Arier-nawiis

fun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal 
(Uut dat bouk Ollanner Vertelln, ss. 34-36)

Kriig! 1940 [negen-tain hunnerd feirtig]! Wat is modden? Soo dachen feel minschen an dat wat uns leven bats ferennern kun. Miin breugam woyr bii de Marine in Kiel. Uem miin toukumft tou sekern mein hei wii schullen man hairaden. Miin oellern harren ouk niks in tou wenden. Barg papiren woyren noydig. Dei harren wii gau op d'n dut. Aver nau soo gau kreeg' miin breugam d'n ganssen kraam tourueg mit de oplaag' dat ik miin'n Arier-nawiis feir generaatschonen tourueg bii-bringen muss wiil miin famiiljen-naam Freudenthal woyr. Tjer, wat wii altouhoup nich wuessen, Freudenthal is 'n Juden-naam. Miin ferloovden woyr beroups-suldaat un muess de Arische rass rain-holden. Bii unsen gemein-foersteier un unsen paastouren hev ik allens in 'n kotte tiid tousamen-haald.

Eigentlich schul uns hochtiid nuu niks meir in d'n weg staan. Hest dii dacht! 'n Ehetauglichkeits-tuygniss muess ik bii-bringen. Sei wullen weten of ik ouk fruchtbaar woyr. De frounsluyd' muessen bii Hitler kinder krigen. Miin mudder har acht sunde kinder boren un groot-trokken. Woruem schul ik kein kinder krigen? Wiil miin ferlovten in Kiel staatschoneird woyr, muess ik mii daar uennersoyken laten. Dat datum harren sei em ouk gliiks op-geven. Soo moyk ik mii tidig opd 'n weg naa Kiel. Fun d'n baanhov muess ik mit de straten-baan naa de Wiik foyren, wouneem dat Marine-latsarett woyr. Miin breugam toyv al op mii un broech mii gliiks hin.

O, Got! Wat hev ik beverd! Daar stuen ik nuu, juest twintig jaar old, foer soo 'n groten Marine-oftsiir.
,,Stabsarzt Sowieso'' -- d'n naam hev ik fergeten -- stel hei sik foer.
,,Freudenthal'', anter ik fruendlich.
,,Freudenthal? Interessant! Ist der arische Nachweis erbracht? Ihr Name klingt nicht gerade arisch, und Ihr Aussehen verstärkt meine Zweifel'', see hei kold un fun baven raf tou mii. 
,,Besagter Nachweis ist lückenlos erbracht bis ins vierte Glied, wie es von mir gefordert wurde. Wenn Sie bezüglich meines Aussehens auf mein dunkles Haar hinweisen, möchte ich nur sagen selbiges von meiner Frau Mutter ererbt zu haben. Sie ist eine geborene Fuhlendorf. Dieser Name kommt häufig im Holsteinischen vor. Mein Vater hingegen, der mir den Namen Freudenthal gab, ist hellblond, hat blaue Augen und trägt einen rötlichen Bart. Diese äußeren Kennzeichen meines Herrn Vater sind doch wohl rein germanisch'', geev ik kot-boessig tourueg. Wou kun ik bloos? Aver bammel un leiv' hevt mii disse woyrd' wul op de tung legd.

Nuu koym dat wat Mudder mii ferklamuysterd har. Nadem ik mii warrer an-trokken har, mein de Herr Oberstabsarzt: ,,Sie bekommen einen schriftlichen Bescheid. Aber ich sage Ihnen heute schon, dass Sie keine Hoffnung auf eine positive Nachricht zu hegen brauchen.''

Bums woyr ik buten un seeg' wul teemlich bedroeft uut. Miin breugam woyr ouk duechtig bestoett as ik em ferteld hev wat de dokter tou mii segd har. Euver siin kumpanii-schef weur em mit-deild dat hei mii nich heiraden droef wiil ik ,,eheuntauglich'' woyr.

Nuu woyr Holland in nood! Mudder wuess mii aver tou troysten un schik mii gliiks d'n annern dag naa unsen dokter Alfred Behrens in Koynig-Riik. Daar kunst wenigstens mit snakken. Hei fertel mii dat 'n luetten ingrif maak warren muess un dat ik den 'n gansse scheuv kinder krigen kun. Foer de Marine in Kiel kreeg ik ouk fourts dat noydige schriven mit.

