Wiehnachten 1947

vun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
(Christmoond 1999)

Is uns Herold-Center warrer smuck utstaffeert to Wiehnachten! De velen Lichten, de Ruuch vun Dannengreun liggt in de Luft, un de Minschen ielt mit vulle Taschen an uns vörbi. Keen Tiet, keen Tiet, üm all' dat Scheune in sik optonehm. Wat een Öberfloot! De velen Talliglichten in männig Klüür mit Ingels und Stierns sünd veel to schood rünnertobrennen. Dor lees ik ,,Sonderpreis: Eine Kiste Clementinen-Apfelsinen'' un wat nich allns anpriest warrt för wenig Geld. Ob ik will or nich, bums bün ik in mien Dinken bi Wiehnachten 1947. Harr wull dat Glitzern un de Glimmer ut de Psyche vertüüch hoolt.

Liggt nu good föfftig Johr trüch. In Cranz, bi Otto Bröhan op den Diek blang de School harrn wi no de Flucht een Ünnerkoom funn'n. Dat Johr 1947 wüür no den Krieg een gans leget Johr. In'n Krieg un kott no den Krieg harrn wi mihr to eten un mihr Hult un Kohlen as 1947. De Rotschoonen, de op Lebensmittelkorten stünn'n wörrn ümmer minner. Wat hebbt wi allns op de Been stellt, üm een eenigermoten kommodiget Christfest to hebben! Minschen op'n Lann' harrn dat jo noch veel beter as de Stadtminschen. Mien Mann un ik hebbt uns männig Nacht üm de Uhrn sloon mit Bookführn för de Buurn un Kooplüüd. De Buurn hebbt uns mit Melk, Wust, Bodder, Eier un Smult betohlt. Bi de Kooplüüd geev dat Zucker, Mehl, un ok mol een Pund Margarine för uns Arbeit. To Wiehnachten kregen wi sogor foken mol een Eunt or gor een Goos tosteken. Uns Kohlenhöker, Adolf Bartels -- bün em hüüt noch dankbor -- harr mi een Sack Briketts und Anthrazit ohn' Marken to Wiehnachten vör de Döör stellt. Een warme Dööns un een Wiehnachtsbroden wüürn uns seker.

Wat harrn wi ober för uns beiden lütten Jungs? Diether mit sien söben Johr harr gans lütte, beschedene Wünsch, ober sübst de wüürn kuum ümtosetten. Speeltüüch för de Kinner, dat wüürn Wunschdräum. Ober dor wüür jo noch Theo Hintze, een Dischlermester in Leeswig, för den wi ok de Beuker in de Reeh hooln hebbt. Morgigen Doogs wull ik fuurts hin no Theo un em frogen, ob he för uns Jungs wull een Sleden boon kunn. Na dat wüür doch wat, wenn 't klappen schull. Denn harrn wi wat för beide Jungs. Snee leeg al noog to'n Rüschen. Den Diek hindool, öber de Stroot un denn ropp op de tofroorn Grobens, dat wüür dat gröttste Vergneugen för de Kinner in de dormolige Tiet. De Lüttst, uns Heiner, wull so giern een Teddybärn hebben as Berni Harms een harr. Allns scheun un good, ober woans wüür an so een Teddy rantokoom? Bleev mi nix anners öber, as Berni sien Vadder to frogen, ob he för Zigarettenkorten op den ,,swatten Markt'' wull so een Teddy organiseern kunn. Wi wüssen alltohoop, dat Bernhard Harms sik in Altno op den ,,swatten Markt'' good utkinn un nich slecht dorvun leev.

