Fifteen years in a childhood paradise

Vater and Onkel Werner and Tante Margaret. We couldn't suddenly turn against them now. Gradually we became aware, that we could not be loyal Hitler Youth at the same time as being loyal to our Polish people. It seemed crazy to us, but we had to choose either the one or the other. After the episode with the saints which we heard from Horst, it wasn't difficult to decide.

However, we had to follow orders. The following weekend we visited our German families. The original Polish owners of the farms had been thrown out by the German authorities without compensation, and had been banished into the General Gouvernement, to form a buffer zone between Germany and Russia. We had witnessed their method of 'resettlement' ourselves in Posen, and we felt terribly sad about it, especially, as we could not do anything about it. We had heard of a plan by the German authorities, to make the province of Posen a purely German province through resettlement.

We found there were four boys between the age of 10 to 14 in Schönsee. They spoke fluent German, but with a strange accent. We told them that they had to join a group in Strykowo. From Bernd we heard the following Monday, that there were eight boys in his village, so plenty to start the planned group.

We reported back to the Bannführer, and he gave us instructions on how to conduct meetings. A lot of time would be spent in learning Hitler songs, marching, and general drill. Some time was also spent in indoctrination, teaching everyone Hitler's life story, which we all had to know by heart.

Günter and I in Hitler Youth uniform

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