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interview // german // 4:35 Min // 15.06.2008
// Hits: 355
We were always in danger of something happening and it did. One day three partisans came (friends of the farmer and one relative) and came in for a snack. The farmer said: “You did not put up any guards.” So they answered: “We will be gone in a minute, anyway.” They really got up and went outside but they stayed in the hallway and kept talking for a little while. And the children did what they always do when somebody comes round. I was standing right next to a partisan when the police or the Gestapo (or whatever you can call them) came to the house and they just shot wildly into the house, just wildly. Two partisans died straight away and the third one followed me, when I ran away through the door, left, into the kitchen. There he wanted to get out of the door. He was wounded. A bullet went through my apron but it didn’t hit me. I hid myself in the kitchen, in a hole under the cooker. The Gestapo, or policeman, came in and stuck his machinegun into the hole. But he looked in, as well, and saw that there was only a child and pulled me out. I was not frightened any more. I don’t think I felt anything. I was in shock, or something. Then I had to step over these partisans. He made me step over the dead people! One of them was not dead, yet. He really begged to be shot again and he was pleadingly looking at us. I had to step right over their heads. I still remember these eyes the way I saw them back then. That will probably stay. Whenever I see blue eyes like these somewhere, I remember this man. I do have a problem with that; I cannot forget that. Then they took me inside to the two old farmers and my cousin. One of them just wanted to shoot us and burn the house down after. Another one came in and said: “You shouldn’t do that. The partisans have to be buried, everything cleaned, and in two hours time a patrol will come and there mustn’t be anything showing; not a sign that anything happened.” And they really did that. The farmer buried the partisans and the farmer’s wife cleaned up, wiped the blood up. It was very hard for her to mop all that and she cried so hard, when she was kneeling in the blood, so hard. The two of us (the cousin and I) we were totally shattered. The farmer’s wife said: “You stay indoors and don’t go outside. Don’t you tell anybody what happened.” And we didn’t. If somebody told us to keep something to ourselves, we did. It was as if we would have put it in a box and locked it away. Anyway, we protected the partisans so much when we were kids; they were our friends and the Germans were our enemies.
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With the partisans - life was slightly different than before. That is why you say nowadays: “Not everybody had the opportunity to join them.” But many would have had an opportunity but didn’t risk it. I was not fit to work for the front any more. For me there would have probably been a job and I could have worked and so on. But I didn’t want to. I could not share the responsibility to work with the ones that ... more |
length: 1:53 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 168
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First I was allocated to the couriers, the news unit – for a while, there. Afterwards I was with the sabotage units. There we blew up bridges, telephone masts and things like that. Afterwards I was in a battalion, there were 300 men together. That was slightly different. When a few men came, because of the food there were problems. But once 200/300 people are together that was slightly different for the food. ... more |
length: 1:38 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 98
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When you compare the time of those days - and today, and see the way it was organised - that was wonderful. From home the news went to the neighbour; from the neighbour to somebody else and so on. A few hours before the police came – let’s say – from Bleiburg to go on the hunt for partisans – or bandits – as they said, we already knew. And it was agreed that a red flag on a house would indicate danger; a white ... more |
length: 1:06 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 53
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Most of the young people took a lot of the responsibility. The police did not control the children quite as strictly as the older people. The little children used to carry the mail for us and so on. And they informed us as well when somebody was wounded. |
length: 0:34 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 130
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The women were really poor, I would say. Because they had to really pay for this, more than the others. But – I must say that as well – they were really brave women. Some were braver than the men. Three of those women I really took into my heart so I will never forget them. They had no fears. If there was any returned shooting they shot just the same as the others. But some were – I don’t know what to say - ... more |
length: 3:13 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 151
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I planned to join the partisans myself, if they hadn’t arrested me. I had already got two pairs of trousers made and a windbreaker. And then I wanted to go to the unit. But unfortunately it turned out differently. I was really confident: I would join the resistance, even the armed resistance – yes. But it did not happen, because we were arrested - well. You were still proud of contributing so much. – At ... more |
length: 1:46 min
| date: 16.06.2008
| video-hits: 104
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Well, actually it is hard to talk about it now and to remember everything; there are so many things. It was not easy to run around at night. You always had to look out; always make sure that nobody saw you and that you managed and so on. Or the boys, who stayed at home, were always in fear of being summarily executed. All the members of the armed forces, who stayed at home, were summarily executed. Everybody ... more |
