused to find another doctor, even after people were warned not to go to Jewish physicians. Karl's parents were social democrats. One evening when Helmuth, Karl and Rudi were walking home from church they defiantly began to sing American songs. They heard the loud voice of a Nazi Youth Patrol ordering them to stop. "How dare you sing English songs?" the Nazi Youth demanded to see their identification papers and warned them never to sing English songs again. Helmuth remarked, "Have you noticed that that our country is being run by threats and brutal force". "Everywhere you go you see signs that say "Forbidden", Forbidden on pain of death" "Not permitted" "What kind of country is this, anyway?" Karl added. "This country is headed for destruction," Helmuth said in a soft voice. As young men, the four boys were forced to become members of the Hitler Youth. Helmuth detested the boring meetings, the constant saluting to Hitler, and he avoided going to the meetings. Karl also did not want to go but his father cautioned him that it was dangerous not to attend the meetings and he went against his will, but he refused to wear the uniform and was expelled. Rudi stopped going to meetings after Nazi Youth patrol tried to stop him, because he did not salute. Angrily, Rudi drove his bicycle into one of the members of the patrol, knocking him down. He rode quickly away. That was the last time he had anything to do with the Nazi Youth. The persecution of Jewish people was deeply disturbing to the boys. It was senseless, cruel and tragic. They saw first hand the increasing brutality and the beatings. They had Jewish friends who were disappearing. As a painter's apprentice, Karl- Heinz worked in the neighborhood where many Jewish people lived. He had just become a painter's apprentice, when he saw the shattered windows of shops owned by Jewish people. Clothing and other goods were lying in the gutter. Until that night in 1938, that became known as Crystal Night (Krystallnacht), no one thought the Nazis would do go to such violent extremes. The day he saw an old man being brutally beaten by a policeman, he knew he hated everything the Nazis stood for. Rudi remembered the horrified look on his mother's face when she told him that their family physician had been arrested and sent away. Helmuth brought a packet of letters he had typed for the president of St. Georg's and saw the sign on the door forbidding Jews to enter. He wanted to tear the sign down. Soon after, the President asked that a radio be brought into the church so everyone could listen to Hitler's speeches. Karl's father who told the President "This is a church of God not a political meeting" and the President relented. Helmuth discovered that Nazi spies monitored the meetings at the church. One evening Helmuth saw a few Nazi youth enter the church and recognized them. Afraid they had come to make a disturbance, he confronted them. "What are you doing here, You boys are not interested in our church services". He was surprised that the Nazi Youth left quietly. But it was becoming obvious that people were becoming increasingly fearful, there were very few outspoken objections to Nazi policies. After he distributed his first seven leaflets, Karl saw Helmuth at church on Sunday." Well how's it going? Helmuth asked laughing. If I know you, I know you did everything perfectly". Both of them were laughing so hard, that Rudi came up and asked what was so funny. Rudi was two years younger than Karl. He had no idea that Helmuth had already spoken to Rudi. Helmuth invited them both to come to his apartment. The best nights for listening to the broadcasts together were Friday or Saturday nights. Karl's' mother allowed him to stay out later those nights; during the week he went to church with his parents. The boys met again on the following Saturday and Helmuth told described his plan. He wanted to conduct a full fledged informational resistance. "What do you mean?" Karl asked. "I mean that the leaflets should report the news we hear from the British. People have a right to know the truth". "You don't think that the three of us can overthrow the government do you?" Karl took a deep breath. Helmuth was surely going to get them all in trouble. "No, but we can keep people informed and show them that there is opposition. They will begin to talk to one another and who knows what will happen" "I'll have to think about it," Karl said. Rudi was also hesitant. "Most people do not have short wave radios, unless we tell them what is happening, how else will they know?" Helmuth insisted. Everyone was quiet, then Rudi said, "OK I'll help you." Helmuth went into the next room and returned with a pile of papers. He showed them his shorthand notes of the broadcasts and explained how he would prepare the leaflets. Both Karl and Rudi had already seen the shorter handbills. This was the first letter sized leaflet that described the brutal treatment given to Russian prisoners of war. "Who else knows about these leaflets?" Karl asked. "No one, only us" but Helmuth told them he planned to ask Gerhardt, his friend at work. The boys agreed not to mention the leaflets to anyone and if one of them was caught, they agreed he should take the blame. When there was a new leaflet to distribute, Helmuth announced to Karl and Rudi, "Isn't it time for us to get together to do something?" That was the signal that more leaflets were ready for distribution. At first there was a new leaflet every other week and then every week. Sometimes there were two in a week. Helmuth even got hold of a stamp with an eagle and a swastika and made the leaflets look like the Nazis made them. Gerhardt joined the group and the boys were assigned different neighborhoods. They were distributing about sixty leaflets at a time. Wandering about the darkened city, they were careful not to be seen as they tacked the leaflets to the bulletin boards in the entranceways of the apartment buildings. Crossing over the bridges, they went all around Hamburg and got to know which times were the safest to put up the leaflets. When there were air raids, they went to the air raid shelters, but they resumed their work as soon as the all clear sounded. It was tense work, because they never knew when they would be seen or reported. Rudi was less careful than Helmuth or Karl and kept his leaflets in a secret hiding place behind a strip of wallpaper that had become loose. This was like a pocket and when he was ready to leave work, he took leaflets out and distributed them on his way home. He did not always until dark. Karl almost got into trouble when he was chatting with friends in a nearby café and showed them a leaflet. They were shocked and scolded him. Grinning, Karl told them it was a joke and put the leaflet away. From then on, he did not take any more chances. For almost two years, Helmuth, Karl, Rudi and Gerhardt distributed the leaflets to apartment buildings all over the city. People were getting desperate as the bombings intensified. There was rubble and bombed out buildings everywhere. And the Nazi patrols were always on guard. But no one was caught. There were many French prisoners of war working in the factories of Hamburg decided to have one of the leaflets translated into French. Helmuth knew an apprentice who spoke French and before he had a chance to discuss the idea with his friends, he showed the leaflet to the apprentice and asked him to translate it. The apprentice read the leaflet and threw it back at Helmuth. He reported him to the Gestapo that very afternoon in February 1943. A notice was posted at the church announcing Helmuth's arrest. Karl felt sick, he knew he and Rudi would soon be arrested too. The boys had agreed that if one was arrested, he would take the blame and not involve the others. But the following Monday a green paddy wagon, the "Green Minna" came for Karl. There were 20 or 30 other prisoners in the wagon. They were taken to the prison. The prison guards were sadistic individuals and never missed an opportunity to humiliate a prisoner. The Gestapo wanted the prisoners to feel less than human and they let the prisoners know they could do whatever they wanted. Karl steeled himself to become callous and ignore the cruel comments. He knew that if he let himself care too much, he would go to pieces. He tried to concentrate on something else to be able to stand the long waits and the intense fear; he tried thinking about visits to his aunt in the country. The prisoners had to wake up at 5 in the morning. They had to make their beds perfectly or they would be punished. A Dutch prisoner showed Karl how to make his bed. Breakfast was a thin crust of bread and ersatz coffee. After breakfast the prisoners were manacled together and taken back to the Green Minna to Gestapo headquarters. The prisoners included physicians, scientists, teachers as well as workers, it didn't matter, everyone was treated the same. When Karl saw Helmuth a few days later, he was shocked at the black and blue marks on his face. But Helmuth managed to wink at him and even grin. During the long waits before they were questioned by the Gestapo and wondered where Helmuth was. "A member of our branch Helmuth Huebener has been arrested by the Gestapo. I cannot give you any details to the Frenchmen who were working in Germany. Helmuth Huebener was seventeen years old when he was executed. He was the youngest resistance fighter to lose his life in Ploetzensee, the infamous Nazi center of death. The other members of the group were imprisoned and sent to forced labor camps in Poland and Russia.
