Life in Germany was hellish immediately after the war, improving to merely miserable in the following few years.
A friend of my dad's asked for some help with some old German documents she had from her own parents. One of the documents was an old postcard sent to her father in Boston from post-war Germany. With the aid of my mother-in-law, who had to learn the now-archaic script in school, I present the translation. Thought you might be interested.
The postcard comes from the Rheinish-Prussian British Zone, and is stamped as having gone through the military censor for civilian mail.
Honored Herr Cöhnen!
I received your card some time ago, must unfortunately share, that Father didn't survive the war's end, he died already in June 1940, and Mother in March 1945. A brother the youngest fell, my sister-in-law is living in (her) parents' house. 2 brothers-in-law are still in Russian prisions. I myself was released in August as malnourished. I can tell you, Herr Cönen, that was a war. Is good that Vater didn't experience all that, what there is today, such has Germany never experienced. You must see our city and the misery/squalor. When you want to know more about our hometown village I am happily ready with information. In closing once again greetings to your wife and children from beautiful Wanlo.
The original German... is full of misspellings, reproduced here (I didn't include them in the English). Or maybe it was dialect at the time, but he does spell Coenen several different way. He must have been a neighbor; the families obviously knew each other well, but not well enough to use first names (i.e. not intimate friends)
Wehrter Herr Cöhnen!
Habe vor einige Zeit ihre Karte erhalten, muß ihnen leider mitteilen, das Vater das Kriegsende nicht erlebt hat, er is schon im Juni 1940 gestorben, und Mutter im März 1945. Ein Bruder der jüngsten ist gefallen, meine Schwegerin wohnt im Elterlichen Haus. 2 Schwäger sind noch in russicher Gefangschaft. Ich selbst bin im August als Unteränert entlassen worden. Ich kann Ihnen sagen, Herr Cönen das war ein Kreig. Ist gut daß Vater das nicht alles miterlebt hat, und was ist heute, so was hat Deutschland noch nicht mitgemacht. Ihr müßt nur unsere Städt mal sehen und das Elend. Wenn Sie noch mal näheres über Ihr Heimat Dörfchen erfahren wollen, bin ich gerne für Auskunft bereit. Zum Schluß nochmals herzliche Grüße an Ihre Frau und Kinder aus dem schönen Wanlo.
Grüß,
Herr Göbels
(Aus Wieksrath - Niers)
Monday, August 25, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Not the only clueless one
Every so often, amidst the general clueless feeling you get living in a foreign culture, you see someone else slogging through the same morass of novelty and confusion*, and you think "Ok, so I'm not a complete idiot".
Last year, on P.'s first day, I intrepidly led my kids and in-laws through the village to the "Protestant church behind the school" as it was described to me. Now, in all your German classes, you learn that there's a Catholic church, a Protestant church, and the Islamic church representing German culture. It's usually impressed on Americans that there's just one Protestant church, instead of the innumerable variety we have in the states. Imagine my surprise to discover the church deserted. A bit of reconnaissance led to the discovery that they meant a Protestant church 1/4 mile down the street. We hot-footed it over and made it in before the first blessing. All the Germans seemed surprised at my mistake - they had said, after all, the Protestant church, not the FREE Protestant church. When I asked how a foreigner would know that "Free" wasn't just some name like "Sacred Heart", they admitted it would be confusing.
Last week, helping to set up the coffee and cake for the new parents attending the 1st graders' welcoming ceremony, a family, from appearance, dress and accent probably African, approached the principal to ask where the chapel ceremony was being held. Apparently they'd made the same mistake I had. I sidled over and assured them I'd make the same mistake. The principal, showing her lack of understanding, looked at me like she couldn't understand anyone else making such a boneheaded mistake.
Amazing how sometimes I can feel more solidarity with people from a half a world away than with the Germans I've lived with for years, just because we're both outsiders, in that moment, together.
- the d.h.
* Look what happens when I try to get literary - it gets messy.
Last year, on P.'s first day, I intrepidly led my kids and in-laws through the village to the "Protestant church behind the school" as it was described to me. Now, in all your German classes, you learn that there's a Catholic church, a Protestant church, and the Islamic church representing German culture. It's usually impressed on Americans that there's just one Protestant church, instead of the innumerable variety we have in the states. Imagine my surprise to discover the church deserted. A bit of reconnaissance led to the discovery that they meant a Protestant church 1/4 mile down the street. We hot-footed it over and made it in before the first blessing. All the Germans seemed surprised at my mistake - they had said, after all, the Protestant church, not the FREE Protestant church. When I asked how a foreigner would know that "Free" wasn't just some name like "Sacred Heart", they admitted it would be confusing.