Güng mi veel dörch den Kopp so kott vör de Festdoog, un de Doog bet Wiehnachten hin leupen ümmer gauer. Nu ropp in de ierste Etoosch un bi Fomilje Harms bimmeln. Vadder Harms open mi de Döör:

,,Guten Morgen, Herr Harms. Ich komme mit einer vielleicht unmöglichen Bitte zu ihnen, aber unser Heiner wünscht sich zu Weihnachten so sehr einen Teddybären wie Ihr Bernd einen hat. Wäre es ihnen vielleicht möglich, einen solchen oder einen ähnlichen zu beschaffen?''

Vadder Harms dreih sik so'n beten smerig hin un her un froog ok fuurts:

,,Was hätten Sie mir dafür zu bieten? Mit Geld ist heute nichts mehr zu beschaffen, wie Sie ja wohl selber wissen.''

,,Viel kann ich ihnen nicht bieten außer Zigarettenkarten.''

Mi bubber mien Hatt! Wenn he man toseggen wörr, so'n Kinnerhatt wüür in de dormolige, swore Tiet mit Kleenigkeiten selig to moken.

,,Ich will mich bemühen, schon weil Berni und Heiner so gut miteinander auskommen.''

Kott un good, dat mit den Teddy hett klappt. Ok bi Theo Hintze kreeg ik een wunnerscheunen Sleden för unsen Diether. Nu kunn dat Wiehnachten warrn. Ober noch wat stünn in'n Room. Keen schull den Wiehnachtsmann speeln? Fro Wotzny, scheut mi dat dörch mien Kopp, jo, de wörr dat seker giern moken. Wi hebbt uns besnackt un allns güng sien wohnten Weg.

De Hilligobend wüür dor. De Dannenboom mit een poor Lichten -- ok Lichten wüürn knapp -- stünn al putzt in de Dööns. Fro Wotzny harr den farig packten Sack mit Appeln, Nööt, brune Koken, Plätten un lütte Poketen mit Kneestrümp, de ik ut Zuckersäck knütt harr, ut de Waschköök hoolt un klopp an de Döör.

,,Herein'' sä mien Mann, un mien beiden Jungs grepen no mien Hand.

,,Dat is man bloots de Wiehnachtsmann'', beswicht ik jüm.

Un Wiehnachtsmann Wotzny wüür ok al dorbi to frogen.

,,Na, seid ihr beiden auch immer artig gewesen? Kann denn einer auch ein Gedicht aufsagen?''

,,Ja, beide haben ein Gedicht für dich gelernt, lieber Weihnachtsmann'', hebb ik antert.

Gans fien hebbt uns Jungs jümehrn Riemel opseggt, un to'n Dank schütt de Wiehnachtsmann den Sack ut op een Deek, de ik proot leggt harr.

,,Das war aber sehr schön! Hier brauche ich die Rute gar nicht hervorzuholen, aber ich habe noch etwas für Euch, weil ihr so liebe Kinder seid!'', verkünn de Wiehnachtsmann, un nu iers keum he mit den Sleden vertüch, de noch achter de Döör stohn harr. Un keen seet wull op den Sleden? Unsen Heiner sien Teddybär! Un de wüür noch een lütt beten grötter as Berni Harms sien. Ok Diether wüür bannig stult, dat he nu een egen Sleden harr un nich ümmer snurrn müß bi de annern Kinner, wenn he mol den Diek rünner rüschen wull.

De strohln' Ogen vun mien beiden Jungs an dat bescheden Christfest 1947 seeh ik hüüt noch för mi. Kommodig hebbt wi uns an den Disch sett un uns mit uns Kinner freit. (An disse Steed nochmols Dank an Dischermester Theo Hintze, de uns, as wi nix harrn, mit richtige Steuhl un Dischen utrüst hett.) Nodem ik de Wiehnachtsgeschicht leest harr, güng dat in uns Kellerköök, woneem de Greunkohl al op uns teuv, de suutje op den Kohlenhierd op sachtet Brikettfüür vör sik hin prüttelt harr. Hett uns dat smeckt an'n Hilligobend 1947!

