My Life Starts Again In Harste

We were a crowd in that one room in Engelhard's house but quickly we dispersed in early summer of 1947 . Harste was a small village among the rolling hills of Lower Saxony surrounded by woods and valleys.The creek Harste flowed through ...one big bridge, one little bridge for a very small tributary, two taverns and one town square.There was only one church...Lutheran.I you were Catholic you had to go to another village to make your confession.In those days even Lutherans went to confessions before taking Communion.Both sides of the main street had houses...mostly clusters of farm houses with outbuildings that formed private small inner square spaces (Hoff).I remember a bank,grocery store,bakery and several large multi family buildings. One of the large buildings was named Kaserne. My grandparent,Redschlag,moved into the 2nd floor of that building . One tavern (Gasthaus) was located on the village square on one end of the village(across the church) and a second tavern on the other end were the main road split. There was also one set of row houses next to the church. Our family moved into two rooms on the 2nd floor on one end of that cluster. In an another set of rooms a 2nd family lived up there also .That end of the building was owned by the Von Ole(Oele) family.Once upon a time influential in that area. The name was on the front of the building above the steps The school building for all grades ( 1 thru 8) was near the church.Around the church was my playground which was once upon a time a cemetery.Between the playground ...school ground...and the school stood a old large linden tree.According to tales it was the judgment tree. I still have a class picture as we all lined up by that tree.There also was another linden tree that was over a thousand years old and stood on the Manor's property. Haste had a history and older then Uncle Sam by a thousand summers or more.That tree is no more ...it vanished into the dirt like I will one day.

I started first grade that spring of 1947..my teacher,Frau Lange,the 2nd of the influential women in my life.The first was my Mother.Frau Lange had come down with Polio and had to wear a support on her legs to get around but she had books and that was most important to me.My German language skills( speaking and writing) were not up to standard.I had missed two years of schooling...no such things as Pre-Kindergarden and Kindergarden classes in my life.My folks made me memorize the multiplication tables( up to 12X12) and read my Father's field bible and memorize songs of all sorts.However...fairytales and hero books were my favorites and Frau Lange had them in her collection for there was no library in the area.Because of some limitation the village kids teased me and called me Polak Well...this let to fights with girls and boys.One incident was with a girl who pulled my hair but she had a bigger brother and I was in trouble.No one stepped in to stop the fight...I was on the ground,..face down and covering my head...crying as I was pummeled. An adult must have stopped in and I was saved from being hurt.I learned my lesson...don't pick on bigger kids and be more diplomatic.

In Germany we went to school all year around with time off for holidays only. I must have absorbed things in a hurry...I was 8y starting out and by 11y graduating from fourth grade.Frau Lange was my only teacher during those years.The change in grades was always at Easter time and always got new pair of shoes and something new to wear around that time from my folks.

The family life was fine but with limited material things.Dad worked for the manager of the woods in that area.All areas of Germany had been divided in small districts so the forest could be observed...animals and trees.The harvesting of trees was government business in all areas only a few private parcels existed.The trees were cut and planted according to plans and projected use.The creation of firewood was a prime reason at that time.Even the gathering of dead wood was by permission.Dad got paid in money and piles of firewood.The excess wood in our family was used to get things we needed....food and material needs.Dad had learned as a young man how to weave willow baskets.He used that skill and used the baskets for barter.Us boys went with him to gather the willow stems and branches