Frederick

Chapter 7 After having traveled throughout Germany, having had the opportunity to see and speak with other people, having acquired more experience, I started getting seriously interested in what was happening outside our village circle. I observed the majority of the Germans acting like they didn’t care or pretending to be indifferent to the fact that their personal liberties were diminishing. Even though they had been accustomed to being regimented for generations, we had reached an extreme point at work and in our lives. We started to feel frightened of the Gestapo and worried that we could be transported to one of the concentration camps because of the mere suspicion of being communists, socialists, committing a serious error or being a Jew. The Night of the Long Knives on June 30, 1934, was the first indication of how the leaders could act without compassion. How this affected a small sector of the population was not cause for consternation, in a way, we remained hopeful, without really believing that we could be trapped by a brutal dictatorship. On the contrary, they gave more support and genuine enthusiasm for the deeds and actions of Hitler. We put our trust in the future of the country which was becoming liberated of the outrageous resolutions of Versailles, detesting the victorious allies and forming a Germany that was a strong military force once again. This is what the majority of the Germans wanted and that is how in the fall of 1936 almost every German was employed. The popular slogan around that time was: “Genmeinuts vor Eigenmuts” (common interests before personal interests). The 1936 Olympics gave Germany the golden opportunity to impress the world with the achievements of the Third Reich. When the foreigners arrived in Berlin, the signs reading: “Juden Unerwuenscht” ( Jews are not welcome) disappeared completely, they were quietly removed from the businesses, bars, hotels and entertainment locations. They had never held any other Games with such spectacular precision. They gave the impression that the Germans felt comfortable and were in agreement, united with Hitler. This impressed both the Americans and the British. On the other hand, we were unfortunately naively convinced, naively trapped into it! The industries were booming. Everyone was working like busy worker bees. The true basis for Germany’s recovery was due to the rearmament which began in 1934 called the Economy of War (Wehrwirtschaft) developed before and during the war. In other words, the country was still in peace, directing economic effort deliberately and systematically towards preparing for another war. What saved me from being recruited into the army was my training as an aviation mechanic tech. On the other hand, due to the taxation and mandatory contributions to social services, farming left very little earnings. We only possessed a few hectares and they provided a decent living, not abundance, but enough to split with Uncle Willie, my mother and my sister, Helga. Now that I was a married man, I needed to earn more and look for something more lucrative to ensure a better future. Working on a pig farm no longer held my interest. Ursula interrupted my turbulent emotions when she announced: “The table is served.” She spoke with authority and with an air of protocol; she assigned each of us our seats. I could feel one of the guests looking at me, recondite and doubtful. The conversation revolved around business, opportunities, investments, legal status, and criticism about politics and the local Argentineans. Ursula did not participate, she gave everyone else the opportunity to express themselves freely, although she had to make an excruciating effort to hold back her opinions. I knew what Ursula was thinking and at the same time I could feel she was reading my mind. One of them commented, directing his attention to Ursula, Fritz and me. “Are we boring you?” “No, of course not, I’m just concentrating on enjoying my dinner. Please, carry on with your conversation.” Ursula replied diplomatically. Another guest excused himself from the table in order to use the telephone. I could feel the bile coming up my throat. One of the guests leaned over towards me and spoke in a tone that seemed like he was making an extra effort to be polite: “You’ve hardly touched your food. Are you feeling alright?” There was some sarcasm in his voice. Maybe it was my imagination. At that point I suspected everyone and was ready for anything. “Yes, I feel fine. And dinner was superb.” I answered even though I felt I was the center of attention, which was the last thing I wanted to be. No one ever spoke of anything personal. When we finished eating, we had an after dinner drink. Each person deposited their generous contribution and tip in a small silver basket. They left saying: “See you next time.” Pretending not to be in any hurry to go, I remained with Ursula after Fritz had left. After the door closed behind the last person to leave, Ursula and I gave each other a hard, long hug. Her cheeks were damp as they touched my face. “Hush, Frederick, I don’t need to know anything right now.” She said in a low voice, sounding nervous and gesturing not to speak. She put a note in my hand with the following message: Let’s meet tomorrow at four in the afternoon in the round church on Juramento Street, one block off the main street, Cabildo. She then raised her voice to say good-bye: “It was a pleasure meeting you, Frederick.