When the Nazis invaded Poland at the beginning of World War II, there was panic in the small village in Poland where Jacob and his family lived. Jacob was thirteen years old, he and his family were in grave danger because they were Jewish. The Polish peasants who lived around the village of Parczewa were frightened of the Germans and many were willing to betray their Jewish neighbors to seek favor with the Nazis. Jacob was determined to survive. This is his story. I was born on the eighth of May in 1926 in Parczewa, in the province of Lubelskie in Poland. The youngest of eight children, I managed to finish six grades of school before the Germans came. After the Germans came to our village, no Jews were allowed to go to public schools. With my light brown hair and blue eyes, I did not look different from other Polish boys, but after the Germans came; Polish boys would not speak to me any more. At the beginning of the war the Germans bombed our town. The planes came at ten o'clock in the morning and we all had to go into the fields and lie down until the bombing stopped. Only one house was demolished, but everyone was very frightened. Until that happened I did not really know what bombing was. The German army came to our town and forced us to work for them at the Wehrmacht canteen they set up in the gymnasium. I worked for the soldiers, shining their shoes. Cleaning their rooms, chopping wood and going on errands for them. I did not mind the work, there was nothing else to do and I was a lonely 13-year-old boy who was curious about everything. Two other Jewish boys also worked for the German soldiers. The soldiers gave us official papers to prove we were workers in the Wehrmacht canteen. We came to the canteen to begin work at 7:30 in the morning and finished at 5 in the afternoon. The soldiers did not mistreat us at that time, in fact some of them were good to us. Often a soldier would send me buy him cigarettes and then I was able to buy food at the canteen and bring it home to my family. The soldiers in the SS were different and they were often cruel when they came to the canteen. They called us names but most of the time I felt safe working in the canteen. It was only a few months later when the military police came to the town and life became much harder. The Polish military police worked for the Germans and we were very afraid of them. I was only a young boy, but I will never forget one policeman who walked around in yellow boots and had a big dog. He beat people on the streets and everybody was afraid of him. As soon as he came on the street, everyone ran away. To make all Polish towns and cities "free of Jews", the Germans decided to make the village of Parczewa a "Jewish" town. Hundreds of Jewish refugees were coming from neighboring towns and cities. The leaders of the Jewish Council thought if they cooperated with the Germans, they would leave us alone. They sent people house to house to collect food and clothing for the refugees. Two families moved in with us, one was from Germany and the other from a city called Jablonka in Poland. Our small house was very crowded with four more adults and six children. I had to share my bedroom with two of my brothers and three other boys. When my older brother
Richard came home, he told us that the Germans planned We all helped to dig a tunnel from the kitchen to the wood shed. My brother put double floors in the shed beneath the shed. In between the floors he put in a drawer full of dirt, so if the Germans came and tore up the floor, they would find only dirt. We barely finished building our hiding place when German soldiers began searching Jewish homes. The soldiers came to search our house many times, but they never found our hiding place. I was still looking for work after leaving the canteen, but I didn't know where to look. We began to hear terrible stories about the concentration camps, but the old man who was the leader of the Jewish Council told us to help the German soldiers. They picked me as one of fifty Jewish boys to be helpers to the German army. The Russian troops were destroying everything and the German soldiers had to depend on food supplies from distant places. My mother was crying the day I left to escort a transport of cattle to German soldiers in the front lines. She thought she would never see me again. A German man was the director of our group and he was very strict. All fifty of us boys were packed into two sealed freight cars which were opened twice a day so we could feed the cattle. It was hot and stuffy inside the freight cars and we had nothing to drink or eat. Every few hours the train would stop and we boys had to get off the train and go and feed the cattle the hay we brought with us. Then we went to the train station and fill big jugs with water for the cattle. When we were finished, they gave us food from the military canteen at the station. At a train station close to the Russian border, a Russian soldier came up and whispered to us. One of the boys spoke Russian and talked with the soldier who told him about the partisans who were fighting the Germans. The soldier wanted us to escape and join the partisans. We could have escaped because we were not carefully guarded. But one boy told the director and he was furious. He told us if we escaped our families would be severely punished, so we stayed on the train. At the train stations, we could see freight trains full of people and I knew they were Jews who were being taken away. On the way home, we saw women, old people and children being pushed into trains. We heard their screams and cries. The soldiers who came with us were worried that we would be discovered and told us to stay in the freight cars and be very quiet. They did not want anyone to know that there were Jewish boys in the train. But someone from the SS knew we were on the train and came for us. The soldiers told them that they had orders to deliver us back to Parczewa and when we finally got home, everyone was surprised that we had returned safely. Things were very bad when I returned. Most of the Jewish families already been taken away, only a few hundred Jews were left in the town. They made us all move to one street that was guarded by Polish and Jewish guards. The street had barbed wire around it and we could not leave. My family were still in hiding. The Germans were telling us that if we came out of hiding and were willing to work, we would not be evacuated. My brother believed him and he took me with him to work in a temporary store of the Wehrmacht in an old glass factory. My job was to load blankets and other provisions into freight trains for the soldiers on the front lines. We worked every day, but the work was not hard and I didn't mind it. We worked there for a few weeks when a Polish policeman came to the store with orders to bring all the Jewish workers to the Gestapo prison. At first I did not know what to do, but then I caught a glimpse of my brother being pushed into a truck. I knew at that moment that I wasn't going to prison. I didn't care what happened and I began to run. I did not stop running until I got to the outskirts of the town, where there were open fields. The only time I stopped running was to pick up an old shoe polish tin that had been thrown on the street. Once I reached the field, I started to dig a ditch with the can. Then I lay down in the ditch not knowing what else to do. It was very quiet and I stayed there for a long time. I was worried about my brother and prayed that he managed to get away. As soon as it was dark I left the hiding place and walked back to the village. No one else was around, but I was still very frightened. When I got close to the town, I met Tadek, a Polish fellow who was brought up with us and even learned to speak Yiddish. I trusted him and told him I ran away. Tadek took me to his house and gave me food and then he gave me terrible news. The Gestapo killed all the boys they took to the prison. Tadek told me that I was very smart to run away. He didn't know where the rest of my family was. I told him I had to go home to see my mother. Tadek pushed me down on the chair and would not let me leave. He said it was too dangerous. He wanted me to go with him to Germany. The Germans were sending Poles to work in Germany. I looked at him and shook my head, but he refused to take No for an answer. He said I had no choice because nobody would be looking for Jews in Germany. The next day Tadek brought me false identification papers and a ticket to Warsaw. He took me to the train station and told me not to worry. He had arranged everything, he said. When I boarded the train I did not know what was ahead of me or if I would ever see my family again. Tadek's friend met me at the train station in Warsaw and brought me to his house. A few days later we left for Stargard in Pomerania. When we arrived, the Germans gave us an Arbeitskarte (work permits) that had a photo. They also gave us a small piece of linen with the letter "P" for Polish printed on it. We had to sew the linen on the front of our shirts. Then they cut our hair very short and put us in barracks. I was surprised to see so many workers from so many different countries in the barracks. There were 2000 foreign workers in Stargard and I was one of them. I was still afraid I would be discovered, but deep inside I felt very angry. I made up my mind that if I was caught, I would not let myself be killed without fighting back. I would defend myself to my last breath. The factory in Stargard was a big place where we built big bunkers for the army. It was owned by a private company and we had to obey the foreman who was the boss. He was a real but for some reason he liked me. He told me I reminded him of his son and he gave me his son's shoes and some shirts to wear. He did not hit me like he hit the other boys and for that I was grateful. Sine I was the youngest worker, the others felt sorry for me. When the foreman was not around, we took breaks. We did not feel like working too hard. One of the workers was always on guard and when he saw the foreman coming, he would signal us and we would