length: 1:59 min
| date: 16.06.2008
| video-hits: 1.678
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My later husband was a deserter, as well. He was on holiday and was at home in July 44. Instead of going back, he said good bye and went to Klagenfurt. There he didn’t board the train, but went to a neighbour’s, that night, where another one (who stayed at home, away from the ‘Wehrmacht’, as well) already was. They made a bunker for them and that was where they stayed until January 1945. He was in the resistance, ... more |
length: 0:52 min
| date: 16.06.2008
| video-hits: 450
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They knocked hard on the door on the 5th May at 11 o’clock in the evening: “Open up, open up!” And the father asked: “What’s wrong?” – well – “open up!” So he opened and they asked where I was. I was lying in the living room, but I heard everything. Then two or three came in and shouted: “Get up!” “What’s wrong?” I asked – well. “Get up and you will see then what’s going to happen.” Of course I got up then. And ... more |
length: 7:34 min
| date: 16.06.2008
| video-hits: 337
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Around 40 to 45 women were in one cell with 10 beds. The others had to sleep next to them, or three in one bed, or on the floor, no matter where. Well, we were so many. We only had one pot for the loo, and in the morning there was everything in there, and you can imagine what it looked like then. Nobody brought in different straw mattresses – well. With the food it was just the same. In the morning it was a thin ... more |
length: 1:15 min
| date: 16.06.2008
| video-hits: 1.599
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I was in prison as well. There was a raid. Somebody had said – that was at the end of October – we were having contacts. But there really was something. Once there was one, she was imprisoned as well, she always said: “If something happens, would you want to come with us?” so I asked: “Well, what’s going on? - Yes.” - “You will see. “ - “Sure”. Something was given away, allegedly. There were two supervisors that ... more |
length: 2:33 min
| date: 16.06.2008
| video-hits: 205
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At the end of January 1944 the aunt got us ready and dressed and we asked: “Where are we going?” The older ones already knew, but the little ones didn’t. And she said: “Well, we are going to church.” So we asked: “At night? Why are we going to church at night? Why is there a church service at night tonight?” The aunt answered: “Well, because there is. Let’s go.” So out we went. We had put a lot of clothes on ... more |
length: 6:07 min
| date: 15.06.2008
| video-hits: 149
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So, we went back over the mountain to Carinthia, when the snow was gone. Before it was near enough impossible. We got to a farmer’s where the cousin’s grandmother was. The aunt asked the grandmother whether she could leave the youngest daughter there, because she was very ill. This woman said she could, because the girl would die otherwise. So I thought: ‘Oh, she can stay and I have to go again; and it is so nice ... more |
length: 2:05 min
| date: 15.06.2008
| video-hits: 76
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We were always in danger of something happening and it did. One day three partisans came (friends of the farmer and one relative) and came in for a snack. The farmer said: “You did not put up any guards.” So they answered: “We will be gone in a minute, anyway.” They really got up and went outside but they stayed in the hallway and kept talking for a little while. And the children did what they always do when ... more |
length: 4:35 min
| date: 15.06.2008
| video-hits: 355
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Herr Dušek wurde immer wieder in ein anderes KZ transportiert und er kam dabei in Kontakt mit dem Frontverlauf. Weiterhin hat er die Fliegerangriffe im KZ mit erlebt. |
length: 12:11 min
| date: 09.06.2008
| video-hits: 178
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Frau Claessens sieht wie die ersten Flüchtlingstrecks bei ihrem Haus vorbeizogen. Sie dachte zu diesem Zeitpunkt aber, dass das ihr nicht passieren könnte. |
length: 00:58 min
| date: 31.05.2008
| video-hits: 410
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Frau Claessens erzählt von ihrer 2. Fluchtetappe, bei der sie schließlich wieder in Stolpe landen. Unter den Flüchtenden herrscht keine Solidarität, jede Familie versucht sich selber in Sicherheit zu bringen. Der Hunger der Flüchtenden ist groß, Frau Claessens arbeitet, um Lebensmittel für die Familie zu bekommen. Ihnen geling es schließlich, in einen Zug in Richtung Westen zu steigen. |
length: 10:5 min
| date: 31.05.2008
| video-hits: 661
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Hendryk Chrushynski war bei den Pfadfindern organisiert und beteiligte sich so am Widerstand gegen die deutsche Wehrmacht und Besatzung. Ein Gruppenmitglied hatte sie im Juli 1944 an die Gestapo verraten, so dass einige der Gruppe verhaftet wurden und in KZs gebracht wurden. |
length: 8:28 min
| date: 10.12.2007
| video-hits: 502
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Nach der Verhaftung kam Hnedryk Chrushynski in das KZ-Großrosen (Polen). Dort musste er im Steinruch arbeiten. Weil die Arbeit sehr hart war, fragten er und ein Freund einen Mitgefangenen aus der Schreibstube, ob demnächst ein Transport in ein anderes Lager ginge. Ohne zu wissen wohin sie kommen würden, wurden sie am nächsten Tag mit dem Transport in das KZ-Sachsenhausen gebracht. |
length: 5:59 min
| date: 10.12.2007
| video-hits: 404
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Beschreibung des Lagers, Anzahl der Baracken, wieviele Personen inhaftiert waren. Das Lager war ein Außenlager des KZ-Sachsenhausen. |
length: 2:30 min
| date: 10.12.2007
| video-hits: 348
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