reminisce3

From the 2006 Reunion Group

Czernowitz Reminiscenses - Part 3

==========================================================
From: "HARDY BREIER" <HARDY3@...>
Date: Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:30 am
Subject: AM RINGPLATZ.doc
HARDY3@...

AM RINGPLATZ .

"Servus , Salo ."
"Servus , Beno"
" Wie gehts?"
" So , so ".
" Wohin gehst du ?"
" Blumen kaufen".
" Wus plitzem ?"
   "Es is a lange Majsse"
" Was ist passiert ?"
" Alles wegen die Wanzen".
   "Was haben Wanzen mit Blumen zu tun ? "
   " Hoer mich aus werd' ich dir erzahlen ."
    "Wie du weisst , haben wir Wanzen zu Hause".
    "A Neugkeit , we hat nicht ?".
     "Wir haben beschlossen auszuschwefeln . Ich ging zu Schmied und Fontyn und
kaufte Schwefel. Ich legte den Schwefel in a Schissel im Mitten vom Zimmer und
zundete ihm an. Der Schwefelgas kroch in alle Spariness in die Wander hinein und
gaste alle Wanzen aus"
"Ich kenne den Vorgang , wer hat keine Wanzen ?"
" Warte , das ist nicht die ganze Maisse .Die Spariness in meine Wande sind mi t
die Spariness der unteren Wohnung verbunden und so drang der Schwefelgas in die
untere Wohnung . Dort wohnt die Frau Brender die Witwe und astmaleidend ist".
" Was du nicht sagst".
   " Sie bekam einen Stickanfall und musste ins Spital".
   "Oj wej !"
     "Ihr Sohn , welcher Advocat ist , will mir Prozess machen".
   " So eine Gemeinheit ".
   " Ich geh sie jetzt besuchen und bringe ihr Blumen . Sag mir Salo wo kauf ich
Blumen? ".
     " Auf der Postgasse leben Podsudek".
     " Wohin gehst du?"
     " Am Zwinter , habe Juhrzeit " .
      " Pa Beno , Grusse mir die Gisella ."
      " Pa Salo , ebenfalls ...."

Hardy
==========================================================
From: "HARDY BREIER" <HARDY3@...>
Date: Wed Apr 12, 2006 10:24 pm
Subject: Wass Du nicht sagst.doc
HARDY3@...

Wass Du nicht sagst ?

Understand ?
No? I don't blame you .
German ? The words are Deutsch but no German of Munchen or Berlin would get the
meaning.

Only a Czernowitzer of old vintage will know what I mean.
Something like " what do you know " but not quite.
Sometimes expressing wonder, sometimes ironic , sometimes rethoric ,sometimes
in astonishment , sometimes sarcastic, sometimes caustic:
    ...
"Have you heard, the young Pomeranz of the second floor, has a new lover."
" No, not the "Stauber" , the young one, the " Krimme"!
" Was du nicht sagst ?"    ( astonishment).

" So ,you think we insulted you and will not come again ?"
" Was du nicht sagst " ( ironic) .

" This war is going to last a long time".
" Was du nicht sagst ?"   ( sarcastic ) A groisser Chuhem .

What will happen to Czernowitzerisch after we're gone ?
" Es wird gehen floeten !"
" Was du nicht sagst "

HARDY
==========================================================
From: Berti Glaubach <berti@...>
Date: Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:48 am
Subject: Re: [czernowitz2006] Wass
Du nicht sagst.docFrom: "HARDY BREIER" <HARDY3@...>
Date: Fri May 5, 2006 5:11 am
Subject: HAUSMEISTER
HARDY3@...

HAUSMEISTER.

ALL THE OLD APARTMENT HOUSES HAD FRONT GATES.
BIG WOODEN GATES .
THESE LED TO INNER COURTYARDS.
ALL KIND OF STAIRS LED TO THE UPPER STORES.
EACH WING HAD A SEPARATE STAIRCASE.
THE STAIRS HAD WOODEN HANDRAILS .
I USED TO SLIDE DOWN THESE RAILS AND COULD BE
DOWN FROM THE SECOND FLOOR IN 5 SECONDS FLAT.

I WAS CHAMPION RAIL SLIDER OF THE RUSSISCHEGASSE.

AT NINE IN THE EVENING THE GATE WAS LOCKED UNTIL
NEXT MORNING.

