European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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and there the Monte Rosa division is waiting for you”.
and there the Monte Rosa division is waiting for you”.
und da wartet die (Gebirgsjägerdivision) Monte Rosa auf euch”, -
We could only imagine what the Monte Rosa was,
We could only imagine what the Monte Rosa was,
konnten wir nur ahnen, was die Monte Rosa sein sollte. -
but this is what we would tell them:
but this is what we would tell them:
Wisst ihr, was wir sagten? -
“Let’s not sign anything. On the Russian front we’re too weak, we’re outnumbered, and that’s exactly where we’ll end up!”.
“Let’s not sign anything. On the Russian front we’re too weak, we’re outnumbered, and that’s exactly where we’ll end up!”.
“Leute, wir unterschreiben nichts, denn an der Front in Russland fehlt es uns an Kräften, es fehlen Soldaten. Die schicken uns an die russische Front!" -
So nobody signed.
So nobody signed.
Keiner hat unterschrieben. -
The “Lagerfuhrer”, the boss of all bosses,
The “Lagerfuhrer”, the boss of all bosses,
Der Chef aller Chefs, der “Lagerführer”, -
was so furious one day that we were sanctioned to
was so furious one day that we were sanctioned to
ist eines Tages so wütend geworden ... -
– I will tell you this in German –
– I will tell you this in German –
– Ich sag das auf Deutsch – -
“Diese Leute morgen früh kein Brot”: no bread for three days.
“Diese Leute morgen früh kein Brot”: no bread for three days.
“Diese Leute morgen früh kein Brot”. Die haben uns echt drei Tage kein Brot gegeben. -
The cold and the work
The cold and the work
Die Kälte und die Arbeit -
When we arrived there, the French asked us:
When we arrived there, the French asked us:
Als wir dort ankamen, fragten uns die Franzosen: -
“Since you come from the outside, what do people say? How long will the war last?”.
“Since you come from the outside, what do people say? How long will the war last?”.
„Ihr kommt von draußen, was sagen die Leute?
Wie lange wird der Krieg noch dauern?“ -
We always thought we knew everything, and we told them it would only last one or two more months,
We always thought we knew everything, and we told them it would only last one or two more months,
Wir dachten immer, wir wüssten alles.
und wir sagten, es würde nur noch 1-2 Monate dauern. -
but they replied it would go on for another two years. They were right, the war went on for two more years.
but they replied it would go on for another two years. They were right, the war went on for two more years.
Aber sie antworteten dass es noch zwei Jahre dauern würde.
Sie hatten recht. Der Krieg ging noch zwei Jahre weiter. -
There were women who had to work on the railroad with shovels and pickaxes.
There were women who had to work on the railroad with shovels and pickaxes.
Es gab Frauen, die mit Schaufeln und Pickeln
an den Bahngleisen arbeiten mussten. -
Sometimes they were even pregnant, and trust me, that’s hard work.
Sometimes they were even pregnant, and trust me, that’s hard work.
Manchmal waren sie sogar schwanger,
und glauben Sie mir das ist harte Arbeit. -
They didn’t do a headcount at night,
They didn’t do a headcount at night,
Abends wurde nicht gezählt, -
to see who was back and who wasn’t, they didn’t care if ten of us had died during the day.
to see who was back and who wasn’t, they didn’t care if ten of us had died during the day.
wer zurück kam und wer nicht.
Es wäre ihnen egal, wenn zehn von uns am Tage gestorben wären. -
Similarly, they did not expect us to work too hard, but we had to be at work every day.
Similarly, they did not expect us to work too hard, but we had to be at work every day.
Es war ihnen egal, wie wir arbeiteten,
aber wir mussten jeden Tag auf der Arbeit sein. -
In my camp, after we woke up at five,
In my camp, after we woke up at five,
Nach dem Wecken morgens um 5 Uhr