Miteens stött mien Heinz mi gans sachten an:

,,Ich habe dich etwas gefragt. Warum antwortest du nicht? Wollen wir uns Zitrusfrüchte mitnehmen? Sie sind wirklich preiswert.''

"Entschuldige bitte, aber ich war ganz kurz in der Vergangenheit, sicher ausgelöst durch diesen Überfluß hier. Und mir wurde soeben bewußt, daß wir trotz aller Armut 1947 viel reicher und zufriedener waren als wir es heute sind.''

Christmas 1947

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal 
(December 1999)

How beautifully our Herold-Center has been decorated for Christmas again! The many lights, the smell of pine needles fill the air, and people carrying full bags rush by us. No time, no time to take in all the beauty. What affluence! It is a shame that the multitude of wax candles in many colors with angels and stars on them get burnt down. I read, "Special Price: 1 Box Clementine Oranges" and whatever else is being offered for little money. I can't help my mind going back to Christmas 1947. Probably all the glitter and glimmer has brought it up from my subconscious mind.

It goes back more than fifty years. After our escape [from the East] we had found accommodation in Cranz, in Otto Bröhan's place on the dike next to the school. 1947, soon after the war, had been a terribly bad year. During the war and right after the war we had had more food and more wood and coals than in 1947. The rations printed on the grocery coupons kept getting smaller. Having a halfway comfortable Christmas took a lot of doing. People in the country had it easier than people in the cities. My husband and I had pulled quite a few all-nighters doing the books for farmers and merchants. The farmers would pay us with milk, sausage, butter, eggs and lard. The merchants would compensate for our work with sugar, flour and once in a while with a pound of margarine. On Christmas they would oftentimes even slip us a duck or a goose. Our coal merchant, Adolf Bartels -- I'm still grateful to him to this very day -- had put in front of my door for Christmas a bag of pressed and hard coal without ration coupons. We were now assured a warm living room and a Christmas roast.

But what did we have to give our two little boys? Being seven years old, Diether had very small and modest wishes, but even they could hardly be made reality. Toys for the children were just dreams. But there was Theo Hintze, a carpenter in Leeswig, for whom we had kept the books too. I decided to go and see Theo the very next day and to ask him if he would be able to build a toboggan for our boys. Well, it would be quite something if it worked out. Then we would have something for both of the boys. There was already enough snow for tobogganing. Down the dike, across the road and then up onto the frozen ditches ... That was the children's idea of fun in those days. The youngest, our Heiner, was crazy about getting a teddy bear like the one Berni Harms had. Well, fine, but how would we be able to get our hands on such a teddy? We had no choice but to ask Berni's father if he could come up with such a teddy on the black market in exchange for some cigarette ration coupons. Every one of us knew that Bernhard Harms knew his way around the black market in Altona and the living he made with it wasn't bad.

I had a lot on my mind so close to the holidays, and the days leading up to Christmas passed by faster and faster. Well, then, up to the second floor and ringing the Harms' doorbell. Father Harms opened the door for me,

"Hello, Mr. Harms. I'm coming to you with a perhaps impossible request, but our Heiner is very much hoping to get a teddy bear for Christmas, one of those your Bernd has. Would it be possible for you to supply one of them or a similar one?"

Father Harms squirmed in a somewhat greasy way, and right away he asked,

"What do you have that you can offer me in return? Money won't do a lot these days, as you are surely aware."

"I don't have a lot to offer except cigarette coupons."

My heart was beating really hard! If only he'd agree! It hardly took anything to make children ecstatic in those hard times.

"I'll do my best, if for no other reason that Berni and Heiner get along so well."

The long and short of it is that this thing with the teddy bear did work out. Also, I got a fabulous toboggan for our Diether from Theo Hintze. Christmas could arrive now. But there was one more thing. Who was going to play Santa Claus? 'Mrs. Wotzny!' it flashed through my mind. Sure! She'd probably be happy to do it. We conferred, and everything went as planned.