Nuu schul jaa wul allens in de reig' ween. Nei. Woyr nich soo. Naa 'n kotte tiid kreeg ik warrer bescheid dat ik mii in Kiel uenner-soyken laten muess. De dokter woyr de suelvige gresige keirl, uem em ruem aver noch fiiv junge Fähnriche.

,,So, meine Herren, dieses Fräulein Freudenthal - der Name sagt Ihnen sicher alles -hat meinen Eheuntauglichkeitsbefund verworfen, und versucht nun mit einem fingierten Attest die Ehe mit einem Arier zu erschleichen'', see de Herr Stabsarzt tou de jungen sneusels dei daar ruem-stuenden. Euver dat uenner-soyken muech ik leiver swigen. Mit de woyrd' ,,Ich will Sie hier nicht wiedersehen, denn von meiner Diagnose weiche ich nicht ab'', schoyv hei mii uut de deur.

Gliiks den annern dag hev ik unsen Dokter Behrend allens ferteld un ouk duechtig daar bii weind. 
,,Ach Mädchen, nun weine nicht mehr, ich bin überzeugt, daß einer Schwangerschaft nichts im Wege steht. Du wirst Kinder haben! Was kann ich Dir nur raten? Werde schwanger! Dieses ist die einzige Möglichkeit, den Herrn in Kiel zu überzeugen'', moyk miin dokter mii moud. 
,,Aber Herr Doktor, diese Schande kann ich doch meinen Eltern nicht antun! Als Schwangere darf ich in der Kirche keinen geschlossenen Myrtenkranz tragen'', hev ik anterd. 
,, Dir bleibt gar keine andere Wahl. In der heutigen Zeit ist eine Schwangerschaft ehrenvoll! Bedenke, was man Dir für Hürden aufgebaut hat'', fersoech hei mii tou euvertuygen.

Mudder woyr dat aver gaar nich soo recht naa de muets.

Naa twei maanden kun miin breugam dat fun drei dokters uennerschreven attest, dat ik in uem-stenden woyr, in Kiel foer-leggen. Endlich kregen wii nuu uut Kiel groynes licht tou uns hairaad.

Tou huus' harren wii dat nuu heel hild, den dat schul trots kriig 'n schoyne hochtiid warren. Wiil miin tou-kuemftig man tou sei foyr muess hei d'n soum fun miin bruut-kleid fun hand uem-naien. De aver-glouven besegt dat farens-luyd' den kein maloyr hevt un uemmer heil in d'n haven landen dout.

De 31. [ein-un-dertigsde] Mai 1940 woyr uns hochtiids-dag. Nuu weur dat soo bii luetten ouk hoog tiid. Bii suennen-schiin het Hans Ohlhaver uns mit siin smukke kutsch un siin strigeld peird naa uns olde, smukke Estbruegger Kark foyrd, wouneem ik al doevt un ouk kumfermeerd wodden woyr.

Fiiv maand later is uns Diether bii oploupen water boren wodden. De jung woyr sund, woyg 8½ [achtenhalv] pund un har miin gnetern-swatten haar. Tante Fey, uns mudder griipsch, har 's moddens bii klok fiiv ruem tou mii segd: ,,Gliiks loept dat water af. Wen dat luet minsch bet klok suess nich daar is muess duu dii noch suess stuenden plagen bet de flout in-sett. Bii eb wardt storven; bii flout wardt boren. Ik gaa den bet klok twoelv naa huus'.''Sei wuess bescheid. Soo is dat den ouk kamen as sei segd het. Uns jung koym twintig minuten naa twoelv tou welt.

Al dat op-regen un boyse har ik fergeten as ik miin luetten Diether in miin arm har un an de bost leggen kun. Ein brouder un ein suester het hei ouk noch kregen.

Naadrach

Aan dissen tousat woyr miin luet fertellen nich ful-stendig. Naa-forschd bet tou beginn fun dat 16. [soesstainde] jaarhunnerd hev ik bet ik wuess wouneem miin uur-anen her-koymen. De Juud' John Freundahl is vun Leipzig as koupman naa Hamborg kamen un daar bakken bleven. Nuu stait 't fast: 'n paar druppen Juden-bloud loupt doerch miin, miin kinder un miin grootkinder juem er adern.