begin to work. In December of 1942, when we first arrived in Stargard, the Germans were cruel to foreign workers, especially the Poles. Even children threw rocks at us. But when the Germans were defeated at Stalingrad, things changed and many Germans started treating us better. We had a day off every second Sunday and I took jobs cleaning private houses. I wanted to save money to get back to my family. There were just women and old people living in the houses, the men were gone. Even though I still felt very angry with the Germans, I had to admit that some of them were very good to us. The woman who owned the bakery gave me bread even though I did not have a rationing card. I till had to be very careful and not go into the store if there were people around. I stayed in Stargard for two years. When the Allies began bombing the city, I rejoiced. Factories were destroyed. At the end of the war I was working to rebuild one of the factories. We were still being heavily guarded because among the thousands of us foreign workers and there were prisoners from concentration camps. I was still afraid I would be caught. Some of the other boys received parcels from home and I didn't want anyone to think I did not get any either. I saved my money and went to another barrack and bought a parcel. I came back and yelled, "Boys, I have a parcel from home. Let's eat." I also wrote myself letters and mailed them from another place. It was risky to travel and I had to take the " P " off my chest, because we were not allowed to travel. The office posted a list of those who received mail and I waited for one of my friends to tell me my name was on the list. My friends also saw me writing letters and that helped me too. I knew I would be in more danger if anyone suspected that I was Jewish. The Russians were coming closer and closer and the Germans knew they were losing the war. They evacuated the civilian population and planned to send foreign workers to the west. But the Russians came before we were moved. We waited to be liberated, but instead of liberating us, the Russians moved us from Stargard to another city, where we were supposed to work. I found my sister there and we got permission to return to our home. When we got back to Poland, we found out that my mother and father and two of my brothers had also survived. They had been in hiding for a long time. It was still difficult
for Jewish people in Poland after the war. The peasants stole our possessions,
they occupied our houses and took our lands. People were desperate and
there were bands of robbers everywhere. In 1948 with the help of an international
Jewish agency, we escaped to Israel. As the persecution of Jews in Germany intensified, life became increasingly dangerous, whole families were deported and sent to concentration camps. By August 1942, very few yellow stars could be seen on the streets of Berlin. Emigration had become impossible and many people went into hiding. Hiding meant living in constant fear of being recognized and reported; those in hiding has to be constantly alert. The people who helped them hide were in as much danger as the people they hid. Hiding meant staying out of sight for the duration of the war in empty warehouses, bombed out buildings, and rat infested cellars. Some people were able to obtain false identification papers and obtain work, but most of those in hiding depended on other people for food and other necessities. It took enormous courage and determination to survive. Despite the difficulties, those in hiding were able to help one another. In Berlin, young Jewish people in hiding managed to meet in cafes and keep in touch with one another. They gave one another information about obtaining false identity papers or making contact with "border runners" who could smuggle them out of Germany. Berlin provided a unique opportunity for hiders to find one another. Those who were hiding in the countryside or small towns had few other Jews to help them. Jewish resistance groups were formed. The Chug Chaluzi was organized in 1942 by Edith Wolff and saved many young people from deportations. This group viewed saving Jewish lives as a form of political resistance. The members met regularly, exchanged information, and organized meals and lodgings for one another. The intense bombing raids over Berlin did not stop them from meeting one another in pre-arranged secret meeting places. It was a miracle that most of the members of this group survived. Louise had just gone to bed when she heard the loud knocking on the door and then the words she feared the most, "This is the Gestapo. We have come to search the house. We know you are hiding a Jew." Louise leaped up from the bed, smoothed the sheets, grabbed her schoolbooks and dashed into the closet. Holding her breath, she could hear the pounding of her heart as the footsteps came closer and closer. Louise felt she had been in the closet for a very long time, but the footsteps disappeared, they did not open the closet door. Not daring to move and feeling as if all the strength was drained from her body, Louise stayed in the closet until Frau Muenter opened the door. Still clutching her school books, she crawled back into the room. Frau Muenter tried to smile, but she had tears in her eyes as she helped Louise off the floor. She knew Louise was no longer safe in her home. Herr and Frau Muenter were social democrats who opposed the Nazi regime. Herr Muenter was a close friend of Louise's father, an active trade union leader. Arrested after he organized an anti-Nazi protest demonstration, Louise's father, who was not Jewish, was no longer able to protect his wife and child from the anti Jewish laws. Like other Jewish people, Louise and her mother had to wear yellow stars sewn to their clothing and could only shop for food in the late afternoon. Forbidden to go to the school, Louise's mother enrolled her in the Jewish school and they had to move to a small rooming house. Despite the difficulties, Louise made many friends at the new school, but when the persecution of Jews intensified in 1942, many of her school friends disappeared. Hundreds of Jewish people, young and old were arrested and being sent to concentration camps, and many tried to emigrate to other countries. Sixteen years old, Louise tried to help her mother cope with the difficulties of living in Berlin. Her grandparents, aunts and uncles on her mother's side were arrested and sent away. Her father's parents had died when she was very small and she had no contact with the rest of his family. She had no contact with her father's family. When the Nazis forced the school to close, Louise tried to keep in touch with her Jewish friends. Louise's mother kept telling her that life would be better as soon as her father got out of jail. But instead of being released, he was sent to a forced labor camp. Herr Muenter was able to see her father before he was moved and he promised him he would look after Louise and her mother. The final round up of Jews began in February of 1943. Louise was just coming home when a neighbor stopped her and told her that her mother had been arrested and warned her not to go into the rooming house. Louise turned away from the house and recklessly pulled her off her yellow star and then began to run. She crossed the street and headed to the busy street alongside of the canal. It was safer to be walking with other people. A feeling of deep sadness welled up in her as well as fear. "I have nothing to lose," she thought. "I've lost everyone and everything dear to me". She did not know where her mother was, her father was far away in a labor camp, her grandparents had died and she did not know her father's family. They lived in another part of Germany. The clouds began to gather and the sun was sinking, it was getting dark. Then she remembered Herr Muenter's words. "If you are ever in trouble, come to me". Louise turned around and began walking to the big apartment complex on the other side of the canal where the Muenters lived. As she approached the large sprawling building, she saw a group of Nazi Youth standing in front of the building. She did not make eye contact and walked more slowly. A housewife with a big bag of food was just entering the building. She stopped at the entranceway of the building and realized she did not know the number of their flat. But before she could speak to the woman who had entered the building with her, she saw Frau Muenter coming towards the entranceway. Frau Muenter was a nurse and was coming home from the hospital. Louise went up to her, but Frau Muenter put her finger to her lips and took her into the courtyard and then into another building. She dared not speak. Frau Muenter took out her key, opened the door to the flat and led her inside. As soon as she closed the door, Louise could not hold back her tears. She told Frau Muenter that her mother had been arrested. A tall stately woman, Frau Muenter put her arms around Louise and held her close. That morning on her way to work, she saw lines of army trucks with gray canvas covers on the street. The trucks were escorted by armed SS men and stopped at factory gates, in front of private houses and were full of men, women and children. Her heart was heavy and she thought about Louise and her mother. "You will stay here with us and you will be safe", Frau Muenter "We promised both your mother and your father that we would look after you and we will" Frau Muenter tried to smile. The Muenters' small
