Seeoodler in Noot

vun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
(Sneemoond 1999) 

Winter 1928/1929! Weltwirtschuppskries'! De Minschen veelfach ohn' Arbeit, nix op'n Disch un nix to brennen för een warme Dööns. Iesige Küll hett jeedeen Stroom, Nebenflüß un Bracks to Ies mookt. De Est' wüür tofroorn vun de Quell an den Wilseder Barg bet to de Münn in Cranz. Jo, de Frost harr ok de Elv, den stulten Stroom, in sien Gewalt bröcht. Bloots mit Iesbrekers kunn de Schippfohrt vun Cuxhoben bet in den Hambörger Hoben oprecht hooln warrn.

Wi Kinner sünd mit unsen Schoolmester Kruse bet an de Fohrrünn vör Blanknees lopen. Dat Ies gnister un gnaster wenn de Iesbrekers dörchgüngen. In sekern Afstand stünn Herr Kruse mit uns Kinner un hett uns op dit Notuurschauspeel hinwiest. Liektiedig hett he uns verkloort, datt in disse swore Tiet Minschen un Deerten Hunger lieden mööt, in de Grootstadt Hamborg slimmer as bi uns op'n Lann'. Wi harrn Kotüffeln un anner Greuntüüch in'n Keller, un ok wörrn Huus för Huus een or twee Swien to Wintertiet slacht. Mit Füürung seeh dat ober ok bi uns leeg ut. Pappa hett een poor grote Kirschbäum utkregen un to Füürhult mookt, de he viellicht bi weniger Küll noch een poor Johr harr stohn loten. All' de Hüüs harrn an de Finsterruten Iesblomen bet bobenhin. Se smülten bloots in de Köök dool, wenn Mamma an 't Koken wüür. In de Dööns legen Handdeuker op de Finsterbank, de dat Smültwoter opsogen hebbt. Mit Gräsen sünd wi sobends in de Puuk gohn, de Mamma mit hete Klinker anwarmt harr. Uns Bettdeek wüür öber Nacht vun unsen Oten stieffroorn. Smoddens kunn wi gor nich gau noog in de Dööns koom, üm uns antotrecken. To Nacht harr Mamma Briketts in nattet Zeitungspopeer inwickelt; denn harr se den annern Morgen noch Gloot in den groten Kacheloben, de bet an de Deek güng.

Wi Freindohls-Kinner harrn dat good. Twee Hüüs vun de School af stünn uns Öllernhuus. Männig Kind harr ok dree un mihr Kilometer bi iesigen Oostenwind den Weg no School to moken.

Een goden Doogs wüür grote Opregung in de School. Op'n Schoolhoff wüür een Seeoodler nootlandt. Swach för Hunger un Küll kunn dat arme Deert sik kuum reugen. Uns Schoolmester wüür bannig opgeregt un wüß, datt dat Deert uns Hölp bruuk, üm warrer op de Been to komen. ,,Walter Kodera, du läufst sofort zu Schlachter Quast und holst zwei Pfund Gulasch. Er möchte es gleich in kleine Häppchen schneiden, damit der Adler es besser schlucken kann; denn das Tier ist durch Hunger und Kälte am Ende seiner Kräfte. Ich hoffe, wir bringen den jungen Seeadler durch, und können ihn bald in die Freiheit entlassen'' geev Schoolmester Kruse Order. No een gode Stünn keum Walter trüch mit dat Fleesch, un nu keum dat dor op an, ob de stootsche Vogel dat Freten annehm wörr. Herr Kruse harr sik dicke Larrerhandschen antrocken un versöcht den swacken Vogel to fodern, iers tögerlich, ober denn kreeg de Hunger bi unsen seltsomen Gast de Öberhand. Rünnerslungen hett de Seeoodler mit Gier wat he man kriegen kunn. Wi Göörn harrn Order uns musenstill to verhooln. Hebbt wi ok doon, dor kunnst een Kneupnodel to Bodden falln hüürn. So ut de Neegt harrn wi noch nie nich een Oodler sehn. Vun Oog to Oog harrn wi em vör uns. Hebb dat Bild hüüt noch vör mi as wenn dat güstern ween wüür. De Spannwiet vun sien Flünken, wenn he sik mol reugen dä, hett uns wiest, datt he, de Oodler, boben uns an 'n Heben de Keunig von all' de Vogels is. Een poor Doog is de Oodler bi uns in School bleben, un denn is he vun Ornithologen ut Buxtuh afhoolt woorn. He schall dank uns Hölp öberleevt hebben.

