European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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The school was not far away from our parents’ flat.
The school was not far away from our parents’ flat.
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Role model functions developed later with progressing age.
Role model functions developed later with progressing age.
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But there was no role model between the teachers I had.
But there was no role model between the teachers I had.
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Partly, they were teachers who had been demobbed by the imperial army
Partly, they were teachers who had been demobbed by the imperial army
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and who were put into teaching profession; like the sports teacher
and who were put into teaching profession; like the sports teacher
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or the teacher of religious education who had no educational skills.
or the teacher of religious education who had no educational skills.
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And characteristic for this time was that we had a teacher who was a real bully.
And characteristic for this time was that we had a teacher who was a real bully.
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When the lesson was about to start, first two or three pupils were given a good thrashing, with the cane.
When the lesson was about to start, first two or three pupils were given a good thrashing, with the cane.
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Maybe another thing: I was malnourished and was given 'Quaker feeding'.
Maybe another thing: I was malnourished and was given 'Quaker feeding'.
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That was from the United States, from the Quaker association
That was from the United States, from the Quaker association
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and there I got half a litre of milk soup and a bread roll.
and there I got half a litre of milk soup and a bread roll.
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You have to see that this was 1920/21, where a lot of problems occurred in this post-war period.
You have to see that this was 1920/21, where a lot of problems occurred in this post-war period.
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Post war period – deserting the army
Post war period – deserting the army
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They wanted to keep me in the army when the war ended.
They wanted to keep me in the army when the war ended.
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I had some sort of Partisan rank,
I had some sort of Partisan rank,
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something like second lieutenant, but I had no intention of building a military career.
something like second lieutenant, but I had no intention of building a military career.
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I deserted the army in September 1945.
I deserted the army in September 1945.
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I wanted to study and I believed that I fought for that too, for my own personal freedom, for the right to decide for myself what I would do.
I wanted to study and I believed that I fought for that too, for my own personal freedom, for the right to decide for myself what I would do.
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I didn’t want anybody else deciding for me.
I didn’t want anybody else deciding for me.
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I wanted to study Slovene; as I had never attended Slovene schools, my knowledge of the language was deficient, and I was a poet.
I wanted to study Slovene; as I had never attended Slovene schools, my knowledge of the language was deficient, and I was a poet.