flat overlooked the courtyard of the big housing complex. It "Make yourself comfortable and try to rest", she told Louise and went into the kitchen to prepare supper. As soon as Herr Muenter came home that evening, he went to talk to Louise. He told her he was glad that she had come to them. He had heard about the raids on Jewish homes that had become known as the final round-up of the Jews in Berlin. AT dinner that night the Muenters told her that she woul d be safe as long as no one knew she was there. Louise understood that she was now in hiding, she could not leave the flat or answer the door bell. When visitors came to the house, Louise had to stay in her room. Frau Muenter would bring her books and puzzles to keep her amused. Louise asked her for school books too, so she could keep up with her studies. Frau Muenter left for work early in the morning. She and Louise ate breakfast together and then Louise went to her room and spent the day doing school work and reading the books Frau Muenster brought her. She could not listen to the radio for fear the sound would attract attention. When visitors came, Louise stayed in the bedroom. The days were long and the Muenters seemed to understand how difficult it was for the young girl to stay in her room day after day. They tried to cheer her up in the evenings and the three of them played cards and talked. "We'll take it day by day. Before you know it, you will have a normal life again", Frau Muenter told her. The Muenters often had visitors and then Louise had to go to her room. Only a very few of their trusted friends klnew she was living with them. Herr Muenter brought her a jigsaw puzzle to work on when she had to stay in the room. The kindness of Herr and Frau Muenter made Louise miss her parents all the more. Herr Muenter told her many stories about her brave father. Slowly Louise adjusted to the routine and the Muenters were confident that Louise was safe in their home until the night of the Gestapo raid. After the raid, Frau Muenter discovered that it was her neighbor who had reported them to the Gestapo. The neighbor saw Frau Muenter bring Louise to the flat and when. she asked Frau Muenter about the young girl, Frau Muenter replied , "Oh, she is my niece, she comes to visit now and again". But the woman was already suspicious of the Muenters because they had so many visitors. She watched the flat every day and noticed that the girl Frau Muenter said was her niece, never left the apartment, she reported them to the Gestapo. The little flat was no longer a safe place for Louise, but Herr Muenter would not let her leave until he could find another safe place. He knew other anti-Nazis and social democrats who were hiding Jewish people. The very next evening, Herr Muenter brought home an address and told Louise to memorize it and throw away the paper. He gave her instructions. "You will be safe in this place", he assured her. "I have been told that there will be other young people there. But be very careful that no one sees you enter the building. If there is someone on the street, don't go inside." Herr Muenter gave her a wallet with some money. Frau Muenter gave her some clothing, a skirt, a sweater and two blouses and stuffed them in a paper bag along with some food. Louise was to leave early the next morning. No one slept that night. After breakfast, Louise hugged Frau Muenter and left the flat. She had to walk along the canal for a mile and calmed herself by looking at the early morning shadows on the water. She could not remember a time when fear was not part of her life. She thought about her mother and her father and wondered if she'd ever see them again. Thinking about her mother, she tried to remember happy times. She walked a long way and then turned away from the canal as she was told and headed up a small street, she found herself in a neighborhood she did not know, but she did not stop walking until she reached the address she had memorized. It was a deserted building with a broken door and it looked so empty she thought no one was inside. Louise rapped on the door four times, paused and then rapped four times again just as Herr Muenter had instructed. The door opened and
Louise went inside. As soon as the door closed, Louise saw "I'm glad to see you", Gabriel told her. "Did you know I was coming?" she asked. "I didn't know it would be you, but I was told to watch for a young girl", he replied. Gabriel told her that she was now part of a group of young people in hiding and that they looked after one another. The groups that were in hiding were called "U boats". "You'll be meeting other members of the group. You are not alone. We are going to survive all this cruelty and chaos". He spoke calmly and with confidence as he explained the important rules. "We never do anything to draw attention to ourselves like walk around in groups or wear funny clothing. And when you see someone you know, walk away as quickly as you can". Gabriel hid most of the day. As a young man out of uniform, he knew he would arouse suspicion if he walked around the streets and if he wore his Jewish star, he was in even greater danger. Nevertheless, he managed to look after the others. Looking out for one another often meant bringing parcels of food to hiding places. Knowing there were spies on the street looking for Jewish people in hiding. Whenever a young Jewish person was found to be homeless, Gabriel or some of the others made arrangements for them. People in hiding lived in deserted buildings and cellars, some slept behind counters in grocery or fruit stores. There were also people that Gabriel knew who were willing to smuggle Jewish people out of Berlin. During the day the members of the group had various hiding places. Some were able to obtain false identity papers and get jobs, but others spent their days in hiding. At night they met together in cafes or cellars. Berlin was famous for its many cafes called kneipen. In working class neighborhoods, there were kneipens on almost every street. Some members took chances and went to theatres or movie houses, but most of young people took hiding very seriously. That night Louise went with Gabriel to a meeting in a back room of a café, where she met a few of the other young people. One of the girls worked illegally in a laundry run by her Christian aunt. Whenever someone in uniform came to the laundry, she had to run away. A boy who was the same age as Louise had false identification papers and was able to work in a factory and shop in food stores. He often bought food for the others who were not as fortunate. Another girl slept under a bed in a Christian friend's house, but could not stay there during the day and spent the days traveling on streetcars or in the train station, pretending to wait for a train. When she saw a soldier or a Gestapo officer she hid in the public toilet. Leon worked in an armaments factory in North Berlin and was on his way to work, when a co-worker, a young Frenchman met him in the train station and warned him not to go to work. He had heard a rumor that the Gestapo was looking for Jewish workers. Leon went back to his flat and the next day the Frenchman came and told him to find another place. Leon left his flat and made contact with another Jewish boy on the street who brought him to Gabriel. Ilse was the daughter of a Christian mother and Jewish father, her blonde hair and blue eyes made her look "Aryan", but her mother died when she was a small girl and she was raised by her Jewish grandparents. When her grandparents and her father were arrested, Ilse managed to escape and to her aunt, her mother's sister, who was able to get her identity card from a priest. Ilse became an active member of the group and like Gabriel, she found suitable hiding places for newer members. With her identity card, Ilse was able to get work as a waitress in small restaurants, but she never spent more than a few months in any one place, for fear of being discovered. "I just don't want people to know me too well", she explained. "You never know who's going to give you away". That night at the meeting in the small café, they At the café meeting, they talked about many things, Jewish holidays, looking for other Jewish young people, and safe hiding places. Louise looked around at the bright young faces and felt good to be counted one of them. After the meeting, Louise went with Ilse to her tiny room in an old rooming house. The owner was an elderly woman who was only interested in getting rent for her rooms and did not ask for identity cards. The Allies began bombing Berlin in heavy nightly raids in 1943. The bombing raised many new dangers; those without identity cards could not seek shelter in the underground air raid shelters. At the same time, the bombing made it easier to find hiding places. There were also many more homeless people, seeking shelter after their homes had been destroyed. Mothers with crying children, elderly people carrying luggage, and other people filled the streets after the air raids. Louise, Ilse and the others hid in cellars during the raids. Fire and smoke were everywhere. Ilse managed to find an identity card for Louise with the name "Alice Wissen" printed on it. With the card, Louise was now able to get to a shelter during a raid. She was also in a better position to help Gabriel and Ilse rescue other Jewish young people. Gabriel learned about a 14 year old boy hiding in a cellar and sent Louise to meet him. The boy's name was Samuel. Louise found him in the cellar of a bombed out building and gave him a parcel of food and some clothing. She looked at the skinny boy and wondered how he managed to stay alive. Samuel had been living by raiding garbage cans or buying stale bread with the few coins he had. One night when Louise was in a bomb shelter, a girl she knew from school called her name. Louise tried to ignore her, but when the girl persisted, Louise said, "You must have the wrong person. My name is Alice, not Louise." The girl looked at her and shrugged. "Louise was Jewish so I guess she's not around any more", she said. The group continued to meet regularly. They even had study sessions to learn more about the Jewish holidays. Together they shaped a strong sense of identity. Belonging to a group gave them courage and determination. One of their favorite topics of conversation was what they would do when the war was over. There were many rumors of the Nazis losing the war and they heard about the Russian army attacking the Nazi troops inside Germany. Hope rose like a flame as they thought about having a future. In the spring of 1945 the Allied armies captured Berlin. White sheets were hung from windows and on the lamp posts that were still standing. Every member of the group had survived the war.