IF YOU CAME HOME LATE YOU WOULD PULL A HANDLE AND
ACTIVATE A BELL.

AFTER SOME TIME, THE HAUSMEISTER WOULD APPEAR
WITH AN ENORMOUS KEY. HE WOULD UNLOCK THE GATE.

FOR THIS SERVICE SOME GRATUITY WAS PAID.
MIDDLE AGES.

THE HAUSMEISTER WERE ALL RUTHENIANS, MALE OR
FEMALE AND PERFORMED ALL KIND OF ADDITIONAL JOBS
AS CLEANING, WASHING, WOOD SPLITTING AND MORE.

THEY LIVED FROM THE PREDOMINANT JEWISH TENANTS,
SPOKE GERMAN AND YIDDISH.

OUR HAUSMEISTER, MARIA, WAS SINGLE AND HAD MANY "FRIENDS".
IN 1941 WHEN THE RUMANIAN ARMY ENTERED THE TOWN SHE
IMMEDIATELY FRATERNIZED WITH THE RUMANIAN SOLDIERS.

THE FIRST THING SHE DID WAS POINTING AT THE WINDOWS OF
JEWISH APPARTMENTS. THE SOLDIERS THEN FIRED SHOTS AT
THESE WINDOWS, TO THE ACCLAIM OF STREET MOBS, WHO WERE
CLAPPING THEIR HANDS AT THE HEROIC ACTS OF THE SOLDIERS.

THIS HAPPENED IN THE SHORT INTERLUDE BETWEEN THE
BEGINNING OF THE WAR AND THE CREATION OF THE GHETTO.

WHEN THE JEWS WERE DEPORTED MANY HAUSMEISTERS MOVED INTO THEIR
APPARTMENTS.

OUR HOUSE WAS THE LAST ONE OUTSIDE THE GHETTO. OUR HOUSE WAS NO 46,
RUSSISCHEGASSE. HOUSE NO 48 WAS INSIDE THE GHETTO.

THE WOODEN WALL OF THE GHETTO WAS PUT UP NEXT TO OUR HOUSE.
THE WALL WAS BUILT IN A DAY OR TWO.

I NEVER SAW, UNTIL THEN, WORKERS SO KEEN ON THEIR JOB.

              HARDY
===================================================================

nuki1357

The was "Du nicht sagst" survives with both exclamation and interrogatory
marks and is a manifestation of the incredulous attitude most of that
generation of Czernowitzers.had.

Every Viennese would of course be at home with that idiom, be it because of
the Yiddish that was absorbed into local German or because the
expressiveness of the words makes the meaning of the phrase plain to most .

The (in general) denying nicht, instead of just a straight affirmation or
question, has here the function of stressing the meaning again, it
re-doubles its semantic content. That sounds Jewish enough - the French
have a somewhat similar use of the ne that together with pas, instead of
canceling out make a strong denial.

We shall ask our hosts - may be there exists something similar in
Ukrainian or Russian?

Berti
================================================================
From: "HARDY BREIER" <HARDY3@...>
Date: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:47 pm
Subject: MARCH 1944.doc
HARDY3@...

MARCH 1944.
( FROM A DIARY OF A 12 YEAR OLD BOY )

THE RETREAT OF THE GERMANS IS COMING TO AN END.
FOR TWO MONTH THE RUSSISCHEGASSE , WHERE I LIVE , WAS THE
MAIN RETREAT PASSAGE FOR THE RETREATING GERMAN ARMIES OF
THE COLLAPSING UKRAINEAN FRONT.

ENDLESS CONVOYS OF BROKEN-UP ARMY UNITS ,TANKS ,HALF TRACKS,
CANONS, MOTORCYCLES , LORRIES , FOOT SOLDIERS , HORSE DRIVEN
CARRIAGES CARRYING RUSSIAN FAMILIES WITH LITTLE CHILDREN ,
VLASOV TROUPS , TATARS, COLLABORATORS , ITALIANS, MAGYARS,
A DISPLAY OF HUMANITY IN MISERY .

THEY WERE CLAD IN RAGS , ALL WERE STINKING AND IN A BAD NEED OF
A SHAVE.