Wat mii duechtig duurt is dat miin stamboum in Swinemünde, Pommern, bleben is. De kriig har uns leig mit-speeld. Arm un doch unbeschriivlig riik stuend ik mit miin famiilje d'n 13. [dertainden] Oktober 1945 [negentain hunnerd fiiv un feirtig] bii Fadder un Mudder mit 'n ruksak op miin pukkel foer de huusdeur. Uns riikdoum 1945? Wii harren oellern dei uns 'n dak euver d'n kop geven hevt, sunde handen tou d'n arbaiden un 'n klaren kop dei uns wiis wouneem wii an tou pakken harren.

Proof of Aryan Descent

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal 
(From the book Ollanner Vertelln, pp. 34-36) 

War! 1940! What's going to happen tomorrow? This is how many people thought about those things that could change our lives in a flash. My fiancé was in the navy in Kiel. In order to secure my future he suggested we'd better get married. My parents had no objections either. A bunch of papers was needed. We had soon gathered them. But just as soon everything was returned to my fiancé with the notification that I must provide proof of Aryan descent four generations back because my last name was Freudenthal. Well, what none of us had known was that Freudenthal was a Jewish name. My fiancé was a lifer in the military and was supposed to keep the Aryan race pure. In no time I managed to get everything together from our municipal manager and our pastor.

Theoretically, nothing else should have stood in the way of our wedding. Yeah, sure! I was to provide certification that I was fit to get married. They wanted to know if I was fertile. Under Hitler, women were supposed to bear children. My mother had and raised eight healthy children. Why should I not be able to have children? Because my fiancé was stationed in Kiel, I was to be examined there. They gave me an appointment time via him. So I started early on my trip to Kiel. I had to take the streetcar from the station to the Bay at which the navy hospital was located. My fiancé was already waiting for me and right away took me there.

Oh, Lord! How I was shaking! There I was standing, just twenty years old, in front of one of those big-time navy officers.
"Staff Physician So-and-So" -- I've forgotten his name -- he introduced himself.
"Freudenthal," I answered cheerfully.
"Freudenthal? Interesting! Has proof of Aryan descent been submitted? Your name doesn't exactly sound Aryan, and your looks only strengthen my doubts," he said to me coldly and down his nose [in German].
"Complete proof of this nature has been submitted four generations back, as I had been ordered to do. If, regarding my looks, you should be alluding to my dark hair, I would only like to say that I have inherited it from my mother. Her maidenname is Fuhlendorf. This name occurs frequently in the area of Holstein. My father, on the other hand, the one who gave me the name Freudenthal, is light blond, has blue eyes and a reddish beard. I assume that these physical characteristics of my father's are purely Germanic," I snapped back [in German]. How could I? But fear and love must have put these words on my tongue.

What then followed was what my mother had explained to me. After I had put my clothes back on, the staff physician remarked [in German], "You'll be notified in writing. But I'm telling you already today that you needn't hold out any hope for positive news."

Suddenly I found myself outside, and I must have looked pretty upset. My fiancé, too, was very much aghast when I told him that the doctor had said to me. Through his chief of staff he was notified that he was not allowed to marry me because I was "unfit for marriage."

Now we were in a real pickle! But Mom knew how to comfort me and the very next day sent me to see our doctor Alfred Behrens in Königreich. At least he was someone you could actually talk with. He told me that a minor procedure was needed and that after that I'd be able to have a whole bunch of children. Also, he gave me the necessary correspondence for the navy in Kiel.

Now everything seemed in order. No. It wasn't. Not long after, I received yet another notification saying that I should get examined in Kiel. The doctor was the same awful guy, this time surrounded by five young officer candidates.

"Well, gentlemen, this Miss Freudenthal -- you'll agree that the name speaks for itself -- has rejected my findings that she is unfit for marriage, and she is now trying to use some sham verification in an attempt to finagle her way into marrying an Aryan," the staff physician addressed [in German] those young puppies standing around him. I'd better not mention what the examination was like. With the [German] words "I don't want to see you back here, for I won't deviate from my diagnosis," he pushed me out the door.

The very next day I told our Dr. Behrend the whole story in tears.
"Oh, child! Stop crying. I'm convinced that nothing stands in the way of pregnancy. You will have children! What advice can I give you? Get pregnant! It's the only way to convince the gentleman in Kiel," my doctor encouraged me [in German].
"But, Doctor, I can't bring this kind of shame onto my parents! If I got pregnant I wouldn't be able to wear a closed myrtle wreath in church," I answered [in German].
"You have no choice. Pregnancy is an honorable thing these days. Consider the obstacles they've put in your way," he tried to convince me [in German]. 

