Re: [Cz-L] Resilience

If the world had more Christian Hermanns .....
Hardy

----- Original Message -----
From: "Christian Herrmann" <cyberorange_at_gmx.de>
To: "Jacob Greenberg" <grs_software_at_bigpond.com>;
<cornel.fleming_at_virgin.net>
Cc: <Czernowitz-L_at_cornell.edu>
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2013 12:57 AM
Subject: Re: [Cz-L] Resilience

> Serah,
>
> you write "Germany took responsibility for their crimes
> and is still paying restitution". As a German - born in 1962 - I can
> ensure you, it was not always like that. Beyond financial reastitution it
> took decades untill there was a public awarness of the German crimes here
> in Germany.
>
> I grew up in an atmosphere of silence in the 70s and early 80s.
> My father served in the Wehrmacht. I could ask him as much as I wanted, he
> never lost a word about the war time. I had a Jewish class mate, whose
> parents were both prisoners in Auschwitz. They did not talk with him about
> it. A scary alliance of silence.
>
> My history teachers in school were bullied by parents when they wrote
> about the school's policy towards Jewish students in the early and mid
> 30s - and finaly left the school.
>
> I went into a serious conflict with teachers and the director of my school
> in 1980 when I and other students invited former resistance fighters to
> talk to the students. They were still seen as traitors by many. When I
> made my graduation some of the teachers took their chance to pay back.
> This was 35 years afterv the end of WWII.
>
> I'm not telling this because I think I'm so very special. I'm not; I guess
> I'm quite typical for my generation. I tell you because I experienced the
> deep inner conflicts of a post-war society - and the long after-life of
> dictatorship. Ukraine and Lithuania are young countries. You are right,
> many individuals from both nations were involved in the holocaust. And the
> way nationalists of both nations are still interpreting history is very
> different from the way you and I do. No doubt.
>
> Looking back at my personal experience in Germany and comparing it with
> today's situation of young people in NGO's in Ukraine - Jewish and
> non-Jewish - I feel a deep sympathy for this those kids. They try find out
> and to speak out the truth about the past. They struggle for the right of
> free speach. They ask for a free press. They bring volunteers to clear the
> Jewish cemetery in Czernowitz. They ask to have the holocaust in the
> school curriculum. They have something to say and they want people to
> listen. They ask for a future. They daily feel the limitations of state
> policies towards them. Are we going to condemn them because of the guilt
> of their fathers, grandfathers or great-grandfathers or are we going to
> support them? I decide for the last option. They are the future.
>
> Christian

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This moderated discussion group is for information exchange on the subject of
 Czernowitz and Sadagora Jewish History and Genealogy. The opinions expressed
 in these posts are the opinions of the original poster only and not necessarily
 the opinions of the List Owner, the Webmaster or any other members
 or entities connected with this mailing list. The Czernowitz-L list has
 an associated web site at http://czernowitz.ehpes.com that includes a
 searchable archive of all messages posted to this list. As a result,
 Messages sent to the list are available to the general public within days
 of posting.

Please post in "Plain Text" if possible (help available at:
<http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/PlainText.html>).

To remove your address from this e-list follow the directions at:

<http://www.it.cornell.edu/services/elist/howto/user/leave.cfm>

To receive assistance for this e-list send an e-mail message to:
<owner-Czernowitz-L_at_list.cornell.edu>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Received on 2013-01-31 00:07:39