European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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My family had been a miller family
My family had been a miller family
Meine Familie waren Müllersleute, -
for over 400 years.
for over 400 years.
seit über 400 Jahren waren sie Müller. -
In 1929 there was a terrible crisis and my father lost a great deal of money,
In 1929 there was a terrible crisis and my father lost a great deal of money,
1929 gab es eine schlimme Wirtschaftskrise und mein Vater hat sehr viel Geld verloren... -
mostly because he was a great friend of the parson.
mostly because he was a great friend of the parson.
Hauptsächlich, weil er mit dem Pfarrer befreundet war, -
He had 12 or 14 sharecroppers working for him, so he was really rich,
He had 12 or 14 sharecroppers working for him, so he was really rich,
der 12 oder 14 Halbpächter für sich arbeiten ließ, also sehr wohlhabend war, -
and they could not pay him any longer
and they could not pay him any longer
aber die Pächter konnten für das, was sie -
with the stuff they used to bring to the mill.
with the stuff they used to bring to the mill.
zur Mühle brachten und dann abholten, nicht mehr zahlen. -
“Keep calm, you'll see that one day god will ...”
“Keep calm, you'll see that one day god will ...”
"Hab Geduld, du wirst schon sehen, eines Tages so Gott..." -
So they kept taking credits, but the day came when my father lost a lot of money.
So they kept taking credits, but the day came when my father lost a lot of money.
Jedenfalls kam der Tag, an dem mein Vater viel, viel Geld verloren hatte. -
That was when we split up. Me and my brother Portos were both students,
That was when we split up. Me and my brother Portos were both students,
Danach teilten wir uns auf. Ich und mein Bruder, "Portos", waren Schüler, -
so we went to Montecchio,
so we went to Montecchio,
darum gingen wir nach Montecchio, -
at Montecchio we owned a nice little house.
at Montecchio we owned a nice little house.
in Montecchio hatten wir ein schönes Häuschen. -
It had already started ...
It had already started ...
Es hatte alles schon begonnen... -
I was friends with the family of Jones Bertolini
I was friends with the family of Jones Bertolini
Ich war oft bei der Familie von Iones Bertolini, -
who was a really passionate partisan, he got the silver medal,
who was a really passionate partisan, he got the silver medal,
er ist Partisan gewesen, Verdienstmedaille in Silber, -
that was when I became a communist. His mother was an anti-fascist,
that was when I became a communist. His mother was an anti-fascist,
sehr leidenschaftlich, dort bin ich Kommunist geworden, denn die Mutter war Antifaschistin, -
the father had to emigrate to France,
the father had to emigrate to France,
der Vater hatte nach Frankreich emigrieren müssen, -
they were really poor. I'd seen him only once
they were really poor. I'd seen him only once
sie waren sehr arm. Ich habe ihn nur einmal gesehen, -
when he came back to Montecchio to meet his parents.
when he came back to Montecchio to meet his parents.
als er nach Montecchio kam, um seine Familie zu besuchen. -
I remember I saw him killing a chicken with a sling
I remember I saw him killing a chicken with a sling
Da sah ich ihn mit einer Steinschleuder ein Huhn fangen