But Mom did not exactly embrace the idea.

Two months later my fiancé was able to present in Kiel verification of my pregnancy, signed by three doctors. At long last we got from Kiel the green light for us to get married.

Then we got very busy at home because it was supposed to be a beautiful wedding, despite the war. Because my future husband was a sailor he had to hem the seam of my dress by hand. According to superstition, this is the way for seamen to avoid disaster, for them to make sure that they safely reach port.

Our wedding day was on May 31, 1940. By then it was high time, too. On a sunny day, Hans Ohlhaver took us in his handsome coach with his horses all rubbed down and combed to the pretty church in Estbrügge where I had been baptized and confirmed.

Five months later our Diether was born during the incoming tide. The boy was healthy, weighed 8½ pounds and had my jet-black hair. Auntie Fey, our midwife, had said to me at around five o'clock in the morning, "The water will be ebbing soon. If the little one hasn't arrived by six o'clock, you'll have to suffer for another six hours, until the beginning of the high tide. Low tide is death tide; high tide is birth tide. I'll go home and will be back at twelve." She was in the know. It all happened just as she had said. Our son was born twenty minutes after twelve.

I had forgotten all the excitement and negativity once I was holding my little Diether in my arm and was able to nurse him. He ended up getting a brother and a sister.

Postscript

My little story would be incomplete without this postscript. I did some research all the way back to the beginning of the 16th century, until I knew from where my ancestors had come. The Jew John Freundahl had gone from Leipzig to Hamburg and ended up settling there. Now it's for sure: a few drops of Jewish blood run through my veins and through those of my children and grandchildren.

What I regret a lot is that my genealogical table remained in Swinemünde [Swinoujscie], Pommerania [Pomorze]. The war had played the devil with us. On October 13, 1945, poor and yet incredibly rich, with a pack on my back, I stood in front of my father and mother's door with my family by my side. Our wealth in 1945? We had parents who provided us with a roof over our heads, had hands able to work and a clear head that told us what needed to be done.

Arier-nawiis

fun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal 
(Uut dat bouk Ollanner Vertelln, ss. 34-36)

Kriig! 1940 [negen-tain hunnerd feirtig]! Wat is modden? Soo dachen feel minschen an dat wat uns leven bats ferennern kun. Miin breugam woyr bii de Marine in Kiel. Uem miin toukumft tou sekern mein hei wii schullen man hairaden. Miin oellern harren ouk niks in tou wenden. Barg papiren woyren noydig. Dei harren wii gau op d'n dut. Aver nau soo gau kreeg' miin breugam d'n ganssen kraam tourueg mit de oplaag' dat ik miin'n Arier-nawiis feir generaatschonen tourueg bii-bringen muss wiil miin famiiljen-naam Freudenthal woyr. Tjer, wat wii altouhoup nich wuessen, Freudenthal is 'n Juden-naam. Miin ferloovden woyr beroups-suldaat un muess de Arische rass rain-holden. Bii unsen gemein-foersteier un unsen paastouren hev ik allens in 'n kotte tiid tousamen-haald.

Eigentlich schul uns hochtiid nuu niks meir in d'n weg staan. Hest dii dacht! 'n Ehetauglichkeits-tuygniss muess ik bii-bringen. Sei wullen weten of ik ouk fruchtbaar woyr. De frounsluyd' muessen bii Hitler kinder krigen. Miin mudder har acht sunde kinder boren un groot-trokken. Woruem schul ik kein kinder krigen? Wiil miin ferlovten in Kiel staatschoneird woyr, muess ik mii daar uennersoyken laten. Dat datum harren sei em ouk gliiks op-geven. Soo moyk ik mii tidig opd 'n weg naa Kiel. Fun d'n baanhov muess ik mit de straten-baan naa de Wiik foyren, wouneem dat Marine-latsarett woyr. Miin breugam toyv al op mii un broech mii gliiks hin.

