European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
-
Maybe we weren’t prepared for this,
Maybe we weren’t prepared for this,
Vielleicht waren wir darauf nicht vorbereitet -
but it was the reaction of a young girl who by then had already suffered from bombings,
but it was the reaction of a young girl who by then had already suffered from bombings,
Wir waren junge Mädchen, die unter Bombardierungen gelitten hatten, -
from seeing soldiers being captured.
from seeing soldiers being captured.
darunter, zu sehen, wie Soldaten gefangen genommen wurden. -
The older men, who had fought in the First World War, were talking about concentration camps.
The older men, who had fought in the First World War, were talking about concentration camps.
Die älteren Männer, die im Ersten Weltkrieg gekämpft hatten, meinten, dass sie in Konzentrationslager gebracht werden. -
My father used to tell us that we had to feed my brother otherwise these beasts would let him die of hunger.
My father used to tell us that we had to feed my brother otherwise these beasts would let him die of hunger.
Mein Vater sagte uns immer, dass wir meinen Bruder mit Essen versorgen müssen, weil man ihn sonst verhungern lässt. -
We had to help them.
We had to help them.
Ich fragte mich, was diese Bestien mit den Gefangenen tun würden. Man muss ihnen helfen. -
You suffer terribly from these things you’re facing.
You suffer terribly from these things you’re facing.
Man leidet schrecklich unter den Dingen, die man erfährt. -
In the end they are just like you.
In the end they are just like you.
Am Ende sind sie junge Menschen wie du. -
You don’t know what their future will be, you risk your own life to help them.
You don’t know what their future will be, you risk your own life to help them.
Du weißt nicht, was ihre Zukunft sein wird, du riskierst dein eigenes Leben, um ihnen zu helfen. -
We went on the street as we saw a soldier and we escorted him out of danger,
We went on the street as we saw a soldier and we escorted him out of danger,
Wir gingen auf die Straße, wenn wir einen Soldaten sahen und brachten ihn außer Gefahr, -
since there were road blocks everywhere.
since there were road blocks everywhere.
da überall Straßenblockaden waren. -
Our old men even carried them on the crossbar of their bicycles for a while,
Our old men even carried them on the crossbar of their bicycles for a while,
Sogar unsere alten Männer brachten sie auf ihren Fahrrädern mit, -
so that they could rest a little and stay out of trouble.
so that they could rest a little and stay out of trouble.
damit sie sich ausruhen konnten und nicht in Gefahr geraten. -
You realize immediately that it’s something terrible.
You realize immediately that it’s something terrible.
Du realisierst sofort, dass hier etwas schreckliches passiert. -
That the antifascists were right in what they were saying.
That the antifascists were right in what they were saying.
Dass die Antifaschisten Recht hatten, mit dem was sie sagten. -
Still, until then, we hadn’t been helping people for political reasons.
Still, until then, we hadn’t been helping people for political reasons.
Dennoch, bis dahin hatten wir Menschen nicht aus politischen Gründen geholfen, sondern aus Menschlichkeit. -
We were rather doing it for humanitarian principles: as a woman, you saved another woman’s son,
We were rather doing it for humanitarian principles: as a woman, you saved another woman’s son,
Als Frau rettest du den Sohn einer anderen Frau. -
that’s what got us to face danger, too.
that’s what got us to face danger, too.
Das war, was uns den Mut gegeben hat, uns der Gefahr gegenüberzustellen. -
From that moment, however, I realized that it had to be something conscious.
From that moment, however, I realized that it had to be something conscious.
Von diesem Moment an war mir klar, dass es eine bewusste Entscheidung sein muss. -
I never pulled myself out anymore in regards to all the things I was asked to do.
I never pulled myself out anymore in regards to all the things I was asked to do.
Seit dem, habe ich nie wieder gezögert, die Dinge zu tun, um die man mich bat.