Last week, helping to set up the coffee and cake for the new parents attending the 1st graders' welcoming ceremony, a family, from appearance, dress and accent probably African, approached the principal to ask where the chapel ceremony was being held. Apparently they'd made the same mistake I had. I sidled over and assured them I'd make the same mistake. The principal, showing her lack of understanding, looked at me like she couldn't understand anyone else making such a boneheaded mistake.
Amazing how sometimes I can feel more solidarity with people from a half a world away than with the Germans I've lived with for years, just because we're both outsiders, in that moment, together.
- the d.h.
* Look what happens when I try to get literary - it gets messy.
Back to school, Part II
Hello again, dear Reader (and I do realize there is just one of you... Hello, Aunt Anne).
Fall must really be here, despite what the calendar says. It's dark now by 9 pm! Oh, the joys of living so far north...
P. has adjusted to being back in school relatively smoothly. He does have more periods this week - a total of 21 45-minute periods a week, with as many as 3 help periods. The 3 help periods are for Math, German, and Reading & Writing. I don't yet know how those last two differ; we're to learn at a parents' evening next week. P's presence has been requested in German help this week.
Do I like the primary school system here better than in the US? Hard to say; there are pros and cons. As said before, the practice of keeping the same teacher for 4 years can be either a pro or a con. At least the teacher knows the children very well when, at the end of primary school, they make the potentially life-altering decision of which school the children are suited for - Gymnasium (roughly equivalent to a U.S. high school); Realschule (a high school with the goal of getting the students out into apprenticeships) and Hauptschule (very basic schooling; ends at 10th grade).
Ok, so I'm not really thrilled at the idea of a fate determining decision for my kids at the age of 10. But we'll work with it when the time comes.
I also have a hard time with the variable length of the school day. It should be pointed out though, that all the Germans I know find this completely normal, so it just might be me. On some days, school starts at 8:10; others, 8:55, and lasts from 3 - 5 periods for P. If it weren't for the after-school program, which I use partly to smooth out the days, I'd be in trouble (I admit it - I might forget my child one day because I mixed up days!). There also seems to be a lot of changes in schedule - adding a period here, subtracting there, based largely, it seems, on the availability of teachers and funding. I may have that wrong however; there might be deep and profound reasons P.'s schedule changed 6 times last year.
However, I really like the fact that they have started off putting these extra help periods into the school day from the start, and that there seems to be no stigma among the kids that anyone is in one of these sessions. The teacher changes that part of the schedule often - a child might be in Math Help for 3 weeks, overlapping 2 with Reading/Writing, etc.
I also have to give kudos to the after-school program. Really, it starts before school, as they are there from 7:30 for any kids who have later class-start. Then it goes to 4 pm, which really is a bit short for full-time working parents, but it's a start. In between they have homework help, games and crafts with their "teachers" (in quotes only because the Germans don't call them teachers; the term they use, Erzieher/in*, is more like "educator"). Soon they will be offering special interest programs in the afternoon - from exploring the woods to puppet theater to kid yoga - they are constantly on the lookout for new ideas and leaders. At some point I'd like to work with the older kids on English, maybe starting them on Dr. Suess or something like that.
Meanwhile, A. has enthusiastically reentered Kindergarten (a combination of Kindergarden and Preschool in the US). After some real program problems last year, it would seem that the Kindergarten is getting its act together. I, however, never satisfied, am picking a fight with them about how they are structuring the lunch program. More on that later.
the d.h.
* Off subject, but: German professions almost always have a masculine/feminine form - like teacher / teacheress.
Fall must really be here, despite what the calendar says. It's dark now by 9 pm! Oh, the joys of living so far north...
P. has adjusted to being back in school relatively smoothly. He does have more periods this week - a total of 21 45-minute periods a week, with as many as 3 help periods. The 3 help periods are for Math, German, and Reading & Writing. I don't yet know how those last two differ; we're to learn at a parents' evening next week. P's presence has been requested in German help this week.
Do I like the primary school system here better than in the US? Hard to say; there are pros and cons. As said before, the practice of keeping the same teacher for 4 years can be either a pro or a con. At least the teacher knows the children very well when, at the end of primary school, they make the potentially life-altering decision of which school the children are suited for - Gymnasium (roughly equivalent to a U.S. high school); Realschule (a high school with the goal of getting the students out into apprenticeships) and Hauptschule (very basic schooling; ends at 10th grade).
Ok, so I'm not really thrilled at the idea of a fate determining decision for my kids at the age of 10. But we'll work with it when the time comes.
I also have a hard time with the variable length of the school day. It should be pointed out though, that all the Germans I know find this completely normal, so it just might be me. On some days, school starts at 8:10; others, 8:55, and lasts from 3 - 5 periods for P. If it weren't for the after-school program, which I use partly to smooth out the days, I'd be in trouble (I admit it - I might forget my child one day because I mixed up days!). There also seems to be a lot of changes in schedule - adding a period here, subtracting there, based largely, it seems, on the availability of teachers and funding. I may have that wrong however; there might be deep and profound reasons P.'s schedule changed 6 times last year.
