European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

“They will destroy everything and burn our house down” and cried.

But I thought that the families would not have to pay so much.

So I enlisted in Klagenfurt. From above we might get a contact.

When I was in Klagenfurt, you know how it is with the military – today like this, tomorrow like that.

From Klagenfurt to Salzburg; from Salzburg to Lienz, East Tyrol.

Then to Italy via Venice, Rome up to … near Monte Cassino.

Then we were sent to the front.

There I was wounded, had a first and second-degree frostbite

and because of that I got into the military hospital in South Italy, in Sora.

From there to Venice, then to Merano.

Then back to Germany, Black Forest, Solingen – there was a hospital.

Afterwards I always thought:

Well, I have to get out.

I made an application to be moved to the military hospital in Klagenfurt.

They allowed it.

On the first day in Klagenfurt, my mother came to see me.

She told me that the partisans said:

“Come and join us soon, we are waiting for you!”

After 14 days the medical consultant of the hospital said:

“I will grant you a holiday although I know 100% that you will never come back.”