Re: [Cz-L] Joe Louis and Max Schmeling

Joe Louis was in Czernowitz in either late 1936 or early 1937.
May parents went to see him and all the older women in my family were sure
that I would be born a little African. My mother was expecting. Everyone
knew that pregnant women, if they looked too much at a person or an animal,
would give birth to a baby who looked like the person they had looked at.

And since from Max Schmeling and Joe Louis we got to Napoleon:
Napoleon was loved and revered in Czernowitz, even more than Kaiser Franz
Josef. Kaiser Franz Josef, was mostly mentioned in jest. When someone said
"wir" (we) instead of "ich" (I), the answer was inevitably "Ja, wir Kaiser
Franz Josef".
My parents explained to me about Napoleon when I was seven years old.
I remember the day very well. Czernowitz had been liberated by the Russians,
it was a beautiful sunny day, we went for a walk in the French garden in
front of the theatre, we no longer needed to wear a yellow star. Maybe that
is why Napoleon was mentioned, but he definitely was mentioned with great
reverence. Even greater than Julius Caesar!

Mimi

On 7/29/10 7:39 AM, "cornel fleming" <cornel.fleming_at_virgin.net> wrote:

> Zerstoert und geschlagen das maechgtige Heer und der Kaiser der Kaiser
> gefangen!!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: bounce-6139259-8441035_at_list.cornell.edu
> [mailto:bounce-6139259-8441035_at_list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of HARDY BREIER
> Sent: 29 July 2010 07:08
> To: CZERNOWITZ-L
> Subject: [Cz-L] Joe Louis and Max Schmeling
>
> After Joe Louis beat Max Schmeling the Jews of Czernowitz were in heaven.
> Beating the german champion ,Hitler's boy, and by a negro too , imagine
> that !
> Every boy wanted to be Joe Louis. Me too.
> We re-enacted the knock-out championship fight with every occasion.
> I was Joe Louis and for Max Schmeling we picked Gusti ,the little
> brother of Arnie from first floor.
> I used to pummel his face ,and then was declared champ.
> All the kids of the neighborhood were there cheering.
> After a few rounds , Gusti's face was swollen and red and Gusti said in
> tears that he no longer wanted to be Max Schmeling .
> He said from now on he will be Joe Louis , if not he will call his father
> His father worked at the soap factory and was six feet tall.
> I took to the street.
> There I met Igo .
> Igo asked me : " Can you keep a secret ?" Of course I could ...
> "No, no you must swear to it ! " I swore and gave my word of honor
> too...
> "Come with me " he said, and we went into the Pizelligasse until near the
> end and then into the Winkelgasse , a little connecting street that ran
> down to the Neueweltgasse.
> There were many deserted houses on that street , with unattended
> gardens whose wild vegetation made access almost impossible.
> Into one of these Ido led the way , and there ,through the cellar and
> by-ways we climbed a ladder to the Boidem ( attic that is).
> Ido led the way to a dark corner and there stood a wooden cask.
> "This is it" said Igo.
> Igo bowed over and opened the cask.
> Inside was a complete army outfit of a French Grenadier.
> Of Napoleons Grande Armee.
> Tricolor uniform ,chapeau all the belts and appending apparel, boots
> and a big long sabre . "Wow"...
> How did this land here on Winkelgasse Czernowitz ?
> How long was this lying here ?
> Heine's poem "Die beiden Grenadiere "came to my mind :
>
> "Nach Frankreich zogen zwei Grenadier',
> Die waren in Russland gefangen.
> Und als sie kamen ins deutsche Quartier,
> Sie liessen die Koepfe hangen."
>
> Hardy
>
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Received on 2010-07-29 15:47:58