" WIR VERKAUFEN EUCH DEN HITLER " YOU COULD HEAR THEIR SHOUTS , THEY
WERE HUNGRY AND HAVEN'T HAD A SHOWER FOR A LONG TIME AND WERE
LOOKING FOR WOMEN.

NO MORE VICTORIES AND GLORY , A COHORT OF PEOPLE IN DISTRESS,
A BEATEN ARMY O F A PEOPLE WHO WERE OUT TO CONQUER THE WORLD.

AND THEN ONE MORNING IN MARCH , IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY WITH
BLUE SKIES , WE WOKE UP AND -THERE WAS NO NOISE ! AFTER MONTHS OF
ENDLESS RATTLE - THE STREET WAS SILENT. YOU COULD HEAR THE SINGING
OF BIRDS AND THE HUMMING OF BUMBLE-BEES. SWEET SILENCE !

WE WENT OUT IN THE STREET AND THE CONVOY WAS STILL THERE BUT IT WAS
DESERTED:   A GHOST ARMY CONVOY . RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE STOOD A
"TIGER" TANK, ITS TURRET AS TALL AS THE SECOND STORY OF OUR HOUSE. A
REMAINDER OF THE GLORIOUS GUDERIAN PANZER CORPS.

OUT OF FUEL. WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION WERE EVERYWHERE. MY BROTHER
CAME HOME WITH A M38 SPANDAU MACHINE GUN COMPLETE WITH 2000 ROUNDS .
I FOLLOWED UP WITH 2 HAND GRENADES AND AN ARMY HELMET.

" THE RUSSIANS WILL SHOOT US FOR THIS" FATHER SAID BUT THE REAL DANGER
WAS IN PLAYING WITH THESE TOYS.

AT TEN IN THE MORNING TWO RUSSIAN " YAK" PLANES APPEARED IN THE SKIES,
MADE A FEW TURNS AND FLEW OFF.

AT NOON, AT LAST- COMING UP THE STREET, THE GLORIOUS SOVIET ARMY
MADE ITS ENTRY.

WHAT IS THIS ? IS THIS THE RED ARMY ? WHAT WE SAW COMING UP THE STREET
WAS A BUNCH OF BOYS, IN RAGS 4 FEET TALL , MONGOLIAN FACES ( KALMUKS
OR KIRGHIZ) SPEAKING SOME ASIAN LINGO .

THESE WERE THE LIBERATORS ?

BIG DISAPPOINTMENT ...IT IS NOT GOING TO BE THE LAST.

HARDY
==============================================================================
----- Original Message ----
From: HARDY BREIER <HARDY3@...>
To: czernowitz2006@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, 8 May, 2006 7:02:12 AM
Subject: [czernowitz2006] STATUS

STATUS.

PLEASE CONSIDER THAT THESE ARE IMPRESSIONS OF A 12 YEAR OLD BOY
AFTER 60 YEARS.

THE POPULATION WAS DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS:
1. THE BESSERE MENSCHEN
2. ALL THE REST

ALL THE REST WERE ALSO KNOWN AS THE " SCHLEPPERS ".
A SCHLEPPER, A SCHLEPPERIN , A SCHLEPPL.

THE DIFFERENCE WAS FOREMOST MATERIAL.

IF YOU GOT INTO MONEY , YOU BECAME A BESSERE MENSCH.
OF COURSE YOU HAD TO ABANDON YIDDISH AND OLD HABITS.
INTERMARRIAGE WAS OUT OF THE QUESTION.
MANY STORIES OF INTERCAST ROMANCES WERE TOLD.
" ROMEO AND JULLIETE " CZERNOWITZ STYLE.

TWO FACTORS WORKED TO REPAIR THIS SOCIAL DIFFERENCE:
THE SOVIETS AND THE NAZIS .
IN 1940 THE FIRST THING THE SOVIETS DID , TO EMPLOY
STALINIST COMMUNISM , WAS TO DEPORT THE BURJUIS TO SIBERIA.

WHO WAS THE LOCAL BOURGEOISIE ? THE JEWISH BESSERE MENSCHEN !
THE SOVIETS REDUCED ALL THE POPULATION TO BE SCHLEPPERS.
EQUALITY AT ITS LOWEST LEVEL.
BUT THIS WAS ONLY IN APPEARANCE , THE DIFFERENCE SURVIVED
UNDER THE SURFACE.

