In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

113 D Chapter Thirty d out of and into sChool After my high school education had come to an untimely end, just weeks before the war, my parents realized the necessity of removing me from the acute danger zone, fearing that Dr. Bach, the Nazi teacher and Gestapo informant responsible for my dismissal, might not be satisfied with my mere disappearance. One fact was clear: no other high school in the entire country would admit me as a student, let alone allow me to graduate. My parents’ concern about my status as a school dropout was surpassed only by my infinite relief.Since I was under eighteen,the mandatory age for admission to acting school, my father demanded that I learn an honest,respectable profession first,one of true and lasting value, like that of a secretary or a librarian. Even if I were not to be forced to earn my living, it would prepare me for my future as the spouse of a noble estate owner, the normal destiny for the granddaughter of two, and great-granddaughter of three Prussian generals. However, if at age eighteen, against all expectations, I still insisted on my foolish ambitions, he would solemnly promise to give his permission to take the state exams, where experts would hopefully confirm a total lack of talent, once and for all! In order to get me out of danger, I was shipped off to Uncle Mirko’s estate, not too far from Berlin, which he had purchased to keep his wife happy. The estate, which included fine horses, was vast and splendid. The castle-like manor, which had more rooms than I had ever seen under one roof,was surrounded by a moat and a beautifully landscaped park. There was only one issue that prevented me from reaching the state of happy oblivion: Uncle Mirko’s wife, Olga. She disliked me the instant I arrived. Her disapproval changed to open resentment when she discovered that I was aware of something she tried to keep secret : Olga had a lover! For this knowledge I deserved punishment, so I was given little, if any, opportunity to enjoy the countryside, to learn about farming and gardening, or to ride one of her superb horses. Instead, she decided that I should work, starting literally at the bottom, the cellar, where I was to appear at six o’clock each morning to peel mountains of potatoes under the cold eyes of “Mamsell,” the chief cook, a rather unfortunate-looking spinster. The potatoes were not for our consumption, but for the Polish prisoners of war who worked as field hands, replacing the German men now bravely defending their fatherland in Poland. Some of the POWs were usually delegated to help with the peeling, I liked their company ; they were rough and tough but we had a good time singing and laughing as soon as Part two 114 the old battle-ax left the room. Soon my hands began to look a mess. Rubber gloves were out of the question A real deutsche Frau proudly displayed her cracked, red hands. My only consolation was the weekends,when Uncle Mirko came from Berlin to spend two days with us.Two days during which the tall,young officer,stationed at the nearby Luftwaffe airfield, had to temporarily return to his quarters at the barracks. In her husband’s presence, Olga knew better than to order me around; she treated me almost like a human being. Unfortunately, I made the fatal mistake of writing home about staying up until the wee hours of the morning,drinking champagne with the carefree guests that my uncle usually brought along. In true Russian tradition, the nights ended at daybreak with the glasses being smashed against the fireplace. Nobody ever told me to go to bed, so I didn’t. After I had written the first detailed letter home, my stay at the estate came to a rather abrupt end; my mother came to pick me up herself. The conversation between her and Olga was held at a volume that did not require eavesdropping. Within a month,I was sent to an agricultural school for girls in the little town of Miesbach in Bavaria, where I would have the guaranteed supervision needed for a seventeenyear -old.The best thing about the new location was that Kreuth was close by; I was permitted to go there each free weekend. One month after my arrival in Miesbach, an event took place that I...

Share