European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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on the air field we blew up two out of three machines.
on the air field we blew up two out of three machines.
auf dem Flugplatz, haben wir von drei Maschinen zwei in die Luft gesprengt. -
It wasn’t me, that were the anti-fascists from Bayreuth, but I helped.
It wasn’t me, that were the anti-fascists from Bayreuth, but I helped.
Nicht ich, die Bayreuther Antifaschisten, aber ich habe mitgeholfen schon als Rekrut. -
The question was what you were able do as a soldier in an unfamiliar environment.
The question was what you were able do as a soldier in an unfamiliar environment.
Die Frage was kann man als Soldat tun, in einer fremden Umgebung. -
We always tried to build anti-fascist cells and if it was one man or two.
We always tried to build anti-fascist cells and if it was one man or two.
Wir haben immer versucht Antifa-Zellen zu bilden und wenn es ein Mann war oder zwei -
It was not easy to find out where somebody was, thinking the same as you.
It was not easy to find out where somebody was, thinking the same as you.
war es nicht leicht heraus zubekommen, wo ist jemand der genauso denkt wie du. -
You had to proceed carefully with questions.
You had to proceed carefully with questions.
Man musste ja bei solchen Fragen sehr vorsichtig vorgehen. -
Sometimes somebody told a joke and you could tell by the kind of reaction:
Sometimes somebody told a joke and you could tell by the kind of reaction:
Manchmal hat einer einen Witz erzählt und man hat an der Art der Reaktion gemerkt, -
is he an opponent of fascism or not.
is he an opponent of fascism or not.
ist er ein Gegner des Faschismus oder ist er jetzt empört, wenn ein Witz gegen die Nazis erzählt wird, also das waren oft Testfälle -
Wherever I went, within short time I always had an anti-fascist cell in my unit.
Wherever I went, within short time I always had an anti-fascist cell in my unit.
Wo ich auch war, ich habe immer und überall in absehbarer Zeit eine Zelle in der Einheit gehabt, in der ich als Soldat gewesen bin. -
It was a lot easier later, after I was badly wounded
It was a lot easier later, after I was badly wounded
Das ging nachher, nach der schweren Verwundung noch viel besser -
and we tried as a small group to do what we could.
and we tried as a small group to do what we could.
und wir haben dann versucht als kleine Gruppe das uns mögliche zu tun, -
Like throw a spanner in the works a little bit, being aware that alone one cannot achieve a lot.
Like throw a spanner in the works a little bit, being aware that alone one cannot achieve a lot.
also ein bisschen Sand ins Getriebe zu streuen. Wohlwissend das der einzelne nicht viel erreichen kann, -
But if something like that keeps happening frequently,
But if something like that keeps happening frequently,
aber wenn so etwas in Fülle passiert, -
it is not only a question of calming your conscience: I was against it; I have done something about it.
it is not only a question of calming your conscience: I was against it; I have done something about it.
das man sehr wohl nicht nur sein Gewissen beruhigen kann, ich war dagegen, ich habe etwas dagegen gemacht, -
On the other side you could show:
On the other side you could show:
sondern auch das man der anderen Seite zeigen konnte: -
“You cannot do what you want. We are here and we are keeping an eye on you!”
“You cannot do what you want. We are here and we are keeping an eye on you!”
"Ihr könnt nicht machen was ihr wollt. Wir sind da und wir passen auf!" -
Acts of sabotage
Acts of sabotage
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We worked in groups of three,
We worked in groups of three,
Nun war es so, dass wir in 3er-Gruppen arbeiteten, -
made agreements, always three.
made agreements, always three.
Absprachen trafen, immer einer von jeder 3er- Gruppe. -
We met somewhere, where we could not be overheard, to prepare missions.
We met somewhere, where we could not be overheard, to prepare missions.
Wir trafen uns irgendwo, wo man nicht belauscht werden konnte um Aktionen vorzubereiten.