However, I really like the fact that they have started off putting these extra help periods into the school day from the start, and that there seems to be no stigma among the kids that anyone is in one of these sessions. The teacher changes that part of the schedule often - a child might be in Math Help for 3 weeks, overlapping 2 with Reading/Writing, etc.
I also have to give kudos to the after-school program. Really, it starts before school, as they are there from 7:30 for any kids who have later class-start. Then it goes to 4 pm, which really is a bit short for full-time working parents, but it's a start. In between they have homework help, games and crafts with their "teachers" (in quotes only because the Germans don't call them teachers; the term they use, Erzieher/in*, is more like "educator"). Soon they will be offering special interest programs in the afternoon - from exploring the woods to puppet theater to kid yoga - they are constantly on the lookout for new ideas and leaders. At some point I'd like to work with the older kids on English, maybe starting them on Dr. Suess or something like that.
Meanwhile, A. has enthusiastically reentered Kindergarten (a combination of Kindergarden and Preschool in the US). After some real program problems last year, it would seem that the Kindergarten is getting its act together. I, however, never satisfied, am picking a fight with them about how they are structuring the lunch program. More on that later.
the d.h.
* Off subject, but: German professions almost always have a masculine/feminine form - like teacher / teacheress.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Back to School
Back after a vacation....
Tomorrow is the first day of school. Peter is entering 2nd grade. He's not so sure he's looking forward to it yet, so we'll see what he says Monday afternoon.
Now, I know all you parents in the U.S. have noticed how different primary school is these days, with all the new standards and testing the methodologies. Here the whole kit and caboodle is different - with pro's and con's.
Peter will have the same teacher as last year. Frau P. will remain his teacher until the end of fourth grade. We're very lucky - she's a wonderful teacher so far. But the downside of this system is obvious - what if you get a lousy teacher?
I feel like there is a lack of a new beginning with this system - remember the feeling of the first day of school? To Peter this seems like it's just a return to routine - although, because of school renovations, they are getting a new classroom.
Tuesday the first graders will come for their first day, and all the older classes will be there to welcome them - literally greeting the kids and their families as they approach the school after the ecumenical service at the church near the school (NOT the 'Free Protestant church, but that's another story). The little kids, carrying their 'school cones' (Schultuete) full of goodies, will then be treated to a show.
After that, school really starts up. Another difference between my American schooling and here is that the school days often have different lengths. Last year's first grade class had 19 periods (Germans call them hours) per week - and that obviously doesn't divide by 5 days evenly! Also, as Peter progresses through the grades, more periods will be added.
I have to note that traditionally, it is not the custom to eat lunch at school. It's expected that the children will be met at home by their own Desperate Hausfrau with a hot lunch. Most schools don't have any kind of cafeteria (although the renovation added one to our school). It's not yet clear to me if they'll be offering lunch to all children whose schedules keep them past, say, 1pm, or just to the kids in the after-school program.
It will be interesting to see what happens if we have an August heat wave !
Tomorrow is the first day of school. Peter is entering 2nd grade. He's not so sure he's looking forward to it yet, so we'll see what he says Monday afternoon.
Now, I know all you parents in the U.S. have noticed how different primary school is these days, with all the new standards and testing the methodologies. Here the whole kit and caboodle is different - with pro's and con's.
Peter will have the same teacher as last year. Frau P. will remain his teacher until the end of fourth grade. We're very lucky - she's a wonderful teacher so far. But the downside of this system is obvious - what if you get a lousy teacher?
I feel like there is a lack of a new beginning with this system - remember the feeling of the first day of school? To Peter this seems like it's just a return to routine - although, because of school renovations, they are getting a new classroom.
Tuesday the first graders will come for their first day, and all the older classes will be there to welcome them - literally greeting the kids and their families as they approach the school after the ecumenical service at the church near the school (NOT the 'Free Protestant church, but that's another story). The little kids, carrying their 'school cones' (Schultuete) full of goodies, will then be treated to a show.
After that, school really starts up. Another difference between my American schooling and here is that the school days often have different lengths. Last year's first grade class had 19 periods (Germans call them hours) per week - and that obviously doesn't divide by 5 days evenly! Also, as Peter progresses through the grades, more periods will be added.
I have to note that traditionally, it is not the custom to eat lunch at school. It's expected that the children will be met at home by their own Desperate Hausfrau with a hot lunch. Most schools don't have any kind of cafeteria (although the renovation added one to our school). It's not yet clear to me if they'll be offering lunch to all children whose schedules keep them past, say, 1pm, or just to the kids in the after-school program.
It will be interesting to see what happens if we have an August heat wave !
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