On October 10th, 1939 there appeared on sale the first edition of a Nazi daily newspaper in Polish - "Nowy Kurier Warszawski". Mama forbade buying, much less reading it.
The sanitary conditions continue to be terrible. There is a shortage of water and fuel.
The incidence of typhoid is rising.
On Okopowa St. they have began repairing the tramlines. Perhaps there will be electric light soon and city transport? That would be
wonderful.
wonderful.
Daily life goes on in our house. Mama has thrown all her energies into organising the refurbishing of our home. She now has more workers available and they are renovating the upper floors.
We use carbide lamps for lighting. They are brighter than candles or kerosene lamps. They smell a bit but one can - and must - get used to that. In addition, kerosene is scarce, while there is always someone willing to sell carbide.
The German authorities have issued a new order concerning progressive re-activation of schools. First to re-start are primary and technical schools. So far nothing has been heard about institutions of higher education. I have a new set of books, so Mary and I have decided that I would gradually work through them under her direction.
Our daily life continues and there is no shortage of work for anyone.
Shattered by the mass arrests, people did not think that there would
come a day when they would learn about the first street execution of men
regarded in the official German announcement as perpetrators, criminals
and bandits. Yet these were political prisoners. The whole city was
shaken by panic, sorrow and despair. Mourning steals ever more often
into homes.
On October 21st, 1939, our much-loved, favourite Dr. Ari FRENKIEL came
home to his wife. How much joy that he was alive and whole! When
ordered to evacuate all personnel in the hospital where he worked, he
"went for a ride" (as was said in Warsaw) to the Eastern boundaries of
Poland. It was a subject he did not want to talk about. He would only
reveal that he reached home by some roundabout route through
Chechoslovakia - where the inhabitants greeted invading Germans with
flowers - and was now very happy. For he had witnessed terrible scenes
from our so-called "friends" on the Eastern boundary.
home to his wife. How much joy that he was alive and whole! When
ordered to evacuate all personnel in the hospital where he worked, he
"went for a ride" (as was said in Warsaw) to the Eastern boundaries of
Poland. It was a subject he did not want to talk about. He would only
reveal that he reached home by some roundabout route through
Chechoslovakia - where the inhabitants greeted invading Germans with
flowers - and was now very happy. For he had witnessed terrible scenes
from our so-called "friends" on the Eastern boundary.
The whole house came to life with Dr. Frenkiel's return. How important
is a man's presence even to women as energetic, good and self-reliant as
Mama! She immediately became more cheerful now that even one of our
"lost ones" had been happily found.
is a man's presence even to women as energetic, good and self-reliant as
Mama! She immediately became more cheerful now that even one of our
"lost ones" had been happily found.
The doctor told us in secret that during fierce battles with the German
foe for Wieprz (Lublin Distr. - that is, the Western part of Polesie,
South of the river Bug) he briefly saw Papa, who had a slight head
wound. The doctor thought that following capitulation he could have
been taken prisoners, as were his colleagues. But he immediately
comforted us by saying that he was sure Papa was alive.
No comments:
Post a Comment