Christmas Eve had arrived. The Christmas tree with a few lights on it -- candles, too, were scarce -- stood in the living room all decorated. Mrs. Wotzny had picked up from the laundry room the bag that had been filled with apples, nuts, gingerbread, cookies and small packages containing knee socks that I had knitted with the yarn from sugar bags, and she knocked on the door.

"Come in!" my husband said, and my two boys grabbed my hand.

"It's only Santa Claus," I appeased them.

And Santa Wotzny was already asking,

"Well then, have you two been good all the time? Can one of you say a poem?"

"Yes, both of them have memorized a poem for you, dear Santa Claus," I answered.

Our boys did a good job saying their poems, and as a token of gratitude Santa Claus emptied out the bag on a sheet I had put down.

"That sure was very nice! In this place I don't even need to take out my switch, but I have something for you because you are such good children!" Santa Claus announced, and it was only now that the toboggan appeared, having stood behind the door. And who do you think was sitting on the toboggan? Our Heiner's teddy bear! And he was even a little bit bigger than Berni Harms'. Diether, too, was very proud that now he had his own toboggan and no longer needed to beg from other children whenever he too wanted to luge down the dike.

In my mind I can still see my two boys' bright eyes on that modest Christmas 1947. We sat down in a cozy circle around the table and shared our children's joy. (At this point once again my thanks to Carpenter Master Theo Hintze who had supplied us with real chairs and tables when we had nothing.) After I had read the Christmas Story we went into the basement kitchen where the kale was already waiting for us, simmering slowly over a pressed-coal fire in the coal-fueled stove. How much we enjoyed our meal that Christmas Eve 1947!

Suddenly my Heinz nudged me very gently,

"I asked you something. Why aren't you answering? Shall we get some citrus fruit? They are really reasonably priced."

"I'm sorry, but I took a short trip into the past, probably because of all the abundance here. And I just realized that, despite all the poverty, in 1947 we enjoyed a lot more wealth and contentment than we do these days."

Winachten 1947

fun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
(Kristmaand 1999)

Is uns Herold-Center warrer smuk uut-staffeerd tou Winachten! De felen lichten, de ruuch fun dannen-groyn ligt in de luft, un de minschen iilt mit fulle taschen an uns foer bii. Kein tiid, kein tiid uem al dat schoyne in sik op tou nemen. Wat 'n euver-flout! De felen tallig-lichten in mennig kloyr mit ingels und steirns suend feel tou schaad' ruenner tou brennen. Daar lees' ik ,,Sonderpreis: Eine Kiste Clementinen-Apfelsinen'' un wat nich allens an-priisd wardt foer wenig geld. Of ik wil or nich, bums buen ik in miin dinken bii winachten 1947 [negen hunnerd seuven un feirtig]. Har wul dat glitsern un de glimmer uut de psuyche fertuyg haald.

Ligt nuu goud foeftig jaa trueg. In Cranz, bii Otto Bröhan op d'n diik blangen de schoul harren wii naa de flucht 'n uenner-kamen funnen. Dat jaar 1947 woyr naa d'n kriig 'n ganss leget jaar. In d'n kriig un kott naa d'n kriig harren wii meir tou eten un meir hult un kolen as 1947. De raatschonen, dei op levensmiddel-kaarten stuennen woerren uemmer minner. Wat hevt wii allens op de beinen steld uem 'n einiger-maten kommodiget Kristfest tou hebben! Minschen op d'n lannen harren dat jaa noch feel beter as de stad-minschen. Miin man un ik hevt uns mennig Nacht uem de ouren slaan mit bouk-foyren foer de buren un koup-luyd'. De buren hevt uns mit melk, wust, bodder, aier un smult betaald. Bii de koup-luyd' geev' dat tsukker, meel un ouk maal 'n pund margarine foer uns arbaid. Tou Winachten kregen wii so gaar faken maal 'n oynt or gaar 'n gous tou-steken. Uns kolen-hoyker, Adolf Bartels -- buen em huyt noch dankbaar -- har mii 'n sak brikets und antratsiit aan marken tou Winachten foer de deur steld. 'n Warme deuns un 'n Winachts-braden woyrn uns seker.