Between
Dignity and Despair: Jewish Life in Nazi Germany, Marion A. Kaplan,
NY: Oxford University Press, 1998 Gypsies, also known as Rom, Roma or Romany people, traveled North from India during the Middle Ages, first arriving in Western Europe in the 10th century. They settled in Armenia, Belgium, France, Germany, and many other countries. Wars and persecution forced them to search for places where they could live in peace with their own language and way of life. There are 60 different dialects of the Romany language. Gypsies practiced the trades they learned from their ancestors and were known for woodcarving, basket making, metal- working, pottery and other crafts. They are musicians, singers, dancers, animal trainers and acrobats and celebrate festivals and family gatherings with music, dancing and storytelling. Family ties are strong. They address one another as "brother" and "sister". The Nazis considered the Gypsies to be an "inferior" people. They persecuted and imprisoned them in labor and concentration camps and murdered close to half a million. The Romany word for Holocaust is "Porraimus", which translates as "the Devouring." In June of 1936, the chief of police in Berlin arrested all the Gypsies in Prussia. Women and children, and old people were dragged away and beaten. Six hundred Gypsies were corralled under police guard and marched with their wagons, to a sewage dump in a suburb of Berlin. Gypsies were arrested in every country the Germans occupied. In June of 1940, France was brought under German control. Part of France had its own government under Marshall Petain. He collaborated with the Germans. Gypsy men and boys over the age of 15 years were forced to work for local farmers and industrial factories. It was difficult and dangerous for Gypsy families to meet up with one another for celebrations and festivals. They were not allowed to camp in any one place for more than 24 hours and were forbidden to travel in groups. When the police saw three or four Gypsy wagons traveling together, they separated them. French police raided Gypsy camps and imprisoned men, women and children in labor camps. Many Gypsies were active in the Resistance (underground) movement. Yojo sat next
to his father in the front of the wagon as they traveled along the winding
road bordered by orchards filled with the blooms of apples, peaches and
cherries. They were on their way to meet up with other Gypsy families.
The road widened as they turned toward the woods. Yojo saw a police car
parked at the side of the road and warned his father. One morning after
Yojo placed a large parcel of food in the wagon and began the journey
to a distant village, a farmer who lived down the road came running towards
him, shouting, Maria stood with her classmates at the edge of the crowd. People were coming from all directions to Constitution Square in the center of Athens. Maria looked around; there were men in suits and men in overalls, women with children, old people and young people standing together. They had come to protest against the Germans. In 1942 the German army occupied Athens. The people of Athens were starving. The Germans took most of the food supplies from the villages leaving very little for the people of Athens. The Nazi flag waved from the top of the Acropolis, a constant reminder of the hateful Nazi occupation. Built on a flat topped pedestal of rock, the Acropolis was home to the Parthenon, the marble columns of the beautiful temple were rose colored in the afternoon sunlight and ghostly white at night. Nearby was the small perfect temple dedicated to Wingless Victory, so that victory would never fly away from Athens. The grandeur of the ancient city was shrouded by the German occupation and people were starving. "We are faced with starvation and slavery and we must fight with all our hearts and our strength, for life and for freedom, so that our people might have bread." A tall man in overalls announced through a bullhorn. Before he finished speaking, a group of German soldiers came with rifles and chased the crowd away. Maria saw a man being
beaten by a German soldier as she ran with the other girls. Breathless
and angry, the girls made their way back to the gymnasio, the junior high
school. Maria was the only girl in her family. Her two older brothers were in the resistance. Stefanos and Manolis volunteered for the Andartes, they were Greek resistance fighters. When they were in the Greek army, they fought the Italians in Albania. The Greek army was successful in keeping the Italian army from crossing the border into Greece. The people of Greece celebrated their victory with public parades and parties in the streets. But their victory was short lived. Afraid that the Greeks would defeat the Italian army, the powerful German army invaded Greece. Maria’s brothers joined the resistance as soon as they returned home. The people of Greece were proud of the Andartes, they did everything they could to help them. Nowhere else in Europe did people support their resistance fighters as they did in Greece. Boys in the high school joined student resistance groups in Athens, but there wee no groups that accepted girls. . Maria was only fifteen years old, but she knew that there were two things she really wanted to do. She wanted to study at the university and she wanted to be part of the resistance. Her quick smile and twinkling brown eyes did not disguise her determination. "If only there was a girls’ group, I would join in a minute." Maria remarked to her friends. "Nobody pays attention to girls in Greece." Most of the girls in Greece did not go to the senior high school, they left school when they finished the junior high school. Girls from poor families often left before they completed their studies at the junior high school. Maria’s father was a lawyer and was able to afford the tuition for the gymnasio, the high school, but he did not encourage Maria to be serious about her studies. "You are a scholar yourself. You know about ancient Greece but you won’t talk to me about it. You know I love to read the old Greek myths, but I can’t talk to about them. You just won’t take me seriously. "You are too serious for a young girl. You fill your pretty head with things that shouldn’t concern you," he told her. "Papa, you know that Athens is named after a woman, the goddess, Athena" she reminded him. "She is the symbol of wisdom and intelligence. She could hurl a thunderbolt and protect warriors." "Don’t forget that Athena looked to her father Zeus for his wisdom." Her father said smiling. The tall handsome man with a thick black mustache, was getting impatient. "Don’t forget that Athena carried out her father’s wishes, " he said. "She did many things on her own too. She invented the flute and the plow, weaving and other things." "Women always make themselves heard. I do not stop you from going to the gymnasio, but I refuse to treat you like a boy," her father said sternly. Tossing her long black hair Maria said, "If I pass the examination for senior high school and do well in my studies, will you let me go to the university?" Her father turned away from her and said under his breath, "The country is in turmoil. Your brothers are living in a forest. Let us have peace and let them come home safely. Now go and help your mother, " he said dismissing her. "Papa, you didn’t answer my question," Maria pleaded. "You know I am going to take the examination for the senior high school. " she said, hoping he would not stop her from going to the senior high school. Maria was one of four girls who took the exam for the Lykea, the senior high school. When her teacher told her she got high marks and was accepted to the Lykea, she could not wait to tell her father. "If only Papa will be happy for me, "she thought as she tried to avoid the German soldiers standing on the street. The neighborhood where Maria lived was a quiet area. Lovely old houses covered with bougainvillea lined the street. As soon as she opened the door, she could smell the sweet spicy aroma of her mother’s cooking. She put her books down and rushed into the kitchen. "I’ve been admitted to the Lykea," she told them. Her mother and grandmother were busy were slicing the tomatoes and onions her grandmother brought to the house. She lived next door to a shopkeeper who managed to bring food to his family and neighbors. . "If I do well,
I’ll be able to go to the university," she added. Her mother
said quietly, "Oh Maria, I’m happy for you. " Her grandmother