THEN CAME THE NAZIS , AND THEY REALLY MADE NO DISCRIMINATION.
FOR THEM A JEW WAS A JEW WAS A JEW.
NO DIFFERENCE OF STATUS OR SOCIAL POSITION .

AFTER THE WAR ?

JEWS LEFT THE PLACE . DID ANY OF THE CLASS DIFFERENCES SURVIVE?
I HOPE NOT .

BUT I REMEMBER

HARDY

-------------------------------------------------
--- In czernowitz2006@yahoogroups.com, Yosef Eshet <wolesh18@...> wrote:

Some of the "Bessere Menschen" ("Burjuys", Intelligentsia, etc.) who
escaped the long hand of the eN.Ka.We.De. in 1940 were
(because of their status) saved from the fascist deportations in 1941
by "Popovici Authorisations", which were annulled in 1942 by the
governor Calutescu. The "Bessere Menschen" were then deported to the
harsh conditions of "Carera de Piatra" on the Bug, and transferred to
the Germans. Being "Feine, Bessere Menschen" few of them survived.
Memories of a six year old boy from 64 years ago.
Yosef Eshet (Jery Wolf)
=========================================================================
From: "HARDY BREIER" <HARDY3@...>
Date: Fri May 5, 2006 5:11 am
Subject: HAUSMEISTER
HARDY3@...

HAUSMEISTER.

ALL THE OLD APARTMENT HOUSES HAD FRONT GATES.
BIG WOODEN GATES .
THESE LED TO INNER COURTYARDS.
ALL KIND OF STAIRS LED TO THE UPPER STORES.
EACH WING HAD A SEPARATE STAIRCASE.
THE STAIRS HAD WOODEN HANDRAILS .
I USED TO SLIDE DOWN THESE RAILS AND COULD BE
DOWN FROM THE SECOND FLOOR IN 5 SECONDS FLAT.

I WAS CHAMPION RAIL SLIDER OF THE RUSSISCHEGASSE.

AT NINE IN THE EVENING THE GATE WAS LOCKED UNTIL
NEXT MORNING.

IF YOU CAME HOME LATE YOU WOULD PULL A HANDLE AND
ACTIVATE A BELL.

AFTER SOME TIME, THE HAUSMEISTER WOULD APPEAR
WITH AN ENORMOUS KEY. HE WOULD UNLOCK THE GATE.

FOR THIS SERVICE SOME GRATUITY WAS PAID.
MIDDLE AGES.

THE HAUSMEISTER WERE ALL RUTHENIANS, MALE OR
FEMALE AND PERFORMED ALL KIND OF ADDITIONAL JOBS
AS CLEANING, WASHING, WOOD SPLITTING AND MORE.

THEY LIVED FROM THE PREDOMINANT JEWISH TENANTS,
SPOKE GERMAN AND YIDDISH.

OUR HAUSMEISTER, MARIA, WAS SINGLE AND HAD MANY "FRIENDS".
IN 1941 WHEN THE RUMANIAN ARMY ENTERED THE TOWN SHE
IMMEDIATELY FRATERNIZED WITH THE RUMANIAN SOLDIERS.

THE FIRST THING SHE DID WAS POINTING AT THE WINDOWS OF
JEWISH APPARTMENTS. THE SOLDIERS THEN FIRED SHOTS AT
THESE WINDOWS, TO THE ACCLAIM OF STREET MOBS, WHO WERE
CLAPPING THEIR HANDS AT THE HEROIC ACTS OF THE SOLDIERS.

THIS HAPPENED IN THE SHORT INTERLUDE BETWEEN THE
BEGINNING OF THE WAR AND THE CREATION OF THE GHETTO.

WHEN THE JEWS WERE DEPORTED MANY HAUSMEISTERS MOVED INTO THEIR
APPARTMENTS.

OUR HOUSE WAS THE LAST ONE OUTSIDE THE GHETTO. OUR HOUSE WAS NO 46,
RUSSISCHEGASSE. HOUSE NO 48 WAS INSIDE THE GHETTO.

THE WOODEN WALL OF THE GHETTO WAS PUT UP NEXT TO OUR HOUSE.
THE WALL WAS BUILT IN A DAY OR TWO.

I NEVER SAW, UNTIL THEN, WORKERS SO KEEN ON THEIR JOB.

              HARDY
===================================================================