Wat harren wii aver foer uns baiden luetten jungs? Diether mit siin seuven jaar har ganss luette, bescheiene wuensch, aver suebst dei woyren kuum uem tou setten. Speel-tuyg foer de kinder, dat woyren wunschdroym. Aver daar woyr jaa noch Theo Hintze, 'n dischler-meister in Leeswig, foer den wii ouk de boyker in de reig' holden hevt. Morgigen daags wul ik fourts hin naa Theo un em fragen, of hei foer uns jungs wul 'n sleden bouen kun. Na, dat woyr doch wat, wen 't klappen schul. Den harren wii wat foer baide jungs. Snei leig' al noug tou d'n rueschen. D'n diik hin daal, euver de straat un den rop op de tou-froren gravens ... Dat woyr dat groetste fergnoygen foer de kinder in de daarmalige tiid. De luetst, uns Heiner, wul soo geirn 'n teddy-beren hebben as Berni Harms ein har. Allens schoyn un goud, aver wo-ans woyr an soo 'n teddy ran tou kamen? Bleiv' mii niks anners euver as Berni siin fadder tou fragen of hei foer tsigaretten-kaarten op d'n swatten markt wul soo 'n teddy organiseren kun. Wii wuessen al tou houp dat Bernhard Harms sik in Altnaa op d'n swatten markt goud uut-kin un nich slecht daar fun leev'.

Gueng mii feel doerch d'n kop soo kott foer de festdaag', un de daag' bet Winachten hin loypen uemmer gauer. Nuu rop in de eirste etaasch un bii Familje Harms bimmeln. Fadder Harms apen mii de deur:

,,Guten Morgen, Herr Harms. Ich komme mit einer vielleicht unmöglichen Bitte zu ihnen, aber unser Heiner wünscht sich zu Weihnachten so sehr einen Teddybären wie Ihr Bernd einen hat. Wäre es ihnen vielleicht möglich, einen solchen oder einen ähnlichen zu beschaffen?''

Vadder Harms drai sik soo 'n beten smerig hin un her un fraag' ouk fourts:

,,Was hätten Sie mir dafür zu bieten? Mit Geld ist heute nichts mehr zu beschaffen, wie Sie ja wohl selber wissen.''

,,Viel kann ich ihnen nicht bieten außer Zigarettenkarten.''

Mii bubber miin hat! Wen hei man tou-seggen woyrd'! Soo 'n kinder-hat woyr in de daarmalige, sware tiid mit kleinigkaiten selig tou maken.

,,Ich will mich bemühen, schon weil Berni und Heiner so gut miteinander auskommen.''

Kot un goud, dat mit d'n teddy het klapd. Ouk bii Theo Hintze kreeg' ik 'n wunner-schoynen sleden foer unsen Diether. Nuu kun dat Winachten warren. Aver noch wat stuend in d'n roum. Kein schul d'n Winachts-man spelen? ,Frou Wotzny!', schoyt mii dat doerch miin kop. Jaa, dei woyrd' dat seker geirn maken. Wii hevt uns besnakd, un allens gueng siin waanden weg.

De Hillig Avend woyr daar. De dannen-boum mit 'n paar lichten -- ouk lichten woyren knap -- stuend al putsd in de deunss. Frou Wotzny har d'n farrig pakden sak mit appeln, neut, brune kaken, pletten un luette paketen mit knei-struemp, dei ik uut tsukker-sek knuett har, uut de waschkeuk haald un klop an de deur.

,,Herein'' se miin man, un miin baiden jungs grepen naa miin hand.

,,Dat is man bloots de Winachts-man'', beswicht ik juem.