In dissen Winter 1928/1929, wo bet to 30 Minusgroden meten woorn sünd, sünd veel Deerten verhungert un verfroorn, ober ok Minschen sünd ümkomen dörch Ies, Snee un Küll.

Biologisch sehn wüür so een Winter vun Vördeel. Ungeziefer is verfroorn un de Notuur hett sik ohn' Chemie regenereert. Een Week lang so een Winter as 1928/1929 kunn wi bruken, un dat Untüüch in unsen Bodden wörr verfreern, ober dat warrt wi wull nich mihr beleben. Dörch dat Ozonlock un Klimaverännern mööt wi uns mit so'n Schietwarrer affinn' as wi dat nu hebbt. Mien Mann löppt jüst buten rüm ohn' Jack, ohn' Pullober, bloots een dünnet Hemd hett he an, un dat merden in'n Sneemoond 1999.

Sea Eagle in Trouble

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal 
(January 1999) 

Winter of 1928/1929! Global economic depression! Many people jobless, nothing on the table, and no fuel for a warm living room. Frigid weather had turned every river, tributary and waterhole into ice. The Este River was frozen over from its source at the Hill of Wilsede all the way down to its mouth at Cranz. Yes, frost had overpowered also the Elbe, the grand old river. Shipping from Cuxhaven to the Port of Hamburg could only be maintained with the help of icebreakers.

Accompanied by our schoolmaster Kruse we children went for a hiking tour all the way to the fairway offshore from Blankenese. The ice would give off grating and crushing sounds when the icebreakers would go through it. Standing there at a safe distance with us children, Mr. Kruse drew our attention to this drama of nature. He also explained that people and animals suffered a lot in these difficult times, more so in the metropolis Hamburg than in our rural area. We folks would have potatoes and other types of vegetables in our cellars, and a pig or two would be killed every winter in just about each household. But the fuel situation was pretty grim for us as well. Dad had taken out a few tall cherry trees and had turned them into firewood; they could have stood a few more years had it not been for the cold. Every house would have frost patterns on the windowpanes all the way to the top. They would only melt away in the kitchen while Mom was cooking. In the living room, towels would be lying on the windowsill to suck up the water. At night we would dread the thought of having to get into our beds which Mom would have pre-warmed with hot bricks. Our bedcovers would be frozen stiff from our breath overnight. In the morning we could not get fast enough into the warm living room to get dressed. The night before, Mom would wrap pressed coal in wet newsprint; so in the morning there would still be some live embers in the big tiled stove that reached all the way to the ceiling.

We Freudenthal kids were well off. Our school was only a couple of houses away from our home. Many a child had to walk two or more miles to school even when an icy easterly wind was blowing.

One fine day there was a lot of excitement at the school. A sea eagle had performed an emergency landing on our schoolyard. Weak with hunger and cold, the poor animal was hardly able to move. Our schoolmaster was pretty excited and knew full well that the animal needed our help to get back on its feet. " Schoolmaster Kruse demanded [in German], ,,Walter Kodera, you run over to Butcher Quast right away and get a couple of pounds of stewing beef. Have him cut it up into bite-sized chunks while he's at it, so the eagle will be better able to swallow it, because the animal is exhausted from starvation and cold. Let's hope we'll be able to get the young sea eagle through this and will soon be able to set it free." An hour or so later Walter returned with the meat, and the next question was if the majestic bird would accept the food. Mr. Kruse had put on thick leather gloves and tried to feed the weakened bird, haltingly at first, but then our strange guest's craving took over. Greedily the sea eagle gulped down whatever it could get. We kids had been ordered to be very quiet. And so we were; you could have heard a pin drop. We had never before seen an eagle this close up. There it was right in front of our eyes. I still have this image in my head as if it had been yesterday. When it did move, its wingspan let us know that it, the eagle up there in the sky, is the king of all birds. The eagle stayed with us for a few days, and then it got taken away by ornithologists from Buxtehude. It is supposed to have survived with our help.

Many animals starved and froze to death in the winter of 1928/1929, and also some people perished on account of ice, snow and cold.

Looking at it from a biological point of view, a winter like that is advantageous. Vermin froze to death, and nature got regenerated in the natural way. We could use a winter like the one in 1928/1929 to kill off all pests in the ground, but we will probably not experience that. Because of the hole in the ozone layer and the changes in climate we have to put up with this awful kind of weather we are having now. Just now my husband is walking around outside wearing no jacket, no sweater, just a thin shirt, and that in the middle of January 1999.