jumped up, wiped her hands on her apron and went to hug Maria. "Do you think Papa will let me go to senior high school? "Of course he will," her grandmother said. Papa doesn’t think it is I important for girls to go to school." "Your father won’t stop you. He won’t dare," her grandmother said laughing. "I still have a little influence on your father," her mother winked at her and put the dolmathes, the grape leaves stuffed with rice and meat on a tray. "I could smell the dolmathes as soon as I opened the door. Where did you get all this food? It’s been so l long since we ate dolmathes. Just looking at them makes me hungry. " "I just hope they’ll taste like real dolmathes. I had so little meat. Your grandmother brought me the tomatoes, onions and fresh cheese." "We are lucky. My friends at school often have nothing but potatoes and bread to eat." Maria said. "If only your
brothers could be home with us. I just hope they are safe, " her
mother said sadly. "Let’s be happy tonight." Maria’s father arrived with her uncle and everyone sat down at the long dining room table. Maria’s mother brought the green salad with fresh cheese, a plate of baked macaroni and the dolmathes to the table. "We are going to eat a good meal tonight, " her father said. " It looks like we are having a celebration." "We are celebrating. Maria has been accepted into the Lykea," her grandmother said proudly. Maria’s father looked at his daughter. "You are growing up so fast. I am proud that you did so well in school, but I pray that you do not forget you are a young woman who will someday be a loving wife and mother." Maria felt her cheeks get hot and knew she was blushing. "Will you let me go to the Lykea, Papa? " she asked. "Of course I’ll let you go as long as you don’t take your studies too seriously.. Her grandmother winked at her. After dinner, the men went into the parlor and the women cleaned the table, washed and dried the dishes and pots. Her father and uncle had gone to a protest rally that afternoon to protest against the Nazi plan to send Greek men and boys to work in the factories of Germany. Maria could hear them talking. "Every day the Nazis think of something else to make us suffer." Her uncle spoke about the arrests of men in the factory where he worked. Hundreds of workers came to the protest rally. "If they let women join the resistance, the war would be over faster," Maria whispered to her grandmother. "Our Greek traditions are not easy to change. " Her grandmother told her that when she was growing up, her neighbors made fun of her father for letting her go to school. Maria’s grandmother had been a nurse and was forced to stop working when she married her grandfather. "In ancient Greece there were women warriors. We don’t even know our own traditions. It’s wrong to keep girls like prisoners in their own homes." Maria said as she dried the dishes and put them away in the cupboard. "It’s not just going to school that’s important. I want to do something to help my country." Maria told her grandmother about the talk at school to form a girls’ group at the high school. A few weeks later, her teacher announced that a group of the "Free Young Women", the Eleftheri Nea (EN) was being organized at the school. . Maria went to the first meeting with her friends. "Girls, Greece needs you," the teacher explained that the EN was organizing soup kitchens for children in the poorer districts of Athens. Because she was not yet sixteen, Maria had to have a permission form signed by her father. "It’s not going to be easy to get my father’s permission," Maria told her friend Diana, one of her best friends. A few months older than Maria, Diana had already signed up for the group.
After dinner Maria found her father sitting in the parlor. "Papa I have something very important to tell you, " she said. Her father put down the book her was reading and sighed. "What can be so important?" he asked. "I need your permission to join a girls’ club," she explained. "We’ll be doing good work. We’re going to organize a soup kitchen and feed hungry children. Most of the girls in the school have signed up already." Maria gave him the permission form. "Please let me join. You know yourself how many people are dying from hunger." Her father looked at Maria and shook his head. "This looks like a resistance club. It is dangerous for a young girl to join a group like this." "It is not dangerous.
We are not going to have weapons. We are going to feed hungry children,"
Maria insisted. "I have to do something. My brothers are risking
their lives. It is not right that you won’t let me do anything.
" "But Papa, you said you were proud of me for being a good student. Now let me make you proud by doing good things." Maria said and gave her father a pen. "You can be so stubborn," her father shrugged.." I’ll sign on one condition. You must promise that you will be very careful." "We are not carrying weapons. We going to organize a soup kitchen and feed poor children." Her father sighed. "You won’t let me have any peace until I sign, " he said and signed the permission form. With the signed permission form, Maria was accepted into the EN. She went to a training session with Diana. The teacher explained how the soup kitchens were to be organized. "Everyone in the community wants to help. Local storekeepers are giving us some food and we will take it to the school and prepare it in the school kitchen. The girls learned to make cereal and soup. The next week, Maria and two other girls went to set up a soup kitchen in the school in the poorest district in Athens. Close to the downtown area of Athens, the school was in a poor neighborhood hidden behind the beautiful Old University complex and the National Museum. Maria and the other girls set off for the school. Walking past the Central Market, Maria could not help but notice how empty the shops were. "Our families
cannot buy the food they want, but here people have no food at all,"
Maria said noticing the squalor of the district. The houses were crowded
together on the narrow, crooked streets. Windows were broken and garbage
littered the streets. The old school building looked broken down too.
Twenty children crowded into the room. As soon as they were seated the girls served them each a bowl of cereal and a slice of bread. "These children
are so hungry. They can’t eat fast enough," Housewives from the
neighborhood came to help and brought what little food they had. Storekeepers
supplied them with potatoes and onions and the girls collected greens
and mixed them with corn meal to make pancakes for the children. Not all the soup kitchens had enough food. In one school where a school official distributed the food, there was so little food that the children left hungry. A group of children broke into the storage area and found chick peas. The girls from the EN cooked them and the school official accused them of telling the children to steal. But the official began to provide more food. More sand more girls joined the EN, they were girls who worked in factories or just stayed at home as well as students in the high schools. During the summer the EN merged with a larger group called the Enaia Panelladhiki Organosi Neon (EPON), the United Panhellenic Organization of Youth. . Maria continued to work in the soup kitchen and tutored girls who did not know how to read or write. In the Fall, Maria
began her studies at the senior high school. She was now a member of the
student group of the EPON. They helped in the soup kitchens, organized
protest rallies and wrote slogans on the streets. Diana was a member of
the same student group. On a sunny afternoon, after she had finished speaking, a group of girls surrounded her. They volunteered to help in the soup kitchens. Some of the girls
in the EPON brought weapons to resistance camps in the hills close to
Athens. They stuffed the weapons in their school bags and hiked up the
mountainside. Others wrote chalked slogans on the streets. Going to protest rallies and recruiting other girls to help in the soup kitchens kept Maria busy. She often had to stay up late at night to complete her school work. A street battle took place in Kaissarani, a suburb of Athens and many members of the EPON were arrested and sent to the jail. At an EPON meeting the girls were told that a few prisoners understood German and were getting important information. "We’ll bring food to the prisoners and if any of them have something to tell us, we’ll learn more about what the Germans are panning. Maria volunteered to bring food to the prison. The first time she went to the jail, she was tense and frightened. She had never been to a prison before. She tried to stay calm as she approached the old brick building with its iron gate. She carried a large bag filled with food parcels. And reported to the guard . The guard looked inside the bag and motioned her to come inside. The air in the old
building was musty and Maria found it hard to breathe. She went to the
section of the jail where the boys who were members of EPON were and handed
out the parcels of food. One fellow whispered to her, "Tell my brother
to hide, the Gestapo are planning to raid the factory, where he works."