O, Got! Wat hev ik beverd! Daar stuen ik nuu, juest twintig jaar old, foer soo 'n groten Marine-oftsiir.
,,Stabsarzt Sowieso'' -- d'n naam hev ik fergeten -- stel hei sik foer.
,,Freudenthal'', anter ik fruendlich.
,,Freudenthal? Interessant! Ist der arische Nachweis erbracht? Ihr Name klingt nicht gerade arisch, und Ihr Aussehen verstärkt meine Zweifel'', see hei kold un fun baven raf tou mii. 
,,Besagter Nachweis ist lückenlos erbracht bis ins vierte Glied, wie es von mir gefordert wurde. Wenn Sie bezüglich meines Aussehens auf mein dunkles Haar hinweisen, möchte ich nur sagen selbiges von meiner Frau Mutter ererbt zu haben. Sie ist eine geborene Fuhlendorf. Dieser Name kommt häufig im Holsteinischen vor. Mein Vater hingegen, der mir den Namen Freudenthal gab, ist hellblond, hat blaue Augen und trägt einen rötlichen Bart. Diese äußeren Kennzeichen meines Herrn Vater sind doch wohl rein germanisch'', geev ik kot-boessig tourueg. Wou kun ik bloos? Aver bammel un leiv' hevt mii disse woyrd' wul op de tung legd.

Nuu koym dat wat Mudder mii ferklamuysterd har. Nadem ik mii warrer an-trokken har, mein de Herr Oberstabsarzt: ,,Sie bekommen einen schriftlichen Bescheid. Aber ich sage Ihnen heute schon, dass Sie keine Hoffnung auf eine positive Nachricht zu hegen brauchen.''

Bums woyr ik buten un seeg' wul teemlich bedroeft uut. Miin breugam woyr ouk duechtig bestoett as ik em ferteld hev wat de dokter tou mii segd har. Euver siin kumpanii-schef weur em mit-deild dat hei mii nich heiraden droef wiil ik ,,eheuntauglich'' woyr.

Nuu woyr Holland in nood! Mudder wuess mii aver tou troysten un schik mii gliiks d'n annern dag naa unsen dokter Alfred Behrens in Koynig-Riik. Daar kunst wenigstens mit snakken. Hei fertel mii dat 'n luetten ingrif maak warren muess un dat ik den 'n gansse scheuv kinder krigen kun. Foer de Marine in Kiel kreeg ik ouk fourts dat noydige schriven mit.

Nuu schul jaa wul allens in de reig' ween. Nei. Woyr nich soo. Naa 'n kotte tiid kreeg ik warrer bescheid dat ik mii in Kiel uenner-soyken laten muess. De dokter woyr de suelvige gresige keirl, uem em ruem aver noch fiiv junge Fähnriche.

,,So, meine Herren, dieses Fräulein Freudenthal - der Name sagt Ihnen sicher alles -hat meinen Eheuntauglichkeitsbefund verworfen, und versucht nun mit einem fingierten Attest die Ehe mit einem Arier zu erschleichen'', see de Herr Stabsarzt tou de jungen sneusels dei daar ruem-stuenden. Euver dat uenner-soyken muech ik leiver swigen. Mit de woyrd' ,,Ich will Sie hier nicht wiedersehen, denn von meiner Diagnose weiche ich nicht ab'', schoyv hei mii uut de deur.

Gliiks den annern dag hev ik unsen Dokter Behrend allens ferteld un ouk duechtig daar bii weind. 
,,Ach Mädchen, nun weine nicht mehr, ich bin überzeugt, daß einer Schwangerschaft nichts im Wege steht. Du wirst Kinder haben! Was kann ich Dir nur raten? Werde schwanger! Dieses ist die einzige Möglichkeit, den Herrn in Kiel zu überzeugen'', moyk miin dokter mii moud. 
,,Aber Herr Doktor, diese Schande kann ich doch meinen Eltern nicht antun! Als Schwangere darf ich in der Kirche keinen geschlossenen Myrtenkranz tragen'', hev ik anterd. 
,, Dir bleibt gar keine andere Wahl. In der heutigen Zeit ist eine Schwangerschaft ehrenvoll! Bedenke, was man Dir für Hürden aufgebaut hat'', fersoech hei mii tou euvertuygen.

Mudder woyr dat aver gaar nich soo recht naa de muets.

Naa twei maanden kun miin breugam dat fun drei dokters uennerschreven attest, dat ik in uem-stenden woyr, in Kiel foer-leggen. Endlich kregen wii nuu uut Kiel groynes licht tou uns hairaad.