Un Winachts-man Wotzny woyr ouk al daar bii tou fragen.

,,Na, seid ihr beiden auch immer artig gewesen? Kann denn einer auch ein Gedicht aufsagen?''

,,Ja, beide haben ein Gedicht für dich gelernt, lieber Weihnachtsmann'', hev ik anterd.

Ganss fiin hevt uns jungs juem eren rimel op-segd, un tou d'n dank schuett de Winachts-man d'n sak uut op 'n deek dei ik praat legd har.

,,Das war aber sehr schön! Hier brauche ich die Rute gar nicht hervorzuholen, aber ich habe noch etwas für Euch, weil ihr so liebe Kinder seid!'', ferkuend de Winachts-man, un nuu eirst koym hei mit d'n sleden fertuyg, dei noch achter de deur staan har. Un kein seet wul op d'n sleden? Unsen Heiner siin teddy-beer! Un dei woyr noch 'n luet beten groetter as Berni Harms siin. Ouk Diether woyr bannig stult, dat hei nuu 'n eigenen sleden har un nich uemmer snurren muess bii de anneren kinder wen hei maal d'n diik ruenner rueschen wul.

De stralenen ougen fun miin baiden jungs an dat bescheiden Kristfest 1947 seeg' ik huyt noch foer mii. Kommodig hevt wii uns an d'n disch sett un uns mit uns kinder fraid. (An disse steed' nochmaals dank an Discher-meister Theo Hintze, dei uns, as wii niks harren, mit richtige stoyl un dischen uut-ruestt het.) Naa dem ik de Winachts-geschicht leesd har, gueng dat in uns keller-keuk, waar-neem de groynkool al op uns toyv, dei suutje op d'n kolen-heird op sachtet briket-fuyr foer sik hin pruetteld har. Het uns dat smekd an d'n Hillig Avend 1947!

Mit eins steut miin Heinz mii ganss sachten an:

,,Ich habe dich etwas gefragt. Warum antwortest du nicht? Wollen wir uns Zitrusfrüchte mitnehmen? Sie sind wirklich preiswert.''

"Entschuldige bitte, aber ich war ganz kurz in der Vergangenheit, sicher ausgelöst durch diesen Überfluss hier. Und mir wurde soeben bewusst, dass wir trotz aller Armut 1947 viel reicher und zufriedener waren als wir es heute sind.''

Christmas 1947

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal 
(December 1999)

How beautifully our Herold-Center has been decorated for Christmas again! The many lights, the smell of pine needles fill the air, and people carrying full bags rush by us. No time, no time to take in all the beauty. What affluence! It is a shame that the multitude of wax candles in many colors with angels and stars on them get burnt down. I read, "Special Price: 1 Box Clementine Oranges" and whatever else is being offered for little money. I can't help my mind going back to Christmas 1947. Probably all the glitter and glimmer has brought it up from my subconscious mind.

It goes back more than fifty years. After our escape [from the East] we had found accommodation in Cranz, in Otto Bröhan's place on the dike next to the school. 1947, soon after the war, had been a terribly bad year. During the war and right after the war we had had more food and more wood and coals than in 1947. The rations printed on the grocery coupons kept getting smaller. Having a halfway comfortable Christmas took a lot of doing. People in the country had it easier than people in the cities. My husband and I had pulled quite a few all-nighters doing the books for farmers and merchants. The farmers would pay us with milk, sausage, butter, eggs and lard. The merchants would compensate for our work with sugar, flour and once in a while with a pound of margarine. On Christmas they would oftentimes even slip us a duck or a goose. Our coal merchant, Adolf Bartels -- I'm still grateful to him to this very day -- had put in front of my door for Christmas a bag of pressed and hard coal without ration coupons. We were now assured a warm living room and a Christmas roast.