Maria nodded and moved to the next cell. Between her school work and work for the EPON, Maria had little time to spend for her family. Her father often asked her about her activities. "Being in the EPON has given me wings. Now I understand what justice really means. I feel like a real woman now, not just a little girl. " "Please be careful. Germans kill girls as easily as boys, " her father warned her, but he did not stop her. Maria began to feel closer to her father. His attitude was changing and he showed her more respect. When she was made a leader of the EPON group, her father told her that she was making him very proud. Without carrying weapons or making a big fuss, the girls in the resistance were on the front lines. They took wounded people to the hospitals, operated soup kitchens, led protest marches and brought food to the fighters. They were developing their own resources and making their own plans. Maria worked hard for the resistance to the very end of the war. After the war, Maria graduated from the Lykea. With her father’s encouragement, she went to the university and wrote about her experiences in the resistance. She knew that her experience as a resistance fighter liberated her as a young woman.Harrington, Lyn, Greece & The Greeks, Thomas Nelson, New York, 1962 Hart, Janet, New Voices in the Nation: Women and the Greek Resistacne, 1941-1964. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1996 "The
Danish Freedom Council sharply condemns the pogroms the Germans have set
in motion against the Jews in our country. Among the Danish people the
Jews do not constitute a special class but are citizens to exactly the
same degree as other Danes. The Council calls on the Danish population
to help in every way possible his fellow Jewish citizens who have not
yet succeeded in escaping abroad."
When Germany occupied Denmark in 1940, they allowed the Danes to govern their own country until August 1943. Fearing the growing Danish Resistance, the Nazis declared martial law and took control of the government and ordered the arrest of Jewish people. The Danish Resistance discovered their plan and within a few weeks, the rescue of the Jewish population of Denmark was organized and carried out. People were hidden in homes, hospitals and churches and transported to safety in Sweden. The Danish Women’s
League for Peace and Freedom and the Society of Jewish Women worked
together to get young Jews out of Germany into Denmark. Children were
also brought from Poland and Czechoslovakia. In 1943, there were 174
young refugee children in Denmark. Many children were placed with families
and others lived in children’s homes. Kirsten was one of many
young people who assisted in the rescue of Jewish children. The children were
sitting up in their beds or on chairs and greeted her with smiles and
laughter, they joined in the singing of silly songs and rhymes and watched
her juggle red balls in the air. Although she was only sixteen years
old, Kirsten was a skilled performer and a familiar figure on the children’s
ward where she performed for the children every Saturday afternoon.
When she was a clown, she sang silly songs, juggled balls and told riddles
and jokes. She also gave puppet shows and told stories about the ancient
Vikings who lived in Denmark. "Ask her to come to our home." Stella said in a loud whisper. Mrs. Berger nodded and invited Kirsten to come to the orphan home. "Please say you will come," she pleaded. "The children in the home have so little joy in their lives. They miss their families so much and they don’t even know if they will see them again." Mrs. Berger explained that the eight children in the home came from Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia in 1939. They were very young when they arrived and some had no memories of their families. The youngest child was Stella who was seven, the others were eight, nine and ten years old. They went to the Jewish school and had little contact with Danish society. "Adjusting
to life far away from their families and having to learn a new language
Always eager to perform for children, Kirsten quickly agreed. Jumping up and down with glee, Stella beamed at her. Kirsten came to the home the next Wednesday after school. As soon as she arrived at the brown house near the synagogue on Krystalgade Street, Stella opened the door. "Kirsten’s here, Kirsten’s here," She cried out happily and ran to tell the other children. Mrs. Berger took her into the small parlor, where they were waiting. They were very quiet as they stood up to greet her. Only Stella had a smile on he face, the others looked at her with wide eyes. Kirsten sat down behind a small table, the children sat down and watched as Kirsten took the puppets out of her sack. "These are my Viking puppets," she said cheerfully, showing them the Viking sea captain in a red robe and the handsome Prince Erling in leather trousers and a purple woolen cloak. Princes Freyja wore a blue silk dress and the ugly giant named Thrym had long arms and a big round head. The puppets were made of cloth and paper and had sticks beneath the their clothes. "What are Vikings?" asked one little boy. Kirsten had never before met a child who did not know about Vikings. "Vikings lived
in Denmark many many years ago, " she explained. "They sailed
to far away places in long wooden boats and gave each other funny nicknames
like Olaf the fat, because he had a big round tummy and Erik the Red,
because he had a red beard." Kirsten lifted
her Viking sea captain and put it in a boat with a rectangular sail. "Here comes Prince Erling. He is very brave." Kirsten took the prince in one hand. " He had to wrestle with a giant to save Princess Frejya." Thrym chased Princess Frejya around and around. Prince Erling wrestled with Thrym until the giant fell down. "You saved
me from the giant," announced the princess. The prince and princess
danced together. "The prince and princess were married and lived
happily ever after." Kirsten announced and looked at her wide eyed
audience. There were so many questions and comments that Kirsten couldn’t answer them all. She told them another Viking tale and then another. When it was time for her to leave, Stella asked "Can you show us how you make puppets." "Next week I’ll bring some paper bags and cloth and we’ll make puppets," she promised. The next week,
clowns, kittens, fairy princesses, German soldiers and Viking sailors,
princes and princesses were made with paper, glue and paints. The puppets
spoke of their fears, their sadness, grief, and dreams of being united
with their families. "I scared but I brave," declared a Viking prince. "I wish there were Vikings in Poland to protect my family," one of the older boys said sadly. "In Denmark, Jewish children are safe," said one of the girls. Another afternoon she brought her face paint and painted their faces. They made wigs out of yellow and orange wool and funny hats out of paper bags. When they finished eight clowns were jumping, hopping and twirling around the room as they chanted silly rhymes and tried to juggle balls in the air. "We are having a real clown parade," Stella said happily as the clowns marched up and down the stairs, beating on small drums and blowing small horns. The children introduced her to old Jewish tales and they made more puppets and celebrated birthdays with clown parades. Kirsten never missed a visit to the children’s home. Kirsten’s visits broke up the monotony of life in the small orphan home. Mrs. Berger was afraid of the German soldiers and rarely took the children out of the brown brick house. They left the house only to go to the Jewish school or to the synagogue. In 1943, there were many German soldiers on the streets of Copenhagen. During the summer holiday, Kirsten went to visit her grandparents who lived in the country. "We’re going to miss you," a chorus of voices sang out on her last visit. "As soon as I return to Copenhagen, I’ll be back," she promised. Kirsten came back to Copenhagen at the end of August. The streets were crowded with German soldiers. Afraid of the growing Danish resistance, the Nazis took over the government of Denmark in August 1943. Men in Gestapo uniforms as well as German soldiers patrolled the streets and flags with swastikas were flying from the flag poles. Kirsten’s brother Jens, who was eighteen, joined the Danish resistance and no longer lived at home. Her Jewish friends and teachers were no longer in the school. At the orphan home, the children were happy to see her, but they were restless and unhappy. Even the Viking tales about fierce warriors and brave heroes could not hold their interest. "It is just like Czechoslovakia before I left," Mrs. Berger told her. "Jewish people are going to have to wear yellow stars just like they do in the other countries the Nazis occupy." The Jewish school was closed and Mrs. Berger kept the children in the house all day. Fear took away the smiles and laughter. "I’m afraid the children know how frightened I am," she told Kirsten that the Nazis had murdered her husband just before she managed to escape from Czechoslovakia. The older children
remembered when they had to leave their parents and "They are
going to raid all Jewish homes on Oct. 1st . We need to warn every "Escape routes are being planned and money is being collected to pay the fishermen who will take them to Sweden. Jewish people are being hidden in hospitals, churches, and private homes," Jens knew his parents would want to help. The Jewish Home for the Aged had already been raided. The old people were dragged out of their beds and taken away in a truck. "We have to help the children in the home," Kirsten said with tears in her eyes. "They are so frightened." Jens promised to make arrangements for the children. Her mother went to speak to Pastor Pedersen. The young pastor had given many sermons condemning the Nazis treatment of the Jewish people and she knew he would help. As soon as she returned from the church she told Kirsten. "Pastor Pedersen will hide the children in the church. Mrs. Berger can bring the children tomorrow and they can stay there. We’ll bring food and clothing to the church. The children won’t need to bring anything." Early the next
morning Kirsten went to the orphan home. As soon as she saw Kirsten,
Mrs. Berger's eyes filled with tears. "A neighbor came and told
me to hide the children but I don’t know where to take them."