Seiaadler in Noot

fun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
(Sneimaand 1999) 

Winter 1928/1929 [negentainhunnerd achtuntwintig/negenuntwintig]! Weltwirtschupskriis'! De minschen feelfach aan arbaid, niks op d'n disch un niks tou brennen foer ein warme deunss. Isige kuel het jeid ein stroom, nevenfluess un braks tou iis maakd. De Est woyr tou-froren fun de kwel an d'n Wilseder Barg bet tou de muen in Kranss. Jaa, de frost har ouk de Elv, d'n stulten stroom, in siin gewalt broecht. Bloots mit iisbrekers kun de schipfaart fun Kukshaven bet in d'n Hamboerger Haven oprecht holden warren.

Wii kinder suend mit unsen schoulmeister Kruse bet an de faarruen foer Blanknees' loupen. Dat iis gnister un gnaster wen de iisbrekers doerch-guengen. In sekeren afstand stuend Herr Kruse mit uns kinder un het uns op dit natuurschauspeel hin-wiisd. Liiktiidig het hei uns ferklaard dat in disse sware tiid minschen un deirten hunger liden meutt, in de grootstad Hamborg slimmer as bii uns op d'n landen. Wii harren katueffeln un anner groyntuyg in d'n keller un ouk woerren huus foer huus ein or twei swiin tou wintertiid slachd. Mit fuyrung seeg' dat aver ouk bii uns leig uut. Pappa het 'n paar grote kirschboym uut-kregen un tou fuyrhult maakd dei hei fillicht bii weniger kuel noch 'n paar jaar har staan laten. Al de huys' harren an de finsterruten iisbloumen bet baven hin. Sei smuelten bloots in de keuk daal wen Mamma an't kaken woyr. In de deunss legen handdoyker op de finsterbank dei dat smuelt-water op-sagen hevt. Mit gresen suend wii 'savends in de puuk gaan dei Mamma mit heite klinker an-warmd har. Uns beddeek woyr euver nacht fun unsen aten stiiv froren. 'Smoddens kunnen wii gaar nich gau noug in de deunss kamen uem uns an tou trekken. Tou nacht har Mamma brikets in nattet tsaitungspapeir in-wikkeld; den har sei d'n anneren morgen noch glout in d'n groten kachel-aven dei bet an de deek gueng.

Wii Fraindaals-Kinder harren dat goud. Twei huys' fun de schoul af stuend uns Oellernhuus. Mennig kind har ouk drei un meir kilometer bii isigen oostenwind d'n weg naa schoul tou maken.

Ein gouden daags woyr grote opregung in de schoul. Op d'n schoulhov woyr 'n seiaadler nootlandt. Swach foer hunger un kuel kun dat arme deirt sik kuum roygen. Uns schoulmeister woyr bannig opgeregd un wuess dat dat deirt uns hoelp bruuk uem warrer op de beinen tou kamen. ,,Walter Kodera, du läufst sofort zu Schlachter Quast und holst zwei Pfund Gulasch. Er möchte es gleich in kleine Häppchen schneiden, damit der Adler es besser schlucken kann; denn das Tier ist durch Hunger und Kälte am Ende seiner Kräfte. Ich hoffe, wir bringen den jungen Seeadler durch, und können ihn bald in die Freiheit entlassen,'' geev Schoulmeister Kruse order. Naa 'n goude stuend koym Walter trueg mit dat fleisch, un nuu koym dat daar op an of de staatsche fagel dat freten an-nemen woer. Herr Kruse har sik dikke larrerhandschen an-trokken un fersoechd d'n swakken fagel tou foudern, eirsd teugerlich, aver den kreeg de hunger bi unsen seltsamen gast de euverhand. Ruenner-slungen het de seiaadler mit giir wat hei man krigen kun. Wii geuren harren order uns musen-stil tou ferholden. Hevt wii ouk daan; daar kunst 'n knoypnadel tou bodden fallen hoyren. Soo uut de neegd harren wii noch nii nich 'n aadler seien. Fun oug' tou oug' harren wii em foer uns. Hev dat bild huyt noch foer mii as wen dat guestern ween woyr. De spanwiid fun siin fluenken, wen hei sik maal roygen dee, het uns wiisd dat hei, de aadler, baven uns an d'n heven de koynig fon al de fagels is. 'n Paar daag' is de aadler bii uns in schoul bleven, un den is hei fun ornitologen uut Bukstuud' af-haald wouren. Hei schal dank uns hoelp euverleevd hebben.