Tou huus' harren wii dat nuu heel hild, den dat schul trots kriig 'n schoyne hochtiid warren. Wiil miin tou-kuemftig man tou sei foyr muess hei d'n soum fun miin bruut-kleid fun hand uem-naien. De aver-glouven besegt dat farens-luyd' den kein maloyr hevt un uemmer heil in d'n haven landen dout.

De 31. [ein-un-dertigsde] Mai 1940 woyr uns hochtiids-dag. Nuu weur dat soo bii luetten ouk hoog tiid. Bii suennen-schiin het Hans Ohlhaver uns mit siin smukke kutsch un siin strigeld peird naa uns olde, smukke Estbruegger Kark foyrd, wouneem ik al doevt un ouk kumfermeerd wodden woyr.

Fiiv maand later is uns Diether bii oploupen water boren wodden. De jung woyr sund, woyg 8½ [achtenhalv] pund un har miin gnetern-swatten haar. Tante Fey, uns mudder griipsch, har 's moddens bii klok fiiv ruem tou mii segd: ,,Gliiks loept dat water af. Wen dat luet minsch bet klok suess nich daar is muess duu dii noch suess stuenden plagen bet de flout in-sett. Bii eb wardt storven; bii flout wardt boren. Ik gaa den bet klok twoelv naa huus'.''Sei wuess bescheid. Soo is dat den ouk kamen as sei segd het. Uns jung koym twintig minuten naa twoelv tou welt.

Al dat op-regen un boyse har ik fergeten as ik miin luetten Diether in miin arm har un an de bost leggen kun. Ein brouder un ein suester het hei ouk noch kregen.

Naadrach

Aan dissen tousat woyr miin luet fertellen nich ful-stendig. Naa-forschd bet tou beginn fun dat 16. [soesstainde] jaarhunnerd hev ik bet ik wuess wouneem miin uur-anen her-koymen. De Juud' John Freundahl is vun Leipzig as koupman naa Hamborg kamen un daar bakken bleven. Nuu stait 't fast: 'n paar druppen Juden-bloud loupt doerch miin, miin kinder un miin grootkinder juem er adern.

Wat mii duechtig duurt is dat miin stamboum in Swinemünde, Pommern, bleben is. De kriig har uns leig mit-speeld. Arm un doch unbeschriivlig riik stuend ik mit miin famiilje d'n 13. [dertainden] Oktober 1945 [negentain hunnerd fiiv un feirtig] bii Fadder un Mudder mit 'n ruksak op miin pukkel foer de huusdeur. Uns riikdoum 1945? Wii harren oellern dei uns 'n dak euver d'n kop geven hevt, sunde handen tou d'n arbaiden un 'n klaren kop dei uns wiis wouneem wii an tou pakken harren.

Proof of Aryan Descent

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal 
(From the book Ollanner Vertelln, pp. 34-36) 

War! 1940! What's going to happen tomorrow? This is how many people thought about those things that could change our lives in a flash. My fiancé was in the navy in Kiel. In order to secure my future he suggested we'd better get married. My parents had no objections either. A bunch of papers was needed. We had soon gathered them. But just as soon everything was returned to my fiancé with the notification that I must provide proof of Aryan descent four generations back because my last name was Freudenthal. Well, what none of us had known was that Freudenthal was a Jewish name. My fiancé was a lifer in the military and was supposed to keep the Aryan race pure. In no time I managed to get everything together from our municipal manager and our pastor.

Theoretically, nothing else should have stood in the way of our wedding. Yeah, sure! I was to provide certification that I was fit to get married. They wanted to know if I was fertile. Under Hitler, women were supposed to bear children. My mother had and raised eight healthy children. Why should I not be able to have children? Because my fiancé was stationed in Kiel, I was to be examined there. They gave me an appointment time via him. So I started early on my trip to Kiel. I had to take the streetcar from the station to the Bay at which the navy hospital was located. My fiancé was already waiting for me and right away took me there.