But what did we have to give our two little boys? Being seven years old, Diether had very small and modest wishes, but even they could hardly be made reality. Toys for the children were just dreams. But there was Theo Hintze, a carpenter in Leeswig, for whom we had kept the books too. I decided to go and see Theo the very next day and to ask him if he would be able to build a toboggan for our boys. Well, it would be quite something if it worked out. Then we would have something for both of the boys. There was already enough snow for tobogganing. Down the dike, across the road and then up onto the frozen ditches ... That was the children's idea of fun in those days. The youngest, our Heiner, was crazy about getting a teddy bear like the one Berni Harms had. Well, fine, but how would we be able to get our hands on such a teddy? We had no choice but to ask Berni's father if he could come up with such a teddy on the black market in exchange for some cigarette ration coupons. Every one of us knew that Bernhard Harms knew his way around the black market in Altona and the living he made with it wasn't bad.

I had a lot on my mind so close to the holidays, and the days leading up to Christmas passed by faster and faster. Well, then, up to the second floor and ringing the Harms' doorbell. Father Harms opened the door for me,

"Hello, Mr. Harms. I'm coming to you with a perhaps impossible request, but our Heiner is very much hoping to get a teddy bear for Christmas, one of those your Bernd has. Would it be possible for you to supply one of them or a similar one?"

Father Harms squirmed in a somewhat greasy way, and right away he asked,

"What do you have that you can offer me in return? Money won't do a lot these days, as you are surely aware."

"I don't have a lot to offer except cigarette coupons."

My heart was beating really hard! If only he'd agree! It hardly took anything to make children ecstatic in those hard times.

"I'll do my best, if for no other reason that Berni and Heiner get along so well."

The long and short of it is that this thing with the teddy bear did work out. Also, I got a fabulous toboggan for our Diether from Theo Hintze. Christmas could arrive now. But there was one more thing. Who was going to play Santa Claus? 'Mrs. Wotzny!' it flashed through my mind. Sure! She'd probably be happy to do it. We conferred, and everything went as planned.

Christmas Eve had arrived. The Christmas tree with a few lights on it -- candles, too, were scarce -- stood in the living room all decorated. Mrs. Wotzny had picked up from the laundry room the bag that had been filled with apples, nuts, gingerbread, cookies and small packages containing knee socks that I had knitted with the yarn from sugar bags, and she knocked on the door.

"Come in!" my husband said, and my two boys grabbed my hand.

"It's only Santa Claus," I appeased them.

And Santa Wotzny was already asking,

"Well then, have you two been good all the time? Can one of you say a poem?"

"Yes, both of them have memorized a poem for you, dear Santa Claus," I answered.

Our boys did a good job saying their poems, and as a token of gratitude Santa Claus emptied out the bag on a sheet I had put down.

"That sure was very nice! In this place I don't even need to take out my switch, but I have something for you because you are such good children!" Santa Claus announced, and it was only now that the toboggan appeared, having stood behind the door. And who do you think was sitting on the toboggan? Our Heiner's teddy bear! And he was even a little bit bigger than Berni Harms'. Diether, too, was very proud that now he had his own toboggan and no longer needed to beg from other children whenever he too wanted to luge down the dike.

In my mind I can still see my two boys' bright eyes on that modest Christmas 1947. We sat down in a cozy circle around the table and shared our children's joy. (At this point once again my thanks to Carpenter Master Theo Hintze who had supplied us with real chairs and tables when we had nothing.) After I had read the Christmas Story we went into the basement kitchen where the kale was already waiting for us, simmering slowly over a pressed-coal fire in the coal-fueled stove. How much we enjoyed our meal that Christmas Eve 1947!

Suddenly my Heinz nudged me very gently,

"I asked you something. Why aren't you answering? Shall we get some citrus fruit? They are really reasonably priced."

"I'm sorry, but I took a short trip into the past, probably because of all the abundance here. And I just realized that, despite all the poverty, in 1947 we enjoyed a lot more wealth and contentment than we do these days."