Until we moved into the new
apartment I had never seen people with the Star of David on their coats. Hitler had ordered so-called Full-Jews to be identified in this way. Neither was it advisable to associate with them. In spite of
these restrictions I went across the street and introduced myself to two the
two girls who were playing hop-scotch. They were polite but shy and let me join
the game. A few minutes after we had started their parents appeared at thefront
door of the apartment building and called them inside. When I told my mother of
this incident she explained that it was equally dangerous and forbidden for
either of us to form a relationship.
It was ordered that one had to
greet with Heil Hitler when entering a store. We never did. If a store-owner or
clerk admonished us: ”Here we greet with Heil Hitler!” We never went in again
no matter how badly we wanted a sorely needed item. And then there was the woman
who ran the green-grocer’s store. Whenever a very badly handicapped Jewish boy from our street limped
into her store she would invariably call him ahead of every-body so that he
could limp home sooner. Once, when there was nobody in the store I asked her
where she got the courage and she huffed: "They should dare say something to me. I have six brothers on the front,
I have done by duty!” have never forgotten her and was delighted to meet her
again after the war in at my father’s green-grocer’s out in the suburb.
One sunny day,coming
home from school, I was walking absentmindedly along the rail embankment to my left, vaguely noticing a
freight-train standing above. Such trains rarly stopped there and if, then only
a few minutes. The walk from the station exit to the intersection at which I
would have to cross,is quite long and
whatever kind of train would stop above would long have moved on before
I reached my crossing. I had to pay close attention to traffic, looking mostly
left and straight ahead.When I had almost reached the other side I became aware
of a small group of people huddled together with suitcases and bundles at their
feet, not talking. In front of the group were the two girls from my street. The group was being guarded by several females swinging clubs, ready to pounce if
necessary.The school in front of which they stood was closed, behind them are
the University grounds, in other words there is no everyday foot traffic. It now
became clear to me that the freight train standing on the embankment was
waiting for them.
At home, my mother was
sitting on the porch with one of her publishers who was a Swiss citizen and therefore had better access
to current news. They both looked very serious and knew about the transport but
assured me that nothing could be done.
We did know, that
our phone was tapped and my mother knew that her mail was being opened. In other words, we were under
constant surveillance. All of our acquaintances had something “wrong” with
them. Either one in the family was partly Jewish therefore could go certain
places but I don’t remember what it was they were not able to do. I think my
piano teacher, who was married to a Jew, was not allowed to teach but did
anyway. In other words, I was surrounded by “Antis”and felt totally at home in
that environment. Could we have done something? I once, after Hitler had
marched into Austria, dreamt of
killing him. I think I was
about fourteen years old. But I couldn’t figure out how to get near him. So I was certainly no heroine, nor
was I a Nazi...
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