Oh, Lord! How I was shaking! There I was standing, just twenty years old, in front of one of those big-time navy officers.
"Staff Physician So-and-So" -- I've forgotten his name -- he introduced himself.
"Freudenthal," I answered cheerfully.
"Freudenthal? Interesting! Has proof of Aryan descent been submitted? Your name doesn't exactly sound Aryan, and your looks only strengthen my doubts," he said to me coldly and down his nose [in German].
"Complete proof of this nature has been submitted four generations back, as I had been ordered to do. If, regarding my looks, you should be alluding to my dark hair, I would only like to say that I have inherited it from my mother. Her maidenname is Fuhlendorf. This name occurs frequently in the area of Holstein. My father, on the other hand, the one who gave me the name Freudenthal, is light blond, has blue eyes and a reddish beard. I assume that these physical characteristics of my father's are purely Germanic," I snapped back [in German]. How could I? But fear and love must have put these words on my tongue.

What then followed was what my mother had explained to me. After I had put my clothes back on, the staff physician remarked [in German], "You'll be notified in writing. But I'm telling you already today that you needn't hold out any hope for positive news."

Suddenly I found myself outside, and I must have looked pretty upset. My fiancé, too, was very much aghast when I told him that the doctor had said to me. Through his chief of staff he was notified that he was not allowed to marry me because I was "unfit for marriage."

Now we were in a real pickle! But Mom knew how to comfort me and the very next day sent me to see our doctor Alfred Behrens in Königreich. At least he was someone you could actually talk with. He told me that a minor procedure was needed and that after that I'd be able to have a whole bunch of children. Also, he gave me the necessary correspondence for the navy in Kiel.

Now everything seemed in order. No. It wasn't. Not long after, I received yet another notification saying that I should get examined in Kiel. The doctor was the same awful guy, this time surrounded by five young officer candidates.

"Well, gentlemen, this Miss Freudenthal -- you'll agree that the name speaks for itself -- has rejected my findings that she is unfit for marriage, and she is now trying to use some sham verification in an attempt to finagle her way into marrying an Aryan," the staff physician addressed [in German] those young puppies standing around him. I'd better not mention what the examination was like. With the [German] words "I don't want to see you back here, for I won't deviate from my diagnosis," he pushed me out the door.

The very next day I told our Dr. Behrend the whole story in tears.
"Oh, child! Stop crying. I'm convinced that nothing stands in the way of pregnancy. You will have children! What advice can I give you? Get pregnant! It's the only way to convince the gentleman in Kiel," my doctor encouraged me [in German].
"But, Doctor, I can't bring this kind of shame onto my parents! If I got pregnant I wouldn't be able to wear a closed myrtle wreath in church," I answered [in German].
"You have no choice. Pregnancy is an honorable thing these days. Consider the obstacles they've put in your way," he tried to convince me [in German]. 

But Mom did not exactly embrace the idea.

Two months later my fiancé was able to present in Kiel verification of my pregnancy, signed by three doctors. At long last we got from Kiel the green light for us to get married.

Then we got very busy at home because it was supposed to be a beautiful wedding, despite the war. Because my future husband was a sailor he had to hem the seam of my dress by hand. According to superstition, this is the way for seamen to avoid disaster, for them to make sure that they safely reach port.

Our wedding day was on May 31, 1940. By then it was high time, too. On a sunny day, Hans Ohlhaver took us in his handsome coach with his horses all rubbed down and combed to the pretty church in Estbrügge where I had been baptized and confirmed.

Five months later our Diether was born during the incoming tide. The boy was healthy, weighed 8½ pounds and had my jet-black hair. Auntie Fey, our midwife, had said to me at around five o'clock in the morning, "The water will be ebbing soon. If the little one hasn't arrived by six o'clock, you'll have to suffer for another six hours, until the beginning of the high tide. Low tide is death tide; high tide is birth tide. I'll go home and will be back at twelve." She was in the know. It all happened just as she had said. Our son was born twenty minutes after twelve.

I had forgotten all the excitement and negativity once I was holding my little Diether in my arm and was able to nurse him. He ended up getting a brother and a sister.

Postscript

My little story would be incomplete without this postscript. I did some research all the way back to the beginning of the 16th century, until I knew from where my ancestors had come. The Jew John Freundahl had gone from Leipzig to Hamburg and ended up settling there. Now it's for sure: a few drops of Jewish blood run through my veins and through those of my children and grandchildren.

What I regret a lot is that my genealogical table remained in Swinemünde [Swinoujscie], Pommerania [Pomorze]. The war had played the devil with us. On October 13, 1945, poor and yet incredibly rich, with a pack on my back, I stood in front of my father and mother's door with my family by my side. Our wealth in 1945? We had parents who provided us with a roof over our heads, had hands able to work and a clear head that told us what needed to be done.