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The party my parents were functionaries in, was called the ‘German Social Democratic Labour Party in Czechoslovakia’. But the name was a diversion, it was a socialistic, an Austro-Marxian party. Our party did not belong to the ‘1st International’ but to the ‘2.5th International’, the ‘Vienna International’, with the slogan: No social democratic opportunism and no Bolshevistic dogmatism.
We worked according to ... more |
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length: 2:13 min
| date: 18.06.2008
| video-hits: 350
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| Fascism was a subject, because of the experiences that we picked up from the immigrants. In our youth group we occasionally invited immigrants from Austria and Germany so they could tell us their story. And we already knew before the high finance and the generals pushed the power towards the Nazi leading clique: Hitler means war. That means we not only grew into the anti-fascist fight, but as well into the fight ... more |
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length: 2:28 min
| date: 18.06.2008
| video-hits: 505
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| Well, of course, at first, we debated with the young people. But more and more we were forced to debate with the adults, as well. It was not, as if only the youth was discussing fascism. We knew exactly how to distinguish between the Italian fascism, the black fascism in Austria and the brown fascism in Germany. There was a difference – you had to know and consider that. But we were also forced into conflict by ... more |
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length: 4:08 min
| date: 18.06.2008
| video-hits: 642
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| We for example carried our knowledge out into the villages. The labour movement was strong in the towns, in the villages lived mainly rural population and a few craftsmen. In order to get an influence there, we, from the Socialist Youth, cycled to those places, carried out some events, tried to involve the people and at these cultural events tried to point out to the people with speeches what fascism meant, what ... more |
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length: 1:28 min
| date: 18.06.2008
| video-hits: 652
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| Well, we worked in groups of three, made agreements, always in a group of three. We met somewhere, where we could not be overheard, to prepare missions. Whether they were campaigns with flyers or posters or later on, when we realised that we did not achieve enough, acts of sabotage - that did not matter. So we thought: “Now the time is right for a big poster campaign!” Half a year after the invasion the two ... more |
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length: 2:19 min
| date: 18.06.2008
| video-hits: 332
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| After the ‘Munich Agreement’ we had the 36 divisions, which marched into Czechoslovakia from all sides. Bohemia and Moravia were encircled by ’Großdeutschland’ from the north, west and south. At this time it was that for start you worked as a civilian and only when in 1939 the war began, the enlistments then started. I myself was not enlisted until the end of 1940, so that we had two years of time for the ... more |
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length: 4:11 min
| date: 18.06.2008
| video-hits: 476
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| In the summer of 1938, before the Nazis marched in, we agreed that we not only want to keep in touch, but as well that we wanted to develop a cipher, a secure code in which we were able to correspond politically, not only in the general and personal way. That was a cipher which the Gestapo was not able to figure out until the end: A very shifty system, the so called „two-box-system“. Which is commonly known, but ... more |
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length: 5:24 min
| date: 18.06.2008
| video-hits: 297
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| During the illegal fight emotions had to be pushed back as far as possible. Before the Nazis marched in at our place, from 33 activists in the anti-fascist resistance 11 were female comrades. They achieved the same as the men and there I had to kiss unwillingly, once. The pupils love hearing about that, when I relate my story in a school class. While hanging up posters, we were caught by an SS-patrol, which ... more |
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length: 2:58 min
| date: 18.06.2008
| video-hits: 222
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| Well, we had already heard before, in 1942, that the partisans were staying in our area. But the first contact was at Easter 1943 when the first partisans came and knocked at the door or the windows: “Mother, open! The partisans are here; the army of the Slovenian people. We will totally destroy fascism and you will be free once more.” Afterwards we had regular contact. We sang a song I will never forget as long as ... more |
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length: 1:24 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 192
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| Well, there were only few that weren’t with the partisans, very few. In the town there were more. Bleiburg is a known town and Carinthia was Nazi stronghold, but the population outside was of different opinion. And if they weren’t, well, there were only few, they did not report us to the police – kept quiet and did not keep in touch with us. But only about 10 % weren’t with us. |
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length: 0:44 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 109
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| So, I went home for 14 days. On the first evening the partisans, acquaintances were already there. After 14 days the holiday was over. “Well, what are we going to do, mother?” My mother was crying again: she sprinkled me with holy water and things like that. “Mother, that doesn’t help! I will not go back to the ones that sentenced us to death.” So I went and the commander of the partisans said: “We will come and ... more |
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length: 3:17 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 82
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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. |
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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 |
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length: 3:13 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 151
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You always took different things with you at that time.
My family knew everything. They knew everything at home. The other ones were illegal, as well, really. I was the only one, who had a connection to the partisans and the resistance group. We took on different tasks: mail, messenger service, food (that was important, too), clothes, and a very important thing: medical supplies. They were important, because ... more |
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length: 0:49 min
| date: 16.06.2008
| video-hits: 164
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| A group of partisans, about 20 of them (a few were with us as well) went to the constabulary, the office, and the town hall and took things from everywhere; whatever they could do with. At the constabulary they seized weapons – wherever they found some – and the type writers and stationery. For us it was like this: the country constables were having their evening meal and unfortunately one was shot there, because ... more |
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length: 1:43 min
| date: 16.06.2008
| video-hits: 142
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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 |
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length: 1:46 min
| date: 16.06.2008
| video-hits: 104
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| please translate this description: Der ArbeitersportVerein wurde 1933 von den Nazis verboten, doch Erwin Schulz machte wie einige anderen weiter, sie organisierten sich in Kleingruppen. Es wurde zwar vom Allgemeinen Deutschen Gewerkschaftsbund aufgerufen am 1. Mai zum Tempelhofer Ufer zu gehen, doch viele weigerten sich. |
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length: 3:32 min
| date: 13.06.2008
| video-hits: 323
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| Als die Nationalsozialisten an die Macht kamen, schloss sich Fritz Schmid mit anderen oppositionellen Jugendlichen aus Berlin vom CVJM, der SAV und der KVJD zusammen. Die Gruppe verteilt Flugblätter gegen Hitler und beteiligt sich am Widerstand. |
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german: download
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| more medias:
Schmid, Fritz || Widerstand || 1934
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team: MuT Team (web)
language: german
| length: 3:10 min
| size: 2 MB
format: mp3
| date: 31.10.2006
| media-hits: 3117
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