Back in March of 1947, the idea of walking out of Poland crystallized in my Grandfather's (Gustave Redschlag) mind.He gathered Grandmother (Auguste),Aunt Gertrude,Frau Pauline Fester,my brother Diethard(4y) and me(8y)together and started the journey.My older brother Artur Lemke(12y) who was not in the same area was left behind.
I think it was after midnight on a Saturday when Frau Fester took my brother Diet and me and some belongings and food and headed to the predetermined place in the country to meet my Grandparents (Redschlag) and Aunt Gertrude(teenager..14y).The timing was right and off we went into the night away from the villages we had lived in.Good thing that my Grandfather knew the area.We kept walking into the early Sunday morning hours. Opa felt that due to the important holiday(Ascension Day),most polish people would be off to church or sleeping and would not miss the german workers maybe until the afternoon.Our destination was the nearest train station. Opa spoke polish fluently and could get the tickets.
I think it was after midnight on a Saturday when Frau Fester took my brother Diet and me and some belongings and food and headed to the predetermined place in the country to meet my Grandparents (Redschlag) and Aunt Gertrude(teenager..14y).The timing was right and off we went into the night away from the villages we had lived in.Good thing that my Grandfather knew the area.We kept walking into the early Sunday morning hours. Opa felt that due to the important holiday(Ascension Day),most polish people would be off to church or sleeping and would not miss the german workers maybe until the afternoon.Our destination was the nearest train station. Opa spoke polish fluently and could get the tickets.
Opa got the tickets and we boarded the train bound for Poznan(Posen)....west west west away from the people that would recognize us.We looked like a family and blended in with all the other passengers on the train.Later I was told a different story.....a fellow traveler on the train had a different impression but his companion persuaded him to let the matter go....just a poor german family on the go....who cares were they come from or are going.
I don't know how long it took to get to the East German border...the river Odra(Oder) and the town of Szetzin(Stettin).The food supply was low but some how Opa managed to get us into a refuge camp and the right permissions to go to East Germany.I did walk through the ruins of Stettin...fallen walls,no roofs,burned buildings.On the walk I found somebody's picture of a grave site with a reave and a ribbon( Unser Vater)..I kept it and brought it with me on my journey.We received the papers and tickets for the train,boarded and crossed over to the west side of the river and away from Poland and fear.
By train we reached the town of Sonnenberg. At that time East Germany , Thueringen. I was sick of something ...ended up in an infirmary...it must not have been serious..the nurses and doctors got me going again...but better food and some rest did the trick.
In the mean time Opa was in contact with my Mom&Dad...another story. Mom took on the task of coming to ...East Germany without permission or papers...black over the border from West Germany from the village of Harste in Lower Saxony near the big town of Goettingen.Mom gathered us all up and our little troop again snuck in the night over the border to West Germany.I do not like to cross borders to this day and I never will. We were duly registered with the village authority(I have the dated documents).All of us lived in a single room offered to us by the family Engelhard.They even gave us a little Easter party...must have been the late version in the middle of April of 1947....so now our life began in West Germany
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