Kirsten had never seen the older woman look so distraught. A few children
ran to her and put their arms around her. Mrs. Berger wiped her eyes. "Will you come with us?" she pleaded. Kirsten nodded.
She had not planned to stay, but when she saw how frightened the children
were, she decided to see them safely to the church. Stella was still
holding on to Kirsten, the others sat stiffly on chairs or walked restlessly
from room to room. Kirsten peeked out of the window and saw the soldiers
standing across the street. The church was six blocks away and on the
other side of Krystalgrade Street. There were no alleys in which to
hide. " We’ll
dress the children up as clowns and walk in a clown parade. If we are
stopped I’ll tell them the children are going to put on a school
play. " she announced. "The soldiers are not likely to stay there all day. We’ll leave as soon as they are gone." Turning to the children, Kirsten said in a cheerful voice, "We are going to have a clown parade. I’ll paint everyone’s face and we’ll be real clowns again." The children stared at her. "Remember
how you all enjoyed being clowns." She reminded them. "We’ll make costumes by putting our clothes on backwards and putting scarves around our necks. If you still have the wigs you made you can wear them." Kirsten tried to sound cheerful. "I’m too scared to be a clown," Stella was trembling. "We are going to be very brave, even braver than Vikings," Kirsten encouraged them. "We are going to fool those silly Germans." Mrs. Berger went to find the box of face paints Kirsten had left at the home. The children changed their clothes and came downstairs with their shirts and dresses on backwards. Kirsten painted their faces and Mrs. Berger found some scarves to put on them. A few children wore the funny hats they made. Kirsten painted yellow and red streaks on the hair of those who did not have wigs or clown hats. They were ready for the parade. Cautiously, Kirsten peered out of the window. The soldiers were still standing across the street. "We’ll wait until they’re gone," she told Mrs. Berger. "They’ll get hungry and go away." It was almost noon when the soldiers left. "We’re going to leave right now," she said as soon as the soldiers had gone. "Remember we are clowns and clowns smile and laugh. We must not look like we are afraid. We are going to be funny and silly." "And very brave, " Stella said. Kirsten ushered them out of the house and down the stairs. With their heads held high, eight small clowns jumped and hopped down the street. Mrs. Berger wore Kirsten’s wig and clown hat as she walked with Kirsten. They were crossing Krystalgrade Street when a group of German soldiers suddenly appeared. "Look at those silly Danes. They teach their children to be clowns" one of them sneered and came up to Kirsten. "What is this
all about?" he asked. "Why are you on the street, instead of in the school?" Just then a policeman approached. It was Mr. Johansen, Kirsten’s neighbor. "Oh officer,
I know these children. They are wonderful clowns. I can’t wait
to see them in the school play." he said and turned to Kirsten,
"My son wants to join your clown group," he said in a loud
voice. "Let me walk you back to the school." Mr., Johansen
motioned to Kirsten to begin walking and he walked next to the children.
The soldiers turned away and did not see them enter the church instead
of the school across the street. "It was a good thing too. They were stopped by German soldiers." Mr. Johnson told the pastor. He turned to Kirsten, "You sure fooled those Nazis with your clowns," he congratulated Kirsten. "German soldiers were on the street and we did not dare to let them see us leave the orphan home’" Kirsten explained and thanked the policeman. "I was so scared when the soldiers stopped us." "You children were very brave too and you are wonderful clowns," Pastor Pedersen told the children as he took them down the stairs to the church basement. The basement of the church was arranged like a dormitory with nine mattresses and blankets placed in rows on the floor. A big basket of sandwiches and fruit was waiting for the children. "Your mother came with her friends and got everything ready," Pastor Pedersen told her. "The children will be safe here until we can get them on a boat. Jens is arranging their escape" Kirsten returned to the church later that afternoon to see how the children were doing. They seemed much calmer and showed her the games that Pastor Pedersen had given them. "Your Pastor is like our Rabbi," Stella said happily. "Pastor Pedersen is so kind. He made us feel welcome, " Mrs. Berger told her. A few days later, they heard from Jens, He was making an arrangement with a fisherman in Dragor to take the children to Sweden. Dragor was a small fishing village close to Copenhagen. Jens needed money to pay the fisherman. After school the next day, Kirsten’s mother gave her an envelope with some money to give to Jens. Kirsten put the money in her paint box and put it inside her school bag, She went to meet Jens in the garden around the Rosenborg castle. The bicycle wobbled and Kirsten slowed down to steady it when she heard a voice shout "Halte." It was a German officer. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" he asked in stilted Danish and grabbed her school bag. "You Danes think you can fool us. We don’t trust you for a minute," the officer scolded and grabbed her school bag . "What are
you hiding in here?" he asked dumping the contents on the street. "Please don’t
open my paint box, all my paints will spill," Kirsten forced herself
to smile. "You don’t want to get your nice uniform dirty,"
she said. "Can’t you see, it’s only a paint box," she repeated. The officer hesitated and then gave her the box. "Oh, thank you so much. You know paints cost a lot of money," Kirsten said forcing herself to smile as she got back on her bike. "Don’t forget your books." The officer said pointing to her three books lying on the ground. "How stupid of me," she said. " I forgot about them." She hoping that he would think she was dumb. "The Germans think we Danes are dumb, so we act dumb. That’s how we fool them," her father had told her. " You see I don’t really like school very much, " she said brightly and got off her bike to pick up the books. The officer walked away. Back on her bike,
she could feel the rapid beating of her heart. She passed more soldiers
as she pedaled away. If the German officer found the money in the paint
box, he would have taken it and even arrested her. It was a lot of money
for a schoolgirl to be carrying. She had to go around the city square
to get to the gardens around the Rosenborg castle. She tried to look
casual and kept her eyes on the road. She hoped that the gardens would
be empty. "Oh, Jens, I feel like I’m living in a nightmare," Kirsten told him about the German officer. "You can be thankful he understood you. Most of them don’t speak Danish and they expect us to understand them." "The children have to get to Dragor tonight. A fishing boat will be waiting at the harbor. Pastor Pedersen has already made arrangements." Jens was in a hurry to get back to Dragor. As he was leaving he turned to Kirsten, "Be careful," he warned. "The German troops are all over the city. " When Kirsten arrived
at the church, she went around to the side of the stone building and
knocked on the door. Pastor Pedersen opened the door and took her inside. "A very nice
man who with a milk wagon will take you to Dragor. His name is Mr. Swensen
and he is my friend," Pastor Pedersen spoke in a soft voice. Rigid with fear, the children said nothing. "Tonight you will be brave Vikings. You are going to sail on a boat," Kirsten said encouragingly. Come with us," Kirsten," Stella pleaded. "I scared again. What will happen if I cry?" Kirsten hugged
the little girl. "You are not going to cry. I’ll ask if I
can come along so I can see you get on the boat." Kirsten stayed
at the church. After a quiet supper, she reminded them of how brave
they were in the clown parade. Tonight they would be brave again. It was still dark
when they arrived in Dragor. Jens was waiting for them. As soon "You are even braver than the Vikings", Kirsten told them as they boarded the little fishing boat. Kirsten saw that there were other people on the boat. Jens found out from the fishermen that the boat arrived in Sweden and the children were being looked after. They were safe. After the war, some of the children came back to Denmark to live. Darkness Over Denmark: The Danish Resistance and the Rescue of Jews, by Ellen Levine, Holiday House, New York, 2000 The Rescue of
the Danish Jews: Moral Courage Under Stress, Leo Goldberger,(Ed.)
NY: NYU Press.1987 |
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