In dissen Winter 1928/1929, waar bet tou 30 [dertig] minusgraden meten wouren suend, suend feel deirten ferhungerd un ferfroren, aver ouk minschen suend uem-kamen doerch iis, snei un kuel.

Biologisch seien woyr soo 'n winter fun foerdeil. Ungetsifer is ferfroren, un de natuur het sik aan schemii regenereird. Ein week lang soo 'n winter as 1928/1929 kunnen wii bruken, un dat untuyg in unsen bodden woyr ferfreiren, aver dat wardt wii wul nich meir beleven. Doerch dat otsoonlok un klimaferennern meutt wii uns mit soo 'n schiitwarrer af-finnen as wii dat nuu hevt. Miin man loept juest buten ruem aan jak, aan pullover; bloots 'n duennet hemd het hei an, un dat merden in d'n Sneimaand 1999.

Sea Eagle in Trouble

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal 
(January 1999) 

Winter of 1928/1929! Global economic depression! Many people jobless, nothing on the table, and no fuel for a warm living room. Frigid weather had turned every river, tributary and waterhole into ice. The Este River was frozen over from its source at the Hill of Wilsede all the way down to its mouth at Cranz. Yes, frost had overpowered also the Elbe, the grand old river. Shipping from Cuxhaven to the Port of Hamburg could only be maintained with the help of icebreakers.

Accompanied by our schoolmaster Kruse we children went for a hiking tour all the way to the fairway offshore from Blankenese. The ice would give off grating and crushing sounds when the icebreakers would go through it. Standing there at a safe distance with us children, Mr. Kruse drew our attention to this drama of nature. He also explained that people and animals suffered a lot in these difficult times, more so in the metropolis Hamburg than in our rural area. We folks would have potatoes and other types of vegetables in our cellars, and a pig or two would be killed every winter in just about each household. But the fuel situation was pretty grim for us as well. Dad had taken out a few tall cherry trees and had turned them into firewood; they could have stood a few more years had it not been for the cold. Every house would have frost patterns on the windowpanes all the way to the top. They would only melt away in the kitchen while Mom was cooking. In the living room, towels would be lying on the windowsill to suck up the water. At night we would dread the thought of having to get into our beds which Mom would have pre-warmed with hot bricks. Our bedcovers would be frozen stiff from our breath overnight. In the morning we could not get fast enough into the warm living room to get dressed. The night before, Mom would wrap pressed coal in wet newsprint; so in the morning there would still be some live embers in the big tiled stove that reached all the way to the ceiling.

We Freudenthal kids were well off. Our school was only a couple of houses away from our home. Many a child had to walk two or more miles to school even when an icy easterly wind was blowing.

One fine day there was a lot of excitement at the school. A sea eagle had performed an emergency landing on our schoolyard. Weak with hunger and cold, the poor animal was hardly able to move. Our schoolmaster was pretty excited and knew full well that the animal needed our help to get back on its feet. " Schoolmaster Kruse demanded [in German], ,,Walter Kodera, you run over to Butcher Quast right away and get a couple of pounds of stewing beef. Have him cut it up into bite-sized chunks while he's at it, so the eagle will be better able to swallow it, because the animal is exhausted from starvation and cold. Let's hope we'll be able to get the young sea eagle through this and will soon be able to set it free." An hour or so later Walter returned with the meat, and the next question was if the majestic bird would accept the food. Mr. Kruse had put on thick leather gloves and tried to feed the weakened bird, haltingly at first, but then our strange guest's craving took over. Greedily the sea eagle gulped down whatever it could get. We kids had been ordered to be very quiet. And so we were; you could have heard a pin drop. We had never before seen an eagle this close up. There it was right in front of our eyes. I still have this image in my head as if it had been yesterday. When it did move, its wingspan let us know that it, the eagle up there in the sky, is the king of all birds. The eagle stayed with us for a few days, and then it got taken away by ornithologists from Buxtehude. It is supposed to have survived with our help.

Many animals starved and froze to death in the winter of 1928/1929, and also some people perished on account of ice, snow and cold.

Looking at it from a biological point of view, a winter like that is advantageous. Vermin froze to death, and nature got regenerated in the natural way. We could use a winter like the one in 1928/1929 to kill off all pests in the ground, but we will probably not experience that. Because of the hole in the ozone layer and the changes in climate we have to put up with this awful kind of weather we are having now. Just now my husband is walking around outside wearing no jacket, no sweater, just a thin shirt